The Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District is a large and diverse area of over 6,600 square kilometers centrally located on the west side of Vancouver Island with a total regional population of over 31,000.
Wildfires in the summer of 2023 forced the closure of Highway 4, which serves as a vital transportation route between Cathedral Grove/MacMillan Provincial Park and Koen Road. This impacted the flow of goods, services, and travelers for weeks.
The project is a collaborative effort led by the Alberni Chamber of Commerce on behalf of the Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce and the Tofino Long Beach Chamber of Commerce. It is in response to the economic impact of this event and will examine the losses suffered by local businesses and industries.
A consultant will be hired to uncover the immediate needs of the business community and inform targeted support measures. The main outcome of the project is to develop a report that will provide both the provincial and federal governments and related agencies with consensus regional priorities to invest in economic recovery and resilience for the Alberni-Clayoquot region in the short- and long-term. The final report will also allow all collaborators to better understand each other’s role in the event of a disaster and identify gaps where policy changes are needed.
Island Coastal Economic Trust approved funding for this project in 2023 through the Investment Readiness program.
We work in reciprocal relationships with coastal communities across the ancestral territories of the Kwak̓wala, Nuučaan̓uɫ, Éy7á7juuthem, Ligwilda'xw, Pəntl'áč, She shashishalhem, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, Hul’q’umi’num’, diitiidʔaatx̣, SENĆOŦEN, Lekwungen, and T’Sou-ke speaking peoples.
