Community Economic Development

The Community Economic Development Story

In 2016, The Gabriola Chamber began working towards a more homegrown economic development strategy.

In 2017, a three-year strategic plan was finalized, and the Chamber began a Service Agreement with the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) to provide Tourism and Economic Development services to Electoral Area B, which includes Gabriola, Mudge and DeCourcy island.

In 2018, the Economic Development Advisory Group (EDAG) was formed through the GICC with the mission to

“develop a robust island economy that thrives within the culture Gabriolans cherish, and provide tools and resources to create a community working in concert to improve our entrepreneurial capacity”.

In May 2018, a Community Economic Development Officer (CEDO) was hired. The Advisory Group worked with the CEDO for a two-year period while the economic development function of the Chamber solidified.

In 2020, an Executive Director position replaced the CEDO role, and the organization as a whole adopted the EDAG mission.

Today, the Council continues to provide the guidance, feedback and varied perspectives that attribute to the success of the continued Service Agreement with the RDN and the community economic development initiatives that have supported the mission.