Vancouver Island Visitor Center

Well, maybe it is because I am traveling so much these past few weeks but today I had a meeting up in Courtenay which was held at the new Vancouver Island Visitor Center - one of the icon centers in the province and I must say - WOW. This is a case study of every best practice that exists in visitor center development - I was super impressed.

The center is well signed and located just off the main entrance to the City and is identified by a symbol of the area - a plane. There is lots of parking and the facility is impressive in size and scope - inviting to say the least.  Inside, there is a nice new meeting room for community use, an open concept space with a large counter area for staff, a shopping space for local gifts, an area for computer searches and wireless access, couches and a fireplace for relaxing or reading...and most impressive - in the back area there is an interactive area that profiles the region for the visitor.  The displays profile the amenities of the area including wildlife, recreation and sports, agriculture and sustainability initiatives. When we were there the place was full of visitors in all corners of the venue. As we enjoyed our BBQ on the outdoor patio, I couldn't help but wonder how impressive it must be for visitors to arrive here and form a positive impression of the area. I also wondered, as I often do, about the inconsistent experience that visitors must have though as they travel throughout the province to different VIC's as they range in quality sometimes quite drastically.

It must have been a huge undertaking to accomplish this project, and I wish all those involved success with the venture and will definitely encourage my own guests this summer to stop in on route up island.

Locations and collections

When staying in Grand Forks, I chose to head to the Luna B and B for my accommodation. I used my iphone to google the location on my map and it brought me right to the front door. Talk about location of choice - they are situated right next door to the heritage center which also serves as a visitor information center (notice the trend of multi purpose spaces with nice visitor centers from my last post?).  I'll come back to the heritage center in a moment. While parking was a  bit of an issue, I was happy with my room and was particularly impressed at the trust shown to have visitors in a room with an impressive collection of antique science equipment.  I'd never seen this before in a room, but must admit, it was tastefully displayed and really fascinating to look at all the varieties of microscopes displayed.

Back to the heritage center - I am always impressed when communities elevate the importance of locating the visitor center in a building that shows off valued amenities.  The Grand Forks Visitor Center is located in a beautiful old heritage building made of stone. It is well kept and presented and shares space with a gallery and what looks to be like other offices (like most centers, it was closed when I arrived - we have to find ways to solve this - like QR codes?). Accessible, impressive, multi tasking, and large enough to serve visitors - some key best practices for visitor centers. Well done Grand Forks and Christina Lake... and have a great season.

I had about 20 people in my session at the BC Rural Summit where I did a workshop on how to identify and assess amenities for rural development. The participants were from rural communities all over BC and I must say, they were an absolute joy to work with. I had to leave early but I understand that the approach resonated with folks throughout the conference and I look forward to working with many of those I met on sorting out next steps for BC rural communities that are keen on the approach. Together we have lots to learn. I will post the handouts on my website when I finally get back home (still on route).