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Rural Islands Economic Partnership

Cultivating Resilient Partnerships

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Home

  • Galiano Island: Penelakut Traditional Territory

  • Quadra Island: Wei Wai Kai and Wei Wai Kum Traditional Territory

  • Saturna Island: Tsawout and Tseycum, WSÁNEĆ Traditional Territory

  • Hornby Island: Pentlach Traditional Territory

  • Denman Island: Pentlach Traditional Territory

  • Mayne Island: W̱SÁNEĆ Traditional Territory

  • Gabriola Island: Snuneymuxw Traditional Territory

  • Salt Spring Island: Tsawout Traditional Territory

  • Pender Island: W̱SÁNEĆ Traditional Territory

  • Bowen Island: Squamish Traditional Territory

  • Cortes Island: Homalco, Tla'amin, and Klahoose Traditional Territory

Resilience Through Partnership

The Rural Islands Economic Partnership (RIEP) promotes economic resilience across the rural islands of British Columbia. Together with partners and supporters, RIEP fosters community engagement, coordination, and collaboration to achieve local economic goals sustainably.

Collaborate Regionally, Achieve Results Locally

RIEP offers a platform for inter-island communication, information sharing and collaborative initiatives to address, through a rural islands lens, the economic and social challenges facing island communities through the pandemic and beyond.

Keep the Islands Vibrant

British Columbia’s rural islands are social and cultural gems. They are home to diverse communities of changemakers, innovators, and creators. RIEP serves rural island communities—including Indigenous communities with traditional and reserve lands—on Bowen, Broughton Archipelago, Cormorant, Cortes, Denman, Gabriola, Galiano, Gambier, Hornby, Lasqueti, Malcolm, Mayne, Pender, Quadra, Salt Spring, Saturna, Texada, and Thetis. Our Partnership includes individuals, businesses, organizations, and governments interested in fostering healthy and vibrant communities across the islands.

Explore our Islands by mousing over an icon!

Join RIEP Today!

As a RIEP member, YOU can:
• Participate in the Connection Café, a lively topical monthly inter-island meet-up to virtually connect with fellow rural islanders to share ideas and laughter, to learn something new, to support each other, and strengthen islander connections.

As a RIEP member, YOU can:
• Attend the annual RIEP Forum for inspiring presentations; for discovering new resources; for addressing ways to overcome challenges, for engaging in valuable networking and for celebrating the creative fabric of our rural island communities.

As a RIEP member, YOU can:
• Take advantage of Rising Tide Business Services, offering affordable digital marketing tools and support for entrepreneurs and small businesses to discover new markets for their business, and to provide further benefits for their existing customers.

Together, we leverage our strengths and deliver meaningful results for all of British Columbia’s rural island communities.

Get Started

Member Profiles

Meet fellow rural islanders who have joined the RIEP movement.

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Rising Tide Business Services

Find out how RIEP is helping rural island economies with Rising Tide Business Services.

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RIEP Forum

News & Resources

Access meaningful local and regional information. Browse rural island-focused resources and find out about RIEP's upcoming events.

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Supporters Circle

We are deeply grateful for the financial and in-kind contributions all helping to build and sustain BC’s rural island economies, culture, livelihoods and collective voice.

Learn More

Rising Tide Business Services

Find out how RIEP is helping rural island economies with Rising Tide Business Services.

Learn More

RIEP Forum

News & Resources

Access meaningful local and regional information. Browse rural island-focused resources and find out about RIEP's upcoming events.

Read More

Member Profiles

Meet fellow rural islanders who have joined the RIEP movement.

Read More

Membership

Join a vibrant inter-island community! Add your voice to an exciting partnership that serves over 18 rural islands of BC.

