A New Guidebook Helps Communities Diversify Into Outdoor Recreation

Escaping the boom and bust cycle

Tucked against the northern Rocky Mountains, Tumbler Ridge has long been shaped by its roots in metallurgical coal mining. That means, like many rural B.C. communities, the town has experienced the ups and downs that come with a resource-focused economy.

Today, with active mining operations providing employment, the community remains connected to its industrial foundations. But there’s a growing interest in building a more balanced and resilient future, one that leverages the area’s incredible natural beauty, extensive trail networks, and strong sense of place, and leaves the boom and bust cycle to history.

“We’re making a plan for the inevitable resource sector downturn,” says Jessie Olsen, the director of economic and community development for the District of Tumbler Ridge. “The key focus is diversification, and outdoor recreation is a huge part of that plan.”

From Cumberland to Valemount, other B.C. towns have shown that it is possible to diversify beyond resource-dependent to become recreation-resilient. But each had to navigate its own path. As Tumbler Ridge plans for a similar expansion, it has a new resource to learn from.

The Outdoor Recreation Council of BC just published the Outdoor Recreation for Community and Economic Development: A guidebook for rural British Columbia communities. Developed by Sarah Breen and Lauren Rethoret with Selkirk Innovates at Selkirk College, it is an interactive resource designed to help any community nurture its outdoor recreation ecosystem. 

“We often hear from rural communities that they’re interested in developing outdoor recreation but aren’t sure where to start,” says Louise Pedersen, Executive Director of the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC. “We wanted to create something both practical and inspiring, a tool that helps communities see outdoor recreation not just as a nice-to-have, but as a real driver of economic and community resilience.”

ORCBC targeted the guidebook towards people working in local government and community development, says Pedersen, but it will be helpful for anyone interested in outdoor recreation, including First Nations and recreation groups.

“Whether you're a local government staffer, a volunteer with a trail society, or someone working on economic development in your community, this guidebook offers a roadmap,” she says. “It draws on real-world experience and shows that a more resilient, recreation-based future is within reach.”

The guidebook is the result of seven months of research. With guidance from an advisory group, the authors hosted focus groups with over 50 experts from across the province. They distilled their experience and advice in outdoor recreation, economic development, conservation, and other related topics into a 98-page guide.

“Every community brings a unique mix of assets and capacities to outdoor recreation development, and every community is at a different stage in their work,” says Breen, the BC Regional Innovation Chair in Rural Economic Development at Selkirk Innovates. “As a result, no two communities will use this guidebook in the same way.” 

Knowing where to start is often the biggest challenge for communities, adds Rethoret. The guidebook leads the way with definitions, general tips, links to research and other resources, and a self-assessment tool designed to help anyone get started. The rest of the guidebook focuses on the 10 common “elements” the authors identified through their research. 

“We framed these as elements, rather than steps in a process, because many of these themes apply no matter whether your community is just starting out with outdoor recreation, or if you’ve been at it for decades,” Rethoret says. 

The ten elements are: build a core team; understand your context; work toward reconciliation; build relationships and partnerships; fund outdoor recreation; define a vision, goals and actions; protect the environment; develop and maintain experiences and assets; get the word out; measure progress.

After introducing each element, the authors break them down into the important ingredients, with additional links, resources and real world case studies. For instance, the first element, “Building a core team”, begins by explaining how a strong group of advocates is critical for success and then breaks down the anatomy of a good team and the importance of succession planning. 

One of two case studies focuses on the Tumbler Ridge Outdoor Recreation Association (TRORA). It is an umbrella group of four outdoor recreation clubs in Tumbler Ridge. They realized that working together gave them a louder voice for advocating for outdoor recreation in the community, says Jessie Olsen, from Tumbler Ridge. That’s going to be increasingly important as the community implements a more recreation-focused economic development strategy.

“It will take a group of people with the same vision and goals all working together to get it done,” Olsen says. 

Navigating the transition from coal-focused to a more diversified economy will be challenging. A guidebook, like Outdoor Recreation for Community and Economic Development, means Tumbler Ridge will no longer have to find the way on its own. 

Want to know more?

• Read: The complete Outdoor Recreation for Community and Economic Development: A guidebook for rural British Columbia communities. It is available for free on the ORCBC website as an interactive web-based resource or a downloadable PDF. 

• Watch: On May 28, ORCBC hosted a webinar with authors Sarah Breen and Lauren Rethoret from Selkirk College. They introduced the guidebook, shared key takeaways, and answered questions. You can listen to or watch a recording here.

• Learn: If you would like us to present the guide and discuss how it can support your community’s outdoor recreation goals, you can request a session using this form.