Feedback on BC’s Economic Plan
Mathijs Deerenberg photo
The Outdoor Recreation Council of BC was recently invited to provide feedback to the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation on how the province can build a successful plan for people, businesses, and communities in BC’s new long-term economic plan. The Ministry has recently enlisted the assistance of Professor Mariana Mazzucato of the University College London Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose who will lend her novel approach as the province moves forward with building a sustainable, inclusive, and innovative economy.
Here is an introduction to what we shared. You can also read the full letter we sent to Minister Ravi Kahlon, which includes responses to the Ministry’s consultation questions.
Dear Minister Kahlon,
With several serious global challenges facing us all, including climate change, accelerating loss of biodiversity, and rising inequality, the world is at a crossroads that calls for bold and confident leadership to face these challenges head-on and commit to doing things very differently. Congratulations on appointing Professor Mariana Mazzucato and her team at University College London to advise the Province on how best to develop its plan for a sustainable, inclusive and innovative economy. We are pleased to be invited to be consulted on our ideas for BC’s economic plan and look forward to supporting this vital work in the future.
In addition to a healthy and educated population, BC’s greatest asset is the natural environment. From our national and provincial parks to local trails and green spaces, from alpine lakes to mighty rivers and a vast coastline, BC’s outdoor recreation assets are the building blocks of a vibrant and sustainable economy. All across BC, from small rural towns like Burns Lake and the Village of Cumberland to Metro Vancouver, outdoor recreation powers a vast, yet poorly understood, economic engine that creates millions in spending and thousands of jobs for British Columbians.
Access to outdoor recreation boosts local economies and builds communities by:
Providing jobs, encouraging spending and supporting a thriving tourism economy
Making rural communities more desirable for companies and employees
Improving physical and mental wellbeing and saving healthcare costs through prevention
Fostering reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in BC through sharing economic opportunities and enhanced land stewardship.
As communities across the province strive to develop sustainable, diversified economies that are less tied to a single extractive resource industry, outdoor recreation offers a promising path to prosperity.
In the US, the outdoor recreation economy is calculated at US$887 billion in consumer spending and sales generated by outdoor recreational activities, and it accounts for 2.2% of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP). While we do not have access to the same data in BC, there is no reason to believe that the outdoor economy is not equally substantial in BC. By doing a simple extrapolation, we could be looking at $9 billion in annual consumer spending and sales for BC and $6.32 billion in annual GDP contributions.
BC’s advantage is its natural environment, diversity of outdoor activities, and spectacular scenery. Stewarding and leveraging these resources provides us with tremendous opportunities to foster innovation and growth within the outdoor recreation economy, leading to job creation, economic growth, sustainable resource management, and enhanced social well-being.
Our recommendations include to:
Collaborate with the outdoor sector to gain a better understanding of the socio-economic value of outdoor recreation
Invest in recreation infrastructure and programs, including increased operational funding for Recreation Sites and Trails BC and BC Parks
Create policies to protect public lands and waters that are key to outdoor recreation and support these with appropriate funding mechanisms
Ensure all British Columbians have access to quality outdoor recreation opportunities and promote outdoor recreation as part of public health policy and programming
Support Indigenous land stewardship and look at alternative measures of value to Gross Domestic Product, including those that incorporate Indigenous principles of wellbeing.
You read the full letter we sent to Minister Kahlon here.
