District of Tumbler Ridge Sustainability Plan
Tumbler Ridge was established in 1984 to service the nearby coal mines. Since then, the community has evolved from a single resource-based economy to an increasingly adaptive and diverse community. The nature of its establishment, and the fact that Tumbler Ridge is still a relatively new and small-sized community, means it is still vulnerable to fluctuations in the price of coal, which influences the operational decisions of the community's largest employers. The most recent downturn in coal prices in early 2014 reinforces the need to advance a focus on economic diversification and firmly establish Tumbler Ridge as a modern and self-reliant community in a beautiful setting The Tumbler Ridge Sustainability Plan reflects a proactive and determined resolve to ensure that the community continues on the path to achieving this vision.
The project was carried out by a research team from the UNBC Community Development Institute.
The Tumbler Ridge Sustainability Plan consists of an Executive Summary and two main parts:
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Community Profile - provides a statistical snapshot of the population, labour force, businesses, and industry of Tumbler Ridge;
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Framework for Action - consists of a set of goals, strategies, and tactics developed by the community members of Tumbler Ridge.
The strategies and tactics that make up the Framework for Action were derived from a large number of conversations and group discussions held in the community over the course of 22 months between January 2013 and October 2014. They outline the actions that could be taken - and must be taken - in order to build on the community's assets and make Tumbler Ridge the community residents want it to be.