Well, perhaps symbolic of this year's scourge of natural (and not so natural) disasters and their effect on our ability to stay focused on economic development, I have not posted in awhile as I have been distracted.
This year, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Quebec have been hit particularly hard by severe flooding. Communities have been washed out, many have declared states of emergency at various times and more than a few have had evacuation orders. Alberta wild fires have threatened many communities, forced evacuation of others and destroyed at least one. Oil spills in northern Alberta have cause untold damage to the environment and nearby communities, severe storms have battered a number of communities and regions and tornadoes have damaged cities and communities in the USA.
This is perhaps the most challenging pressure on a community's planning. How can a community remain focused on the plans they worked so hard to develop when natural disasters make day to day living a challenge?
There is no easy answer. However, the work put into a plan need not be wasted. The plan represents the community's vision of what they hope to achieve. When a natural disaster hits, these plans are still valid.... except, there may need to be a few more steps at the front end added into the plan. If I had a community vision of a supermarket and a flood recently destroyed the main road into my community, the vision still stands, but now, instead of developing supply lines as my first step, getting the road repaired or rebuilt will be my first step.
One thing that will have been affected though, is the capacity of the community to engage in community economic development. There will be a need to re-assess this capacity after a disaster has struck. It is only when a community fully understands where their capacities lie that they can accurately plan for the future. I have been working on a tool to do just that and will post it soon (like in the next month or so).
In the meantime, if you are facing a disaster, be encouraged - all of your previous planning efforts are not wasted.
