THE TERRACE Economic Development Authority (TEDA) is losing its economic development officer to Australia.
Evan van Dyk is moving to the Australian city of Melbourne the end of October to be with his girlfriend. They met during a trip van Dyk took to Europe.
“It’s a fun job because we are always doing projects with different investors. It is a very dynamic job working with them to facilitate their entry into the Terrace business community,” van Dyk said of the position he held for three years.
“You have to know the community well, be trustworthy and be a strong point of connection,” van Dyk continued, though wishing to assure any applicant from somewhere other than Terrace that the northern city is also very supportive of newcomers and making connections would be easy for the right person.
“Meeting with business owners and managers at events helps those coming in to integrate,” he said. “If you have an open mind and passion about your job it would be a fit.”
He said his replacement will have many exciting challenges in the northwest which is experiencing rapid growth from industrial development.
Pointedly, van Dyk said that Terrace risks “a limit to growth based on labour shortages.”
Van Dyk said organizing the Minerals North 2013 conference here in April was the highlight of his tenure at TEDA as was an agreement which helps businesses build agreements with local aboriginal communities.
“I love Terrace, it’s where I was born and raised, and I hope to one day be back,” van Dyk said.
A key organizer of the local rugby Terrace Northmen, van Dyk said he might return for a spring season.
