Our Province, Our Future

Leaders’ Summit
summary of proceedings
april 30, 2010

www.ourprovinceourfuture.bc.ca
An initative of the New Democrat Official Opposition
 LEADERS’ SUMMIT

Message from
Carole James

The Our Province, Our Future Leaders’ Summit was a great day of dialogue, of dynamic and exciting discussion.

More than 200 British Columbians representing all sectors – business, labour, first nations, local government, community
leaders and not-for-profit groups – shared their ideas on how to build a strong economy for our province.

This summary of proceedings provides an overview of the day’s events and outlines the broader themes and ideas explored by
the participants, including:

• the need for a long-term and comprehensive economic strategy;

• the importance of investing in our human capital;
• the imperative of sustainability; and
• the critical role of good government.

The Leaders’ Summit was only the first step. We’re keeping the conversation going through focused discussions in BC’s
regions, as well as sectoral discussions. You can also share your ideas for BC’s future on our website. Visit
www.ourprovinceourfuture.bc.ca for more details.

Through this dialogue and the discussions that follow, we can make a real contribution that will have a lasting and positive
effect on the future of British Columbia.

Sincerely,

Carole James, Leader

New Democrat Official Opposition

 Summary of Proceedings: Our Province, Our Future

 LEADERS’ SUMMIT

Background
Our Province, Our Future
Our Province, Our Future is an initiative of the New Democrat Official Opposition to build a strong, sustainable economic
vision for our province and a positive alternative for the people of British Columbia.

The project brings together people from all sectors of our economy to focus on the solutions to the challenges facing BC
today.

Government has become far too distant from the citizens they were elected to serve. Our Province, Our Future puts people
back at the centre. Their talent, ingenuity and energy are essential to our success.

Discussion Paper
To frame discussion of Our Province, Our Future, the Opposition commissioned a discussion paper of the BC economy.
Authored by SFU Professor Doug McArthur, the paper argues that there’s been a fundamental, structural shift.

The discussion paper emphasizes a coordinated approach to the economy,

one that values environmental protection and social equity as well as wealth
creation.

Professor McArthur’s paper contains a number of questions we must answer

as BC emerges from the global recession, including:

• How do we support BC’s traditional industries in transition?

• How do we build the new, green and knowledge-based economy?
• What is the role of the private/public sector in economic renewal?
• How do we maintain our labour force as the population ages?
• How can the transition away from carbon dependency be achieved?

Download the discussion paper:

www.ourprovinceourfuture.bc.ca

Leaders’ Summit: April 30, 2010 

Leaders’ Summit
The kick-off to the Our Province, Our Future initiative was a day-long Leaders’ Summit, held April 30 in Vancouver. The
summit brought together more than 200 British Columbians to discuss how we create a prosperous, sustainable and inclusive
future for BC.

Summit attendees were of varied backgrounds and roles, from CEOs and Presidents to elected representatives and volunteers
representing all sectors of the economy – forestry, mining, manufacturing, tourism, research, small business, housing, farm-
ing and agriculture, high tech and higher education, social service, not-for-profit and labour. Summit attendees also reflected
BC’s diverse population including Chinese, South Asian, Filipino and First Nations communities.

The summit was focused on specific questions about the BC economy and what the priorities should be as we move forward.
Facilitated by Bliss Browne, the summit emphasized participation and dialogue between participants.

Today is about harnessing the diversity in this room

and using that energy to build on, to unlock the
innovation and ideas we need as a province.
- Carole James, opening address

 Summary of Proceedings: Our Province, Our Future

 LEADERS’ SUMMIT

Discussion Panel
The day began with a discussion panel that featured different perspectives on the challenges facing the BC economy.

Moderated by former teacher, actor and comedian Paul Bae, each panellist presented an idea that stimulated thought and
discussion between participants. Attendees then shared their thoughts and questions with a neighbour and wrote them down
on a comment card. Over 500 comment cards were collected and reviewed.

Iglika Ivanova, an economist and public interest researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, spoke about
developing the concept of an “authentic economy for BC” that would lead to a socially, environmentally and economically
just society. Key to this, she argued, is the need to incorporate a broader, more inclusive measurement of economic
performance than the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The presentation sparked a lot of thoughtful feedback and questions. Most participants felt the GDP cannot be ignored
because it provides quantifiable information about economic performance. However, many agreed the GDP is a limited
measure and should be supplemented by social and environmental criteria. Questions were also raised about how to
effectively measure more subjective factors, such as well-being and human capital, and how to deal with raising the revenues
needed to pay for public programs and other investments.

GDP matters! But it is worthwhile to supplement this

measure with future-oriented indicators like child
vulnerabilvity and greenhouse gas emissions.

