Seventeen people gathered in Williams Lake to discuss the region's energy future on Feb 12.
The evening gathering at the library in Williams Lake was one of several meetings happening to talk about energy in the north. This is part of a collaborative research project meant to help support community-based energy solutions.
The project is being done in partnership with the University of Victoria, University of Northern British Columbia and Northern British Columbia Climate Action Network and the Williams Lake conversation was facilitated locally by Emma Swabey, a sustainability consultant in Williams Lake and small-scale plastic recycling entrepreneur.
The dialogues are part of the first phase of a three-phase project which they hope will include over seven years of research to support community-based initiatives around energy.
"The goal of our project is specifically to dialogue with northern rural and remote communities," said Sarah Korn, a community coordinator for the project.
Korn, who lives at Anahim Lake, helped to facilitate the dialogue, which involved gathering information on some of the energy assets, key players and infrastructure of Williams Lake and area. The discussion also included what kinds of capacity barriers exist, what the highest priorities are, where opportunities exist and what vulnerabilities the area has.
Researchers asked what attendees would like to learn from other northern communities, with the goal of gathering people at a regional meeting to share information between communities.
The pillars of the project include specifically looking at northern solutions, using place-based research, being community-led and supporting regional development.
Conversations have so far taken place in Smithers, Burns Lake, Mackenzie, Kitimat and Prince George, with more to come over the next year.
Korn said the research team is hoping to get as many communities involved as they can across the north within the first year.
Attendees were given questions to help give local perspectives on energy.
"We recognize that this is very different in every community that we get to speak with, so it's really interesting to hear different perspectives and what's going on in Williams Lake," she said.
The next step in the project will be to host a regional gathering of people who engaged in the community conversations to help share information across the entire region, with one gathering planned for Terrace and the potential for one in Prince George.
"A lot of northern communities experience the same challenges," said Korn, noting the goal is to bring together different communities in order to share information and opportunities.
For more on the Northern Energy Dialogues, go to: https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/regionalenergydialogues/
