"Some of the logging families are looking at how to change what they do on a day-to-day basis because they can see what is coming," Cheng said. "[They say], 'We know there's only so many trees to go around and there's going to be a point where we're going to have to go. We don't have enough trees for everybody now.'"
While the tree-clad mountain slopes may suggest otherwise, fires and the high cost of pelletizing beetle-killed timber for fuel relative to the cost of other energy options has put a damper on new investment.
"We've had piles of interest from bioenergy people trying to get started in our area," Cheng said. "But given some of the difficulties to get the fibre off the land and that the price of energy is so low in our province, it's not as economical to get going on some of these projects."
"Agro-forestry"
Still, more than 60 per cent of local residents continue to depend on the forest sector for their livelihoods. But agro-forestry and other alternatives are coming forward that reinvent traditional industries.
"We're still working with forestry and fibre opportunities for our community, but we're also working on agricultural opportunities," Cheng said.
Cariboo Central Interior Poultry Producers Association is leading one of the key initiatives: a mobile abattoir that will serve up to 10 locations in the region. It has secured $1.3 million in funding over the past 18 months for the project, which is countering the loss of five slaughterhouses that closed when Victoria began shifting slaughterhouses to meet tough new federal inspection standards in 2004.
"We're trying to become a hub for that," Cheng said. "What we're trying to do is not just the diversification of Quesnel but really the whole central northern region."
Cariboo farmers have traditionally been ranchers rather than hen-herders but cheap land and access to quota has attracted new entrants to the Cariboo poultry trade.
Shawn Jennings moved to Quesnel from Powell River three years ago and acquired a 50-acre farm and turkey quota. He plans to produce approximately 2,000 birds a year. His first flock was being processed this fall, with one batch of birds already shipped for Thanksgiving and another being readied for Christmas.
Others are pursuing niche markets, such as Heloise Dixon-Warren, who, with partner Ted Traer, operates Moose Meadows Farm just outside Quesnel. The couple have built the farm's identity around various activities, from birch syrup to wreaths to bird watching and has an active program of agri-tourism activities. It has also cultivated a market for birch syrup - a native equivalent to maple syrup.
Moose Meadows' example has prompted others to tap the market for birch syrup, such as Laura Entzminger of Sweet Tree Ventures. She can't keep up with demand. Meanwhile, Moose Meadows has diversified into Christmas wreaths and become a December destination for many people.
Dixon-Warren told growers attending the Pacific Agriculture Show in Abbotsford this year that farm visits help build relationships that support retail activities and extends her business opportunities. "The more times we get people to the farm, the more events that we attend, the better the prospects," she said. "It's working everything together."
Investment
That approach is important for rural communities during times of transition, said Nicole Vaugeois, who teaches at Vancouver Island University and holds the B.C. Regional Innovation Chair in Tourism and Sustainable Rural Development.
"[Tourism] exposes a lot of communities to new residents and to small businesses that may want to go and settle in those communities," Vaugeois said. "Beyond the typical, 'It provides jobs and money,' I think it's also providing exposure to different areas of B.C. that are ripe for investment and new population growth."
One of the key tourism opportunities working in Quesnel's favour right now is the overnight stop Rocky Mountaineer's Whistler-Jasper train makes in the city.
"That's been a huge win for tourism and the hotels, as well as complementary industries," Cheng said, noting that train passengers account for up to half the craft sales the local Four Square Marketing Co-operative makes.
But bearing out Vaugeois's thesis, the activities also support Quesnel's status as a regional centre. Its population of close 10,000 is the core of a service area totalling 25,000 people. Meanwhile, a million vehicles a year drive through the community on the recently upgraded Highway 97, en route north to Prince George or south to Williams Lake. A convenient midway point, Quesnel offers retailers good opportunities to serve both local and transient traffic. West Park Mall is full, and franchise companies regularly contact the economic development office regarding potential sites for new locations. The interest has boosted rents for retail space throughout the city to an average of $10 to $15 a square foot, stirring interest among investors.
There's also been greater interest this year from potential new residents. "We've seen two to three times as many calls and enquiries to move to our community over last year, which is exciting for us," Cheng said.
It's an axiom of urban business development that companies like to cluster with like-minded companies, but it's even more accurate in small communities seeking to establish economic capacity.
"A lot of [rural communities] struggle because they don't have enough residents to actually be able to support businesses throughout the year, and businesses need to be able to benefit from a cluster," Vaugeois said.
Cheng is keenly aware of this, but she believes the growing diversity of economic activities in Quesnel is adding up to have a large impact on the town's future viability.
"It's a niche thing in our community," Cheng said of many of the businesses locals are pursuing. "[But] if we get enough of these, 1 per cent and 2 per cent of our economy, then we can start to ease the pain we may feel in the future."
from Western Investor, November 2010
