AdvantageHOPE’s economic development performance came under scrutiny at the May 8 council meeting, after Coun. Bob Erickson criticized their results.
AdvantageHOPE chair Anna Gladue and executive director Tammy Shields presented their quarterly report to council that evening, where they highlighted their initiatives, such as implementing the hotel tax and installing a downtown information kiosk, and partnerships, such as those with Free Rein Associates and DestinationBC.
The discussion changed course to whether AdvantageHOPE has achieved their economic development mandate, after Erickson asked his first question.
While all council members agreed that they did well on tourism, Erickson and Coun. Donna Kropp thought they needed to do better on economic development. Two other councillors and the mayor thought the opposite, believing that they have improved the town. Coun. Heather Stewin did not make any statements that betrayed her opinion.
Erickson argued that despite the money the District of Hope puts into AdvantageHOPE, they have not produced economic development results, “and several businesses have left Hope in the last few months.”
Erickson asked the delegates whether they could point to any economic development, to which Shields pointed to Dymin Steel and MaxForce Trailers moving into Hope, to which Erickson interrupted and said MaxForce Trailers was pulling out. Shields said a replacement is looking there, to which Erickson said their reason for coming was because of the building, not because of AdvantageHOPE.
Shields also said that business licences and businesses reporting tax have gone up. Erickson came back with a rebuke saying that Shields made a “false claim.”
“For our efforts to have been successful, doesn’t necessarily mean that we have to talk to every single individual business that is looking to come to Hope, but you have to look at the aggregate of what’s happened,” she said.
Coun. Dusty Smith took issue with Erickson’s focus on looking at businesses as a measure of economic growth. Smith said people in the skilled trades are in short supply, and said this represents an economic boom. He added that Hope would not have the labour base for a manufacturing plant if one were to open up.
“We need to not have our blinders on,” said Smith. “We’ve got to maybe not look so narrow-minded on that, I think this town is doing very well right now, and it’s growing and growing and growing.”
Kropp furthered the criticism by saying she would like to see “outcomes in terms of meat and potatoes.” She defined that as a long-term enterprise that is not a home-based business.
Kropp said that when they paid for a $40,000-per-year economic development officer, she saw results such as streamlined applications for the District and developers and Nestlé Waters’ predecessor, Aberfoyle.
Kropp’s comments invited a “friendly fight” from Mayor Wilfried Vicktor. He said that Hope’s economy is linked to tourism — an argument that had traction that evening.
“We will not get IBM to move here, we’re not going to have a massive call centre moving here, things like Molsons for instance, we looked at that, we weren’t big enough to have the infrastructure to sustain that kind of business,” said Vicktor. “Dreaming is cool, but I think reality is even better.”
Kropp replied that Nestlé was not a dream, to which the mayor replied that Nestlé and Aberfoyle would come anyway because of the “water supply that doesn’t quit.”
On the topic of tourism, Shields added that when tourists get a good impression of Hope, they will consider moving and bringing their businesses here. Coun. Scott Medlock said he spoke to a sports equipment rental business who told him of a White Rock couple’s experience. They said the couple spent a weekend in Hope and are considering moving here with their home business.
Participants also threw in professional advice to counter Kropp and Erickson. Medlock said that BC Economic Development Association president and CEO Dale Wheeldon said that Hope’s economic development path “is the right way to go.” Shields also said that their economic development contacts said that their efforts should focus on existing businesses and expansions, not focusing on bringing large employers.
