By Dominic Abassi

Nanaimo Chamber boosts support for economic development as City transitions to new model

May 9, 2017 | 2:18 PM

NANAIMO — The Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce is stepping up efforts to support economic development, as the City works towards creating their own in-house model.

President Kim Smythe said his organization created an Economic Opportunities Task Force to provide resources and support for the Chamber’s efforts to fill the void left following council’s decision to disband the Nanaimo Economic Development Corporation (NEDC).

Smythe said he is seeing an “increasing number” of inquiries from people looking to do business in the harbour city, particularly since the operations of the NEDC officially stopped on Jan. 31.

“We just seem to be a natural go-to for investors and developers coming to our community,” Smythe told NanaimoNewsNOW. “It’s something that’s always happened in the past as well, we very often get phone calls with questions around economic development.”

Smythe said those calls range from simple queries about zoning and permitting to overseas investors looking for local opportunities.

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He said despite the current lack of a “coordinated economic development strategy,” investors are still coming to Nanaimo.

“They’re still coming here irrespective of that situation and then they’re looking for the sort of support and help they need to match-make them up to opportunities that exist. What we’re hearing is Nanaimo continues to be an attractive location for consideration by all kinds of businesses, local and around the world,” Smythe said.

The Chamber’s task force, made up of organizations like the airport, VIU and Port Authority, would be complimentary to whatever model the City settles on.

Smythe admitted while the current state of affairs is not ideal, he sees strong potential looking to the future.

Earlier this month, Nanaimo council endorsed a three-phase staff plan to create an in-house economic development function. The transition is necessary because of a December 2016 decision to fold the arms-length NEDC.

The process starts with the creation of a planning committee that is proposed to work into the spring of 2018. $45,000 has also been earmarked for a consultant, according to the City’s economic development officer Amrit Manhas.

Manhas said council has yet to commit any other financial resources towards economic development work for 2017. In 2016, nearly $400,000 worth of the NEDC’s overall funding was spent on that area alone.

Manhas will also be the lone City Hall employee dedicated to the file as the planning process plays out. She will split her focus between supporting the committee, reviewing other in-house models and monitoring ongoing initiatives, events and business inquiries.

An economic development office with three to four employees would be typical for a community the size of Nanaimo, according to Manhas. The NEDC had four people, including Manhas and the CEO position.

Mayor Bill McKay, who will chair the City’s new committee, wants the new City model ready to go before the end of 2017. He said the process has already taken longer than he expected.

“As we’re developing our budget for next year we need to get the funding in place to put a full and proper department together,” McKay said.

He said economic development needs to have a broader vision than it has, adding he felt in the past efforts focused too much on attracting new businesses. That vision should include workforce development and supporting existing businesses.

dominic.abassi@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @domabassi