Rural Islands Economic Partnership

Cultivating Resilient Partnerships

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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.

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.

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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

News

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,

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