The Peace River Regional District (PRRD) is in the process of creating its first ever Regional Growth Strategy.
A Regional Growth Strategy (RGS) is simply a long-range (in this case, 20-year), high level planning document with the intention of helping guide long-term growth in the Peace. They are strategic plans enabled by the provincial Local Government Act, prepared and enacted by a regional district with the involvement of its member municipalities.
“The province leaves the process for preparing an RGS largely up to each region, so this will be made in the Peace and include policy guidance for the things residents and others tell us are important,” says the PRRD website. “As a high-level document, the RGS will likely include broad goals on topics like transportation, housing, parks and natural areas, economic development, and regional environmental issues.”
The document will also help the PRRD and its member municipalities— City of Dawson Creek, City of Fort St. John, District of Taylor, District of Chetwynd, District of Hudson’s Hope, District of Tumbler Ridge and the Village of Pouce Coupe—plan for the future together.
The goal is to understand and prepare for the potential changes this region can expect over the next 20 years.
What changes? Well, it could include a growing population, new service demands, the regional economy, and a changing climate.
This is the first RGS that the PRRD has undertaken. “The final product will be a high-level document that will support more coordinated region-wide planning and help us better understand the region, including the shared opportunities it has and the challenges it faces,” says the PRRD.
That’s where you come in. The PRRD is seeking feedback from people who live here to help guide the creation of the strategy.
Each community in the PRRD is distinct and has its own concerns. Tumbler Ridge’s economy is mostly driven by coal mining, while in Dawson Creek, agriculture is still important. “With a thriving resource-based economy, an array of services and amenities and a variety of striking and inspiring landscapes, our residents enjoy a rewarding quality of life,” says Ashley Murphey, project manager. “We see a bright and prosperous future for our region, while acknowledging the economic vulnerabilities of our resource sector and the impacts on our region from a changing climate. We will strive for diversity within our region’s economy; strong relationships with First Nations and other partners; and effective, responsive services that meet the needs of our residents and protect our communities from the increasing frequency of natural hazard events.”
The project started in August of this year, and is on track to be completed in May of 2025.
To have your say, go to the PRRD’s Have Your Say website, at haveyoursay.prrd.bc.ca. You can also send an email to RGS@prrd.bc.ca to be added to the mailing list.
To have your say, go to the PRRD’s Have Your Say website, at haveyoursay.prrd.bc.ca. You can also send an email to RGS@prrd.bc.ca to be added to the mailing list.
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.