Shared facilities: A model for forest-dependent communities in British Columbia

Abstract

In May of 1999, the Wood Enterprise Centre Shared-use Manufacturing Facility in Quesnel, British Columbia opened its doors to the public, with the aim of job creation and economic stimulation in the forest-dependent community of the North Cariboo. By providing value-added wood producers access to the costly high-tech equipment required to be competitive in this sector, this unique facility gives young companies the opportunity to become successful without bearing the prohibitive capital costs of machine acquisition. By all accounts the facility is a success, with eighteen new jobs having been created in the region to date. This study discusses various models of shared use that forest-dependent communities could deploy. It also outlines some of the exploratory research (site visits around North America) that ultimately helped to shape the centre and the manner in which it operates. It is hoped that results of this study will be used by regional development agencies who are considering, or are in the midst of, developing and implementing a shared facility to stimulate growth in economically recessed forest communities. Key words: shared facilities, shared-use manufacturing, co-operatives, business incubators, multi-tenant facilities, forest-dependent communities, value-added wood products, regional economic development