For more information on programs in this region, contact:
Regional Coordinator: Gail Wallin
Telephone: 250 392-1400
Email: gwallin@fraserbasin.bc.ca
Now Online — South Cariboo Business Directory
If you have a business in the South Cariboo, or if you would like to connect with businesses offering goods and services across the region, please visit a new online business directory at http://southcariboo.biz/BusinessResourceDirectory/index.php .
The Fraser Basin Council (Cariboo-Chilcotin Regional Office) is pleased to initiate the directory as part of its Strengthening Communities program, and applauds the people across the region who helped get this project off the ground. Now it is time to expand the listings. If you would like the name of your business to be added to the directory, please contact:
Gail Wallin, Regional Coordinator
Tel.: 250 392-1400
Email: gwalllin@fraserbasin.bc.ca
Maureen LeBourdais
Tel:
250 620-3505
Email:
lebourdais@xplorenet.com.
Caribou Management
The population of the Eastern Mountain Caribou is recognized as needing special management to help ensure that the sub-species population is sustainable. To help increase public awareness of caribou and related management concerns, the FBC facilitated a broad-based panel to encourage public discussion and invite recommendations for protecting these animals. The panel brought together representatives from the forest industry, environmental groups, guide outfitters, snowmobilers and recreationists to identify possible volunteer actions. The panel identified what actions recreationists, community organizations, industry and governments can take to help ensure the viability of the local population. A key message was the need to work cooperatively together in planning and in the field to minimize negative impacts on the caribou herd.
Economic Networking Directory and Planning
In the Cariboo, there is a diverse range of interests involved in economic planning. Communities in the region identified a need and opportunity to strengthen communication, coordination and cooperation among all interests in support of achieving the region's economic development objectives. The FBC provided leadership in developing the Cariboo-Chilcotin Economic Development Directory. This document, developed with funding support from Human Resource Development Canada, is a key resource for strengthening economic networking between agencies within the Cariboo. It has helped to build liaisons among the small communities in order to share information and address common issues. In addition to its work on the Directory, the FBC facilitated an economic workshop in 100-Mile House that focused on specific actions to strengthen that community.
Interface Fire Plan
With joint funding from the City of Williams Lake and the Cariboo Regional
District, Williams Lake and area now has a coordinated plan to reduce the
impacts of wildfire in surrounding forests and residential areas. Following
the firestorms of 2003, it became clear that communities must act proactively
to reduce the threat of wildfire to lives and properties. The Williams Lake
and Area Interface Fire Plan aims to minimize the impacts of fire in the
urban–rural interface
surrounding the City of Williams Lake. The interface is considered the zone
surrounding communities where low-density housing is often mixed with forested
and open areas...read the full Press
Release dated September 6, 2005.
To download
sections of the August 2005 Williams Lake and Area Interface Fire Plan, select
on any of the following links:
1. Cover 
1MB
2. Table of Contents and Executive Summary 134KB
3.
Plant text, including the three figures 3.6MB
Invasive Plant Strategy for British Columbia
While the issue of invasive plant species impacts all regions of the Basin and
the province, it is of particular concern to ranchers and farmers in the Cariboo-Chilcotin
and Thompson regions. The Regional Coordinator has been the lead FBC staff
member in the process to develop the Strategy. See: Basin Wide Highlights for
more information on the "Invasive Plant Strategy
for British Columbia."
Living By Water
The FBC, in partnership with the Cariboo Regional District, the City
of Williams Lake, the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Stewardship Coordinator
and Ducks Unlimited, hosted public information sessions for residents
of Williams Lake and Chimney Lake on responsible and efficient management
of lakeshore property. The partners used the "Living By Water" program
as the foundation of these sessions. Building on the present experience,
the goal is to improve shoreline management in the Williams Lake
area. In addition, the FBC worked in Quesnel and 100 Mile House with potential
partners to develop a strategy for public sessions in 2003 as a means
to improve stewardship of water.
Networking Rural BC
Based on the past three years of work with rural communities in BC, there has been a clearly defined request to improve linkages and networks among rural communities and organizations. The FBC has compiled a preliminary directory of Basin and province-wide rural networks. Based on this directory and the Sharing Lessons Learned conference, FBC will work as a catalyst to initiate more formal networking among BC rural organizations.
Quesnel Sustainability Indicators
A number of communities have recognized the usefulness of developing sustainability indicators as a tool for measuring their progress toward meeting community sustain-ability goals. Recognizing the FBC's expertise in this area, the community of Quesnel and the Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services invited the FBC to facilitate the development of sustainability indicators. Working with a local Project Team, the FBC facilitated the consolidation of community sustainability goals and challenges from the many existing studies and plans already undertaken in the Quesnel area including an Official Community Plan, Economic Develop-met Strategy, etc. Based on these goals and challenges, the FBC facilitated the development of a set of sustainability indicators that can be used by the community to track progress toward the realization of the community's vision. Twenty-one indicators were selected and described in a final report published in the spring of 2002.
- Nate Bello, Mayor, City of Quesnel
Regional Visioning
At the request of the Cariboo Tribal Council, the Federal Treaty Office and the Regional Treaty Negotiating Team, the FBC planned and facilitated two regional visioning sessions. Each session aimed to have all participants identify what actions they could jointly take to help make the local area a better place for all. The first session looked at lands and resources and the second focused on wildlife. Over 70 people came together for each session to identify what local actions could create practical outcomes over the next three years. The actions generally focused on building partnerships between aboriginals and non-aboriginals. The next session will focus on fisheries; other sessions will follow-up on actions related to land and resources.
Sharing Lessons Learned
As rural BC experiences economic transition with changes in the traditional resource sectors, many communities have inspiring stories about how they have diversified their economies and taken advantage of new opportunities. As a follow-up to the 2002 conference at Silverstar, the Cariboo-Chilcotin Regional Coordinator organized the "Sharing Lessons Learned" forum held in Prince George in May 2003.
Strengthening Communities
Cariboo-Chilcotin Directors have selected a project called the South Cariboo Profile and Action Plan. 100 Mile House and Canim Lake as the region's pilot communities for the initiative. 100 Mile House is a small rural area in the south of the region and the Canim Lake Indian Band is located nearby. Dialogue sessions were held in the spring of 2003. Community representatives provided input on how the FBC can effectively work with the local community to help build strong and stable communities, and identified critical issues, key priorities and possible projects in each community. FBC will work with the Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC), local government and community groups to research and compile the community profile and build an action plan to retain community residents.
BC Rural Network
Newsletter Issue 1, Fall 2005 -
368KB
South Cariboo Regional Profile July
2004 -
672KB
Regional and Community Support
The FBC supports and provides direction and services for many ongoing community, regional district and other activities and programs to advance sustainability in the Fraser Basin. Over the past year, the Cariboo-Chilcotin Regional Coordinator has:
- Facilitated a joint meeting between the Cariboo Regional District and the City of Williams Lake to build clear understanding and acceptance of their Memorandum of Understanding that provides direction on shared responsibilities for a wide range of services such as recreation and landfills.
- Worked with the provincial government's Inter-Agency Management Committee (IAMC) on sustainable development for the region.
- Participated actively with the BC Rural Team – a federal/provincial partnership focused on improving services to rural communities.
- Worked with the local The Habitat Stewardship Conservation Program Stewardship Coordinator on local community events including Living By Water and the Williams Lake River's Walk.
- Worked with local citizens and the regional district on issues such as landfill, waste disposal and shoreline management.