Building Capital & Capacity In Our Communities

For over a decade, the BC Rural Centre has researched and advocated for the establishment of community investment fund programs in British Columbia, inspired by successful models in Nova Scotia, Alberta, and the USA. In 2015, the Centre partnered with Kootenay Employment Services to create the Creston & District Community Investment Cooperative, the first of…

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Community Investment Guide Webinar, March 10

  The longer a dollar can circulate within a community, the greater its economic and social impacts. Few know this as well as Eden Yesh, Chair of the BC Community Impact Investment Coalition and Manager of Community & Economic Development at Kootenay Employment Services. On Tuesday, March 10, at 1 PM Pacific, Eden will release…

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New Community Investment Co-Ops!

Two new BC Interior-based community investment co-ops have recently been formed — the East Kootenay Columbia Investment Co-op, and the West Kootenay Boundary Investment Co-op. Both are for profit Co-operative Association registered in British Columbia. They are member-owned, locally controlled and governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. East Kootenay Columbia is designed to finance businesses…

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Community Impact Investing – Putting Your Money Where Your Life Is!

Community impact investing? In today’s interconnected world, it’s easy to see how your hard-earned money can end up going toward projects and businesses all around the world. In 2013, British Columbians contributed $4.5 billion of new monies into their RRSPs, much of that disbursed outside the province and Canada. That’s money that ends up supporting the creation of…

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Mobilizing Rural Investment Capital

The Need for Rural Investment Capital in BC Access to investment capital is crucial to business and economic development anywhere – but is especially important in rural areas. However, research completed by SIBAC and others has noted that it is often difficult to access business financing – and specifically patient equity investment financing – in…

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