March 2026 — Summary Report

Overview

This report presents the key findings from RIEP’s February 2026 Community Economic Well-Being Feedback Survey. The survey invited 42 community-building organisations across British Columbia’s coastal and island communities to complete the survey. 33% responded. Respondents represent a diverse cross-section of local economic stakeholders — including chambers of commerce, arts councils, tourism associations, community foundations, economic development associations and a regional district.

The survey gathered reflections on 2025 achievements, learnings for 2026, benchmarking preferences, and priorities for community economic well-being.

 

 

2025 Achievements & Community Contributions

Respondents were asked to briefly describe their organisation’s actions or achievements in 2025 that contributed to the economic well-being of their community. The following themes emerged across submissions.

Arts & Culture As Economic Drivers

Community Arts Organisations reported significant community economic impact through their programming:

• Gabriola Arts Council’s three annual core programs reached over 3,000 people as audience members and participants, brought a nationally recognised musician to the island, and provided income to approximately 100 local artists across multiple genres.
• Salt Spring Arts Council engaged over 24,000 people across more than 303 days of programming in 2025. Activities directly paid local artists while supporting local businesses, and included youth initiatives, a popular Summer Outdoor Concert series (75% local audience), exhibitions, grants to artists, and craft retail through Artcraft Gallery.

Business Support & Entrepreneurship

• Community Futures Entrepreneur Fund expanded accessible credit for entrepreneurs unable to secure conventional bank financing — serving clients who were too small, too new, too rural, or lacking collateral. This enabled business starts, expansions, and transitions that would otherwise not have occurred.
• Gabriola Island Chamber of Commerce operated its Visitor Centre, published a Business Skills and Tourism Assets study, advocated on issues including tariffs, public safety, ferry access, and rural transportation, and collaborated with local non-profits to provide training workshops and sector discussions.
• Pender Island Chamber Launched a comprehensive island-wide information hub covering Chamber resources, visitor information, an events calendar, and guidance for prospective       residents and entrepreneurs.
• RIEP’s Non-Profit Social Enterprise – Rising Tide Business Services focused on growing shared services to support local small business capacity.
• Salt Spring Chamber of Commerce hosted high-impact community events (Salty Awards, Winter Wander) that drove foot traffic and local spending, while supporting businesses through construction updates, planning tools, and a member-to-member benefits program.

Tourism Development & Support

• Tourism Bowen Island Association (TBI) provided visitor services and business supports throughout the year, and staff personally assisted over 25,000 visitors during the peak summer months. TBI is focused on maintaining member services and identifying new funding opportunities amid a general economic slowdown and reduced discretionary spending.
• District of Sooke completed a Destination BC / PacifiCan-sponsored 5-Year Regenerative Tourism Plan for the Sooke to Port Renfrew region and was selected by Destination Canada as one of four Canadian proponents to develop a Cross-Border Juan de Fuca Strait Bio-Region Tourism Investment Strategy.
• Gabriola Island Chamber of Commerce operated its Visitor Centre and produced and distributed 20,000 copies of the Gabriola Visitor Map. 
• Pender Island Chamber: Maintained year-round Visitor Centre Operations access in partnership with the Community Resource Centre through shared office space and coordinated scheduling, five days a week.

Community Foundations & Capacity Building

• Cortes Island Community Foundation partnered with the shellfish industry, provided an online business directory, and mentored local businesses.
• Cortes Community Economic Development Association (CCEDA) concluded a two-year Economic Development position that yielded multiple collaborations, conversations around tourism sustainability, a transportation plan, and updated LEAP and tourism planning documents.
• Quadra Island Foundation distributed over $100,000 to local organisations to build community and economic capacity.

Housing & Community Services

• Southern Gulf Islands Community Resource Centre expanded regional housing stability efforts through the Home-Share Registry, community outreach, and stakeholder coordination to match residents with safe, affordable housing — supporting workforce retention and reducing housing insecurity. It also delivered accessible community dining and social programs.

