Golden and Area Community Economic Development Strategy
In 2021-2022, Golden Community Economic Development (Golden CED) co-created a plan with residents, a strategy, based on the priorities defined by the community. This strategy informs Golden CED’s annual work plans and provides structure for businesses and organizations to become involved in CED initiatives. To be truly successful with the strategy, it will take the entire community; engaged residents, local governments, and other community organizations to step up and work on initiatives within their scope, or interest.
The Canyon to Confluence Initiative (C2Ci) is an effort to bring to life an integrated vision for how the community of Golden interacts with, protects, and celebrates the section of the Kicking Horse river that passes through town - from the canyon to the Columbia confluence.
It’s an initiative of the Golden CED, but we want it to be led, championed, and shaped by Golden's residents.
Golden CED created the Child Care Action Plan in 2020. The plan is valid until 2030 and its purpose is to understand community needs and create child care spaces in Golden and CSRD Area A.
Golden CED created a database of commercial properties, for sale and for rent, and developed a publicly accessible commercial and industrial space information on the Golden CED website. This was to fill a gap identified.
Golden CED has worked for years with different partners to calculate the Living Wage for the Golden area and improve the process for better accuracy. We value this work as an important indicator of the cost of living in our community and a tool to raise awareness as to the wage local workers need to earn to make ends meet and have access to a decent lifestyle.
We heard the same thing again and again - local businesses needed a better way to connect with the people looking for what they offer and residents and visitors alike often ask where to find products and services in Golden. In response, Golden CED created a directory, providing a free, comprehensive place for businesses to be discovered and for the community to easily explore what’s available right here in town, making it easier to choose local.
Jane’s Walk is an annual festival of free, community-led walking conversations inspired by Jane Jacobs. The festival encourages people to share stories about their neighbourhoods, discover unseen aspects of their communities, and use the art of walking as a way to connect with their neighbours.
For thousands of years, the abundance of the earth’s lands and waters provided us to live, work and play is a result of the ecological wisdom, stewardship and reciprocal relationship of the Ktunaxa and Secwepemc peoples whose unceded territory we continue to live, work and play. The area is also the chosen home of the Metis Nation Columbia River.
