The Comox Valley Regional District board has decided to provide the Comox Valley Economic Development Society (CVEDS) with a six months’ termination notice for its contract.
CVEDS has been the contractor to deliver economic development services in the Comox Valley since 1988. Over the years, the society has helped businesses grow, and worked with potential investors and entrepreneurs to realize the benefits of investing and doing business in the Valley.
In 2020, the CVRD entered into a two-year agreement with CVEDS to continue to deliver economic development services in the region. Later in the year, based on transition to the new contract deliverables including enhanced reporting and defining service goals, the board set their strategic priorities for economic development moving forward. Subsequently, a formal service review was initiated to consider governance, roles and service delivery. The decision to terminate the contract aligns with the CVRD board and its municipal partners’ interests to pursue economic and community development initiatives at a more local level.
“Looking ahead, the jurisdictions will discuss what we should collaborate on, and what will be best served at the local level,” said Daniel Arbour, director of Area A (Baynes Sounds-Denman/Hornby Islands). “These discussions should help clarify whether the members want to keep the CVEDS vehicle active or not.”
The CVRD and its municipal partners, the City of Courtenay and Town of Comox, will continue reviewing the economic development service to provide a path forward on how it will be delivered within the region. In addition to decision-making, the review will consider how to support tourism, visitor services, core economic development activities, and the Economic Recovery Task Force created to support businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Details regarding the results of this review will be provided in the coming months.