Economic Strategy & Planning

• Discovery Islands Chamber of Commerce led Quadra Island’s first Economic Diversification Strategy, developed through community and business engagement to support a resilient,  year-round local economy, and strengthened collaboration between businesses, non-profits, and local partners.

 

 

Key Lessons for 2026

Respondents shared what they believe others could learn from their 2025 efforts.

Common themes across all responses include:

Collaboration Over Silos

• Discovery Islands Chamber stressed building community trust and engagement before strategy development to create shared ownership and credibility.
• SGI Community Resource Centre highlighted the importance of cross-island partnerships among non-profits, local government, and community groups to reduce duplication and   increase impact.
• Cortes CEDA noted that having an economic development officer assigned to rural island communities is critically important, this role enables projects to move forward at a scale that volunteers alone cannot sustain.
• Regional partnerships are essential: collaboration with Southern Gulf Islands partners amplifies impact and should be maintained and deepened in 2026.
• “Silos don’t work” — the District of Sooke emphasised that collaboration between private, public, and NGO sectors at local, regional, provincial, and federal levels is key to successful community economic development.
• Shared infrastructure works: The Pender Island co-location model with the Community Resource Centre is an effective, replicable approach to maximizing limited resources.

The Economic Value of Arts & Culture

• Gabriola Arts Council emphasised that “the arts are a significant driver of the economy” — a message relevant to all island communities.
• Salt Spring Arts Council highlighted its role in forming community identity since 1968, and called on community members, individuals, and government bodies to invest in arts through donations, sponsorships, and grants as grant funding becomes less available.

Sustainable Tourism Strategies

• Southern Gulf Islands Tourism Partnership advocated for shifting from peak-season growth to shoulder-season demand to improve business stability and workforce retention, maximising local procurement, and diversifying tourism offerings (food, arts, wellness, agritourism).

Relationship-Based & Community-Centred Finance

• Community Futures Entrepreneur Fund demonstrated that targeted, relationship-based lending can unlock significant economic potential in rural communities by assessing character, viability, and community impact rather than relying solely on conventional credit metrics.

Adequate & Sustained Resourcing

• Quadra Island Foundation noted that “more funds are required at the local level to build community and economic capacity” and warned that relying on volunteers is a recipe for burnout. Much more can be accomplished when people are actually paid to do the work.
• Tourism Bowen Island flagged broader economic pressures: geopolitical uncertainty, inflation, reduced discretionary spending, and shifting provincial and federal funding priorities are creating headwinds for businesses and organisations.
• Capacity Building Is Foundational: Before businesses can grow, they need the time and support to plan. Investing in grant-writing and administrative capacity will have multiplier effects across the community.

Data, Evidence & Accountability

• Cortes EDA stressed the importance of local economic and social data for rural-coastal, remote communities to strengthen informed decision-making and accountability.
• Multiple respondents pointed to the need for more structured community economic planning tools and evidence-based approaches.
• A robust digital presence drives economic opportunity: current, well-maintained websites and strategic social media outreach position communities to attract visitors, new residents, and entrepreneurs. Sustained investment in these platforms delivers positive results.

 

 

Benchmarking Preferences

Respondents were asked which type of location they would use as a benchmark for their community’s economic performance and to name a specific location where applicable. Multiple benchmark types — reflecting the complexity noted in their submission of comparing performance across communities with differing development constraints. Overall benchmarking preferences confirm that island communities learn best from each other.

Benchmark Type	Selected By
Nearby Coastal Community	SGI Tourism Partnership (Tofino), District of Sooke (Port Alberni Regional District), Pender Island Chamber (Tofino)
Another Island	Gabriola Arts Council, Quadra Island Foundation, Discovery Islands Chamber, Cortes Island Community Foundation, Cortes CEDA, Pender Island Chamber
My Regional District	Salt Spring Arts Council (CRD), Tourism Bowen Island, SGI Community Resource Centre, Pender Island Chamber (CRD)
Multiple Benchmarks	Gabriola Island Chamber, SGI Tourism Partnership, Cortes CEDA, Pender Island Chamber (island + coastal + regional district), Salt Spring Arts Council

 

 

Community Economic Priorities — Importance Ratings

Respondents rated five community economic priority areas on a scale from 1 (Not important) to 4 (Very important). The table below summarises the distribution of ratings and the average score for each area.

