Communities across the province are chasing business and industry, trying to lure it into setting up shop. Many communities are looking at luring tech companies or resource extraction.
But a new initiative launching in Kimberley is looking at something a little different — attracting business that takes advantage of Kimberley’s natural asset, the great outdoors.
Over the past year, two outdoor industry veterans have been in discussions with Mayor Don McCormick and the City of Kimberley about a concept called ‘Kimberley Outdoor Alliance’ (KOA). This new initiative is the vision of Matt Mosteller, @PowderMatt, outdoor social media blogger and author, and Kevin Pennock, outdoor adventure documentary filmmaker, content creator and television producer. Mosteller will chair the new society and Pennock will act in a consulting capacity during the start up phase.
In addition to Matt Mosteller, three other like-minded outdoor industry advocates have committed to being founding board members. Kieran Hickey brings a wealth of business and non-profit experience through the successful creation of the Kimberley Trails Society. P.J. Hunton is a real-world case study of the outdoor industry relocating to the area. As Senior Design Engineer for Norco Bicycles, he designs the next generation of Norco bikes from a remote satellite office here in Kimberley. Pat Bates, a native Kimberlean, outdoor adventure photographer, skier, and climber, brings the perspective of content creator and shines a light on the economic history of Kimberley. Kimberley Mayor Don McCormick will also sit on the board as a founding board member.
“This is a first in Canada,” Mosteller said.”Kimberley has all the natural ingredients- passionate people, incredible access to outdoor recreation right at your doorstep and proximity to airport. Outdoor Industry is a large and growing segment of the economy. Kimberley is well suited to thrive in this space. We see this as part of continued efforts to support healthy community, stronger economy and happy people. The outdoors is a way of life here. Kimberley is a great place to be”
Mosteller says the goal may not be to attract an entire company, but pieces of it.
“There are all different elements of individual companies, different pieces of the chain. Like Research and development, the creative side is obvious, testing of gear. We have rivers to test kayaks and canoes and paddles; mountain bike trails to test the new shock systems, the snow to test sliding equipment. We’ve already got Berley here doing longboards.”
He says that in September Kimberley hosted a group of pro mountain bike riders from Specialized Bikes.Specialized Bikes is one of the world’s biggest bicycle and equipment brands, based in California.
“They get thousands of requests every year to come and ride. We got them to come to Kimberley and they rode the new trails in Bootleg. They were blown away by the quality of trails. And that happened because of all the volunteer trail builders.”
Pro riders being “blown away” by the quality of trails has a ripple effect, Mosteller says.
“The word gets out and maybe a small bike manufacturer wants to check Kimberley out and finds it a great place to do business. That’s the type of thing that can happen.”
Mosteller says the ideas has been brewing for a while as he began to realize that there are already people in Kimberley doing elements of work related to the outdoors industry.
“It’s the perfect place for small and medium outdoor companies to locate. We need to amplify this, let Canada and North America know that Kimberley is open for business for the outdoor industry.”
The plan is to start getting feedback as to what business is looking for in the outdoor space and also feedback from the community here, an inventory of the skills already here in Kimberley.
“We’ll create a catalogue of these skills we can provide these businesses.”
The great thing is, he says, is that the initiative completely fits the core values of Kimberley.
Once the full plan is in place, a budget to get the word out and travel to trade shows will be developed. The City of Kimberley is not putting any money into the endeavour at this time. Right now it is all volunteer.
Mosteller is happy to do it,
“This place has meant so much to me. People like Pat Bates have inspired me so much.
“This puts Kimberley on the map in a unique way. We have to put our flag in the ground. And I’d like to thank Mayor McCormick for recognizing how important this is.
“Economic development initiatives work when you take full advantage of natural assets,” McCormick said. “We are successfully driving tourism and local lifestyle with what Kimberley has to offer, so this initiative is a natural extension for us. I am very excited about the possibilities.”
Other initiative members feel the same way.
“Having pretty deep roots in Kimberley, I’ve always thought it a great place to be,” Bates said. “When it was still a mining town, it was a lot different, but still awesome in it’s own way. I still remember the old Nordic ski jump in Blarchmont, being dropped of at the ski hill in the fall as a kid to participate in work parties when the ski hill was still run as a club. Today the town is every bit as awesome, but I think the biggest difference now is that people come here because they want to be here. Some bring their work with them, and that’s the vision of the Kimberley Outdoor Alliance, bringing jobs and creating jobs.”
“As someone who works in the outdoor recreational industry, I was drawn to Kimberley for the fantastic outdoor based lifestyle it has created for our family, but also for the positive impact this has on my job,” said P.J. Huntan. “KOA’s objective of bringing outdoor recreational companies to Kimberley will benefit everyone – the employees, companies, the city and our existing population. I can’t wait for it to take shape!”