The Columbia Basin Trust is 25 years old and now they want to hear from locals to discuss the next 25.
This month, CBT President and Chief Executive Officer Johnny Strilaeff will be visiting more than 40 communities all across the basin reaching as far north as Valemount, and all the way down to the U.S border near Creston. Strilaeff said the aim is to Celebrate, Renew and engage each city, town and district.
“We’re going to use this as an opportunity to look back a bit. How or communities have changed, grown, how values have changed. That is so we can start to receive feedback from residents on how they want to see the Trust focus its resourced over the next five, ten, maybe even fifteen or twenty years,” Strilaeff added. “We want to assemble all of that feedback and from each of these 40 plus community events and our online engagement tools, and develop what will be our new strategic plan.”
The public engagement process is now starting with online engagement and in-person community meetings until the end of June. It also includes the Symposia in Golden and Trail in October 2020. The new plan is expected to be released early in 2021.
“Such a significant part of the Trust’s creation 25 years ago was the incredible grassroots engagement undertaken with the people of the Basin,” said Strilaeff. “This is a time to celebrate the legacy of that engagement, to reflect on our shared history, and to imagine our future together in the Basin. I am excited to hear the dreams and ideas that people bring forward and I know they will be as powerful as those of the past.”
The full list of locations is available below. At meetings will run from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Registration is not required and Strileaff said refreshments will be provided.
For more details, visit imagine.ourtrust.org or call 1.800.505.8998.