Priority Area	Very Important (4)	Moderately Important (3)	Somewhat Important (2)	Avg Score
Quality of Life Investments (internet, housing, healthcare, transportation)	12 (80%)	3 (20%)	—	3.8 ★
Local Government Funding for Community Economic Planning	11 (73%)	4 (27%)	—	3.7
Obtaining Evidence-Based Data to Support Community Economic Planning	10 (67%)	4 (27%)	1 (7%)	3.6
Support for Local Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs	9 (60%)	5 (33%)	1 (7%)	3.5
Training Programs that Prepare Residents for Local Jobs	4 (27%)	7 (47%)	4 (27%)	3.1

★ Highest-rated priority across all respondents

 

 

 

Key Findings

1. Quality of Life Investments (internet, housing, healthcare, transportation) was the highest-rated priority, with 12 of 15 respondents (80%) rating it ‘Very important’ and an average score of 3.8 out of 4.
2. Local Government Funding for Community Economic Planning ranked second, rated ‘Very important’ by 11 respondents (73%) and averaging 3.7.
3. Obtaining Evidence-Based Data To Support Community Economic Planning was rated ‘Very important’ by 10 respondents (67%), averaging 3.6 — reflecting a strong appetite for data-driven decision-making.
4. Support For Local Small Businesses And Entrepreneurs was rated ‘Very important’ by 9 respondents (60%), averaging 3.5.
5. Training Programs That Prepare Residents For Local Jobs was the most modestly rated area, with the majority rating it ‘Moderately important’ (7 respondents) and an average of 3.1 — though still viewed positively overall.

Across all five areas, no respondent rated any priority as ‘Not important’, indicating that community economic priorities are broadly valued — the differences lie in degree of urgency rather than fundamental disagreement.

Findings Summary

The February-March 2026 RIEP Community Economic Feedback Survey reveals a network of active, resourceful organisations working to sustain and grow the economic well-being of rural island and coastal communities across British Columbia. 

Several Interconnected Priorities Emerge Clearly From The Combined Feedback:

1. Quality Of Life Infrastructure: (housing, internet, healthcare, transportation) is the top shared priority and a prerequisite for economic participation and workforce retention.
2. Collaboration And Partnership: — across sectors and across islands — is consistently identified as the most effective lever for community economic development.
3. Sustained And Adequate Resourcing: including paid staff (not just volunteers), is essential for meaningful progress. 
4. Arts, Culture, And Tourism: are recognised as genuine economic drivers, not merely amenity considerations.
5. Evidence-Based Planning And Local Data: are increasingly valued. The challenge of benchmarking against comparable communities illustrates the need for better tools tailored to rural island-coastal region contexts.

The Governance Gap: is an emerging structural issue: chambers and community organisations are absorbing responsibilities that typically fall to municipal government, and funding/resourcing must reflect this expanded mandate.

These findings can inform the priorities and design of future programs, funding applications, and regional community economic development strategies across BC’s rural islands and coastal communities.

 

Key Quotes

“Silos don’t work.”

— District of Sooke

“Use economic diversification as a unifying lens, not a siloed initiative.”

— Discovery Islands Chamber of Commerce

“The arts are a significant driver of the economy!”

— Gabriola Arts Council

“Relying only on volunteers is a recipe for burnout.”

— Quadra Island Foundation

“Lead with collaboration — when business, volunteers, and sponsors pull together, impact multiplies.”

— Salt Spring Chamber of Commerce

“Ground decisions in research and resident sentiment to align economic outcomes with community well-being.”

— Southern Gulf Islands Tourism Partnership

 

 

 

 

 

 

RIEP Community Feedback Survey — February 2026  |  Summary Report  |  Compiled March 2026