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 ongoing lively inter-island discussion groups, regional roundtables, quarterly local arts and culture showcases, best practices incubators, webinars and workshops, all with a rural islands focus. Engage and deepen connections with rural islanders via the RIEP Biennial Forum. Take advantage of Rising Tide Business Services, offering affordable digital marketing tools and support, and extend your business/organizational reach through the Island COMEBACK directory.

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

RIEP Team Zoom Photo

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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Hastings House, Salt Spring Island

Island Stories

BC’s rural islands are social and cultural gems. Get inspired by the leaders and creators who reside on them.

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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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Lilac Sun Pottery, Denman Island

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

Hastings House, Salt Spring Island

Island Stories

BC’s rural islands are social and cultural gems. Get inspired by the leaders and creators who reside on them.

Read More

RIEP Forum - Membership

Membership

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

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News

Upcoming Events

20 October 2021

RIEP Forum 2021

Engage and deepen connections with BC”s rural islanders and allies via the RIEP Forum, being held via a lively virtual platform Oct 20-21 & Nov 30 2021.

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In Case You Missed It

28 May 2020

RIEP May 2020 Webinar

Presentations from Mayne Island and Malcolm Island community economic advocates. Covid-19 economic recovery discussions.

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07 May 2020

RIEP May 2020 Webinar

Roundtable Dialogue: Impact of the Pandemic On Island Food Security. Presentations from Denman Island, Saturna Island, and Thetis Island community economic advocates. RIEP Board updates.

Find out more »
23 April 2020

RIEP April 2020 Webinar

Virtual Tourism Roundtable and the digital economy as a recovery tool. Presentations from Cortes Island, Pender Island, and Quadra Island community economic advocates.

Find out more »

Island Stories

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