Tourism Knowledge Cluster Manager bids farewell - 4/28/2009

It’s been five years of planning, organizing, researching the tourism industry and cluster concepts, applying clusters with industries and partnering with colleges across Canada and presenting our concept to the local regional provincial and international audience.  

But now it is time to complete the Tourism Custer from the College of the Rockies.  The cluster project has continued past its targeted initial funding and has been very successful to engage further funding through Columbia Basin Trust and a just announced Tourism Essentials training to be held around the region.  Unfortunately, not for funding the continued operations of the cluster.

I, too, will be moving on from the college and moving out into the world of entrepreneurs.

Managing the cluster on the regional level, and chairing the national cluster group, has been one of the most rewarding projects I have been involved with in my community development career.  I have seen the results of how clusters can help local industry deal with critical issues, the benefits of partnerships, regional cooperation and, most importantly, how the industry benefits from current relevant knowledge to help their business.  Our knowledge transfer project with Columba Basin Trust has resulted in incredible information on our website and relevant binders of information that we now have housed at local chambers and industry partners.

None of this amazing work could have been done without the support of the tourism industry and their hours of volunteer time to sit on the steering committee.  As our members have changed over the years there has been an amazing core group of operators who have been there from the beginning and actually still plan to continue on meeting on their own and hopefully find a new home for the cluster.  These businesses have been amazing and I thank them for their dedication.  

The members are Corinne Friesen from the Prestige Hotel, Heidi Romich from Heidi’s Restaurant, Nicki Kaufman from St. Eugene, Greg McCallum and Marne Henne from Springbrook Resort, Garry Anderson from the Canadian Railway Museum, Patricia Kilback from Radium Hot Springs Lodge, Melba Hanson, and Laurie Reed.

Support agencies coming together for the industry have also contributed to great success for the cluster project we could now have done it without their guidance and assistance. The members include: Jennifer Krotz from Columbia Basin Trust; Kevin Weaver originally with Ministry of Small Business and Tourism and currently City of Cranbrook Economic Development; Victor Cumming and Don Elzer of Westcoast CED Consulting Ltd.; Dorothy Cochet with Service Canada; Wendy Moore with Kimberley Vacations; and Chris Andrews from Kootenay Rockies.

The College of the Rockies team has been a real benefit to work and partner with industry. Some members include Betty Roper, Gary Johnston, Grant Unger, Donna Kraus Haggerman, our newest member Lisa Morello, and the incredible support we have received from our president Dr. Nick Rubidge to venture into such a project.

This project would not have even been attempted in Canada without the inspiration and research by former Association of Canadian Community Colleges Lynden Johnson, who initiated this project and partnerships between COTR, College Boreal and Nova Scotia Community College.  Lynden has passed on but was seeing the results of his work before that time.  I thank Lynden and the great team at ACCC Brian Bender, Sonia Medaugh and Sarah Moreault.  And thanks to our wonderful partners at College Boreal and Nova Scotia Community College David Woolnough.

A fond farewell to all the supporters of the cluster and the many friends I have made along the way, I certainly hope our paths meet again.

More from "What's Happening..."

• Succession Planning Workshops - 4/29/2009
• Essential Skills for the Tourism Industry - 4/29/2009

Read more in the archive section...