Energizing our Future

The City of Fort St. John and the Community Development Institute (CDI) at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) prepared the Energizing our Future: The Social and Economic Development Framework for Fort St. John. 

The framework recognizes that social and economic development are intimately intertwined and mutually supportive. The whole community must work together to enhance the quality of life and realize economic potential. This community plan belongs to passionate and committed citizens and organizations that want to make a difference by working together to build social capacity and economic growth and diversification. Broken into 15 social and economic action areas identified through extensive community input, it sets the stage for all facets of the community to embark on a journey together; to seize opportunities, address challenges, and navigate change.

With this framework, the community will engage in a more comprehensive approach to future decisions. For example, a new industrial investment in Fort St. John will trigger questions about the impact on housing, transportation, public services, retail and services, workforce development, and inclusion and belonging. The holistic and comprehensive approach outlined in Energizing Our Future: The Social and Economic Framework for Fort St. John will allow the community to identify opportunities to maximize benefit and reduce risks and costs associated with investments and decisions. The framework will serve as a tool to guide decisions, support consistent and effective results, and monitor progress.