Learn More

Island Stories

The Quadra Island Cookbook Comeback: Good Food for a Good Cause 

December 9, 2021

During the summer of 2021, more than 75 Quadra Island residents came together to taste test over 350 home-cooked recipes created by over 100 … [Read More...] about The Quadra Island Cookbook Comeback: Good Food for a Good Cause 

Living Through the Pandemic on Malcolm Island: “Sisu”

March 5, 2021

Marjorie Giroux of Malcolm Island fills the role of Community Developer at the Sointula Resource Centre Society and is a Rural Islands Economic … [Read More...] about Living Through the Pandemic on Malcolm Island: “Sisu”

Gabriola Farm to Table

Islanders Creating Together on Gabriola Island

February 25, 2021

Julie Sperber from Gabriola Island is the Executive Director of the Gabriola Island Chamber of Commerce and a Board Member of the Rural Islands … [Read More...] about Islanders Creating Together on Gabriola Island

Helping Businesses Thrive on Quadra Island

January 25, 2021

Mark Lasby, P.Eng. from Quadra Island is a Consulting Engineer, member of the Discovery Islands Chamber of Commerce, and Board Member of the Rural … [Read More...] about Helping Businesses Thrive on Quadra Island

News

Connection Café: Recap

December 8, 2021

Nov 30 – Connection Café: Emergency Preparedness – Recap From the Frontline: BC’s Rural Islanders Organize For Immediate Solutions To Climate … [Read More...] about Connection Café: Recap

Connection Café Networking Showcase – Nov 30th!

October 27, 2021

Strengthening Connections Across BC's Rural Islands:  After the success of the October 20-21, 2021 RIEP Forum, we are excited to keep the momentum … [Read More...] about Connection Café Networking Showcase – Nov 30th!

RIEP Forum 2021 – SAVE THE DATE!

September 10, 2021

"SAVE-THE-DATE" October 20 - October 21 & November 30th, 2021 Strengthening Connections Across BC's Rural Islands:  Exploring ways to overcome … [Read More...] about RIEP Forum 2021 – SAVE THE DATE!

No Small Business Is An Island. Or At Least, It Doesn’t Need To Be

September 8, 2021

Rising Tide Business Services is a grassroots social enterprise specializing in digital marketing for small island businesses, entrepreneurs, and … [Read More...] about No Small Business Is An Island. Or At Least, It Doesn’t Need To Be

Upcoming Events

31 May 2022

Connection Café – 31 May 2022

Save the Date for MAY's Connection Café!
Stay Competitive: Biz Tools for Generating Year-Round Revenues - More info coming soon!

Find out more »
Free
Zoom,

In Case You Missed It

29 March 2022

Connection Café – 29 Mar 2022

March's CONNECTION CAFÉ included Dialogue + Q & A with tourism activity providers & representatives of tourism management organizations exploring how to achieve sustainable tourism. Watch the recording here!

Find out more »
Free
Zoom,
22 February 2022

Connection Café – 22 Feb 2022

February’s CONNECTION CAFÉ featured a facilitated roundtable dialogue + Q & A with rural island farmers, food producers and food resilience champions from Cortes, Gabriola, Galiano, Malcolm, Salt Spring and more!
Watch the recording here!

Find out more »
Free
Zoom,
25 January 2022

Connection Café – 25 Jan 2022

January’s CONNECTION CAFÉ included a lively and facilitated roundtable dialogue + Q & A with rural island arts movers, shakers and makers. Watch the recording here!

Find out more »
Free
Zoom,

> See March - May 2020 Covid Response Roundtables

Having an organization that unifies and identifies priorities for the islands is crucial to our community well-being. RIEP will play a huge advocacy, information sharing, and support system role for rural islands to tap into. RIEP understands that island life and islanders approach things differently. Each island has unique qualities, characters and ecologies but our values overlap. RIEP will be invited to the table to represent rural island values, challenges, and desires. The unified voice will have a greater impact.

Julie Sperber, Member of RIEP's Board of Directors &
Executive Director of the Gabriola Chamber of Commerce

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The Rural Islands Economic Partnership Society (RIEP) of British Columbia (BC) is a thriving alliance of diverse Indigenous and non-Indigenous rural island communities sustained through a united voice; shared values; social, economic, and cultural well-being; environmental stewardship; and collaborative strength for the benefit of BC’s rural islands.

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