District of Clearwater
2019
In 2011, Council developed it's first economic development plan. With the downturn in resource-based economy, to approach economic development on a local scale while appealing on a global level a holistic approach “community economic development” was needed. This is defined as “a process by which communities can initiate and generate their own solutions to their common economic problems and thereby build long-term community capacity and foster the integration of economic, social and environmental objectives .” Further defining our approach to “placemaking” by engaging the practice of utilizing our community’s public amenities to make economic progress.
Our approach focuses on the unique features of places, building on existing assets, and using them to attract new investment and strengthen existing businesses. By including community health and well-being (recreation/healthy living and seniors programming), growth and land use planning (focused OCP and Zoning), organizational capacity (Tourism Wells Gray, Yellowhead Community Services), innovation (bio energy & solar power), adapting to growing trends while working towards sustainability.
Involving implementation of community programming (recreation/healthy living, senior’s accessibility including transit, support of tourism), infrastructure expansion (water, sewer, roads and trails), continuously advocating to provincial and federal governments on behalf of the community for highway improvements, education and broadband.
