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Galiano Island: Penelakut Traditional Territory
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Quadra Island: Wei Wai Kai and Wei Wai Kum Traditional Territory
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Saturna Island: Tsawout and Tseycum, WSÁNEĆ Traditional Territory
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Hornby Island: Pentlach Traditional Territory
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Denman Island: Pentlach Traditional Territory
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Mayne Island: W̱SÁNEĆ Traditional Territory
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Gabriola Island: Snuneymuxw Traditional Territory
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Salt Spring Island: Tsawout Traditional Territory
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Pender Island: W̱SÁNEĆ Traditional Territory
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Bowen Island: Squamish Traditional Territory
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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.
Meet fellow rural islanders who have joined the RIEP movement.
Find out how RIEP is helping rural island economies with Rising Tide Business Services.
Access meaningful local and regional information. Browse rural island-focused resources and find out about RIEP's upcoming events.
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.
Find out how RIEP is helping rural island economies with Rising Tide Business Services.
Access meaningful local and regional information. Browse rural island-focused resources and find out about RIEP's upcoming events.
Meet fellow rural islanders who have joined the RIEP movement.
Join a vibrant inter-island community! Add your voice to an exciting partnership that serves over 18 rural islands of BC.
Island Stories

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

Islanders Creating Together on Gabriola Island
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
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
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!
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!
"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
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
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!
In Case You Missed It
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 »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!
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 »
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.