Yes, GDP is not the only measure of wealth and prosperity, but where
does the money come from to invest in people, education and health
care? Where does revenue in the “new economy” come from?

Zool Suleman, an immigration lawyer, writer, consultant and frequent media commentator on multiculturalism, stressed the
contribution of BC’s skilled immigrant population to long-term economic growth. He argued that BC must better recognize
the benefits brought by immigrants through what he describes as “the immigration economy.” He urged participants to see
immigrants as “value creators” and that it’s critical to provide the necessary social, legal and economic supports to facilitate
long-term integration.

Leaders’ Summit: April 30, 2010 

In response, participants highlighted the benefit that would come from a provincial immigration strategy, complete with
regional plans to better integrate immigrants into rural areas. The presentation also provoked discussion on the need to re-
view and evaluate existing programs to ensure they are achieving the right goals.

Is it possible to recruit immigrants on a value basis rather than a

wealth basis?

We need to re-evaluate the purpose and benefits of immigration, not only the
economic, but also the societal value. Temporary workers should not be disposable.

Andrew Yan, a researcher with BTAworks and urban planner with Bing Thom Architects, talked about the key role cities
will have in the future of our economy and the effect climate change will have on urban planning. He raised the high cost of
living, particularly the increasing challenge of housing affordability in urban areas, and proposed the idea of a tax on specula-
tion as one way to address it.

The presentation resulted in a number of questions and comments about the role of cities and the impact and relevance this
focus has on those who live outside cities. The issues of cost of living and housing affordability resonated widely with partici-
pants. The idea of a speculation tax resulted in a number of questions on how it would work and what the impacts might be.

How can urban areas be the economic drivers of the province when cities in BC generate very
little of the new revenue that comes into the budget? How do you “farm” the rural areas that
are the source of the new revenue in the province?

How do we make it possible for future generations of working people to

live in our city centres?

Candis Callison, a member of the Tahltan Nation and assistant professor at the University of British Columbia, focused on
the challenges of communicating and finding common solutions for complex issues. Using the example of climate change
and its impact on the BC economy, Callison talked about the role new media could play in raising awareness and public
engagement.

Participants raised questions of how we develop a cohesive vision in a diverse society, how we achieve agreement on issues
like climate change and the role of social media.

In a time of profound economic change,

citizens and economic actors need to
grapple with complex issues and problems.
Doesn’t the ephemeral, temporary and
short-term nature of social networking information
make this more difficult?
The question of how to get social agreement
on issues like climate change is key to the
ability to have a meaningful role for
government in the public interest.

 Summary of Proceedings: Our Province, Our Future

 LEADERS’ SUMMIT

Visions for a Sustainable Economy

The balance of the day was spent discussing and presenting bold ideas to build a strong and sustainable economy and
society for BC. First, participants partnered up with someone they did not know and engaged in an informational
interview. The purpose was for participants to identify BC’s best assets, most promising investments, and the values
that lie at the core of smart government.

Next, participants gathered at tables of 8-10 people and, using the information gathered in the interviews, identified
a common vision for sustainable economic prosperity. There were 23 tables and 23 visions created, some were word-
based, others more visual. Broadly grouped, the visions focused around the following themes: holistic community and
economic development, a sustainable environment, the value of BC’s regions, the need for long-term thinking and
planning, the importance of social inclusion and equity, and the role of education.

The final session was a “hosted discussion” where individual participants had the opportunity to more fully discuss
and develop a single “promising vision” from the previous session. Twenty topics were identified through this exercise,
including: genuine progress indicators, aboriginal participation in the economy, natural resources, immigration and
foreign credentialing, food security, green technology, energy and jobs, regional empowerment, life-long education,
public consultation, arts and culture, co-operatives, affordable housing, healthcare as an export, and taxation and
revenue generation. From this group session, a number of overall themes emerged:

The idea exchange and conversation was very interesting and I took away
a new perspective and new ideas.

Leaders’ Summit: April 30, 2010 

 Excellent mix of ideas, views, opinions and amazing cohesion on the most
important issues.

There was real discussion with diverse points of view and common ideas about
what makes a good, sustainable BC.

The need for long-term, comprehensive economic strategy

BC needs a long-term, comprehensive economic strategy that responds to all parts of the province and supports economic
diversification. Growing the GDP is an important part of this, but so is broadening the measurement of success to include
social conditions and impact on the environment.

Participants highlighted the concept of a “forward-thinking economy” that creates wealth and high-value, including well-
paying jobs that support families and smart, fair and sustainable revenue sources that fund services and investments in
provincial and community infrastructure.

