Each summer, REFBC staff and board members visit communities across British Columbia to get an up-close look at the projects we’ve funded and to hear from local governments, community leaders and real estate professionals.

As a funder, “road trips” give us an opportunity to get out of the Lower Mainland and learn more about what’s happening in communities across the province. Each region has its own challenges and priorities for land use.

This year, we made three trips:

• Northwest BC: Prince George, Smithers, New Hazelton, Prince Rupert, Haida Gwaii
• Kootenays: Nelson, Proctor, Creston, Cranbrook, Fernie, Invermere, Calgary
• Okanagan: Kelowna, Penticton, Coldstream, Vernon, Kamloops

While on the road, we met with city councilors, urban farmers, regional planners, First Nations leaders, conservation groups, architects, and real estate professionals. We learned about new models to generate money for regional conservation projects, smart strategies to intensively farm small urban plots, and innovative ways for communities to move towards reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples.

At the end of our Kootenays road trip, the REFBC Board of Governors met with staff and board members from the Alberta Real Estate Foundation (AREF) to discuss funding priorities and governance. BC and Alberta are the only provinces in Canada with foundations legislated to collect and disburse interest earned on real estate trust accounts.

Photos from our trips are available on our Facebook page.