The need to place greater emphasis and significance on BC’s regions engendered a lively discussion. Developing a
strategic plan for rural BC that builds on ideas like using the Columbia Basin Trust as a model of economic development,
decentralising appropriate ministry functions and programs and ensuring access to post-secondary institutions in each
region was seen as essential to building a prosperous future. Participants also emphasized the value of promoting
entrepreneurship, and looking at other successful models such as creating co-operative clusters.

“Stable, well-informed and long-term policies and supports are necessary.”

“Infrastructure investments in communities are needed to diversify single-

resource dependent communities.”

“Promote small business and incent enterprises to support their own local
regions.”

 Summary of Proceedings: Our Province, Our Future

The importance of BC’s human capital
People are BC’s greatest asset. Their skills, energy and ideas will help BC build the creative, innovative and diversified
economy of the future. These statements characterize two of the most agreed upon themes arising from the Leaders’
Summit. Over the course of the day, participants identified different ways BC can enhance its human capital.

The importance of investing in education, including early childhood, K-12, post-secondary, apprenticeships, and life-long
learning was a recurring theme. Some of the specific goals discussed included: ensuring all high school graduates have the
opportunity to attend a post-secondary institution, addressing the high cost of post-secondary education, integrating high
schools and post-secondary institutions, and ensuring early childhood education is accessible and affordable.

The value of developing and supporting our knowledge and creative economy through investments in arts and culture,
research and development and innovation was also highlighted. This means funding but also support for clusters, regional
hubs and other innovative initiatives.

Increasing aboriginal and immigrant participation in the economy was identified as key to a prosperous future. In addition
to fairly settling First Nations claims, this will require examining the effectiveness of existing programs and developing new
ones. Investing in and finding new ways to strengthen our social capital and reducing poverty through affordable housing
and employment supports were also identified as essential by participants.

“Every BC young person should have the opportunity to get some kind of
post-secondary education.”

“Support for arts and culture is good for the economy, individual health
and overall well-being.”

“Settling First Nations claims and building and maintaining diverse

communities are essential to our future.”

The imperative of sustainability

Undertaking stable, long-term decision making using
targets to ensure economic, social and environmental
goals are met is fundamental to a prosperous, sustainable
and inclusive future.

This does not mean existing or traditional industries

should be regarded as separate from green industry.
Participants recognized that natural resources are
important for the creation of a green economy.

BC is fortunate to still have relatively abundant

and valuable natural resources, with much of the

Leaders’ Summit: April 30, 2010 

infrastructure already in place to extract them.
However, it was broadly agreed these resources must
be used wisely and in ways that take into account the
environmental, social and economic impacts.

Linked to this is the need to do a better job in

promoting green technology and supporting businesses
and communities in transition to a green economy.

This includes investing in green technology that

creates good jobs, focusing on clean energy, increasing
food security by supporting local farmers and food
producers and investing in public transportation and
retrofitting.

“The goal is the place where social, environmental and economic

concerns intersect.”

“Under what conditions can incentives combined with regulations

facilitate movement toward sustainable economic systems?”

The critical role of good government

A healthy economy requires a commitment to an engaged public, a healthy democracy and commitment to accountability
– because how government does things is often as important as what it does.

This theme resonated strongly with participants through the day. Public consultation, citizen engagement, collaboration and
cross-sector decision-making were identified as being at the root of innovation.

Participants also emphasized the need to ensure accountability for decisions and the processes that resulted in them as being
equally essential. The building of linkages, locally and globally, was identified as being necessary if we are to foster and
benefit from meaningful and valuable relationships with other jurisdictions.

“Consultation should happen before decisions are made.”

“Public consultation and collaboration result in innovation.”

10 Summary of Proceedings: Our Province, Our Future

 LEADERS’ SUMMIT

Next Steps
Inspiring. Energizing. Innovative. Overdue. These are some of the words used to describe the Our Province, Our Future
Leaders’ Summit. The energy and ideas that emerged from the discussions reflected not only the diversity in the room, but
also the strength we gain working together in common purpose.

This conversation will continue. Our Province, Our Future is ongoing, with regional summits in communities across the
province, as well as online.

Feedback from the day will be incorporated in future summits. The thoughts and ideas that were generated in Vancouver
will be built upon and added to as the initiative proceeds in other communities and sectors.

Our Province, Our Future is a long-term project that will see ongoing dialogue as we move toward our shared future and the
opportunities of tomorrow.

Visit our website

www.ourprovinceourfuture.bc.ca

What is your #1 priority for growing a strong,

sustainable BC economy?

Post your answer in our discussion forum.

Leaders’ Summit: April 30, 2010 11

www.ourprovinceourfuture.bc.ca
An initative of the New Democrat Official Opposition
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