Halseth, Greg

Morris, Marleen

Memorial University Research Repository

Camps Are Only Half the Story: How workforce issues impact the communityMarleen Morris & Greg HalsethUniversity of Northern British ColumbiaCommunity Development InstituteNorth Central Local Government AssociationFort St. JohnMay 2014Outline Background Camps: o Benefits for the communityo Issues for the community DiscussionBackgroundHistory of Labour Mobility in BC• Always been labour mobility in BC Gold rush Lumber camps Oil and gas• Always been ‘direct’ and ‘indirect’ labour involvedWhy a Rotational Workforce?• Short-term or seasonal work• Highly specialized jobs• Remote location• Not enough local workers Project Phases: Workforce Implications• Construction phase (5-8 years)• Operations phase (30+ years post-construction)• Hybrid: continuous and coincident construction and operations• Next generation workforce (+10-15 years)Variations in Camp Location• Remote camps Isolated, self-contained• Proximate camp Accessible, may not be self-contained• In town “camps” Integrated into community Variations in Camp Operations• Fully serviced Health, counselling, recreation, amenity, and ‘hospitality’ services Highly professional – often ‘dry’• Partially serviced Recreation, amenity, and ‘hospitality’ services Rely on community for some or all health and social services Usually highly professional• No services Company rents housing in town Rely on community for all services No regulations or oversightCamps: Issues for the CommunityCamps Do Not Mean Zero Impact• Workers will arrive for direct, indirect and induced jobs Service, retail, support• Camps do not accommodate everyone who will arrive for a job Usually only direct and some indirect• Even self-contained camps have an impact on the communityConstruction Camps: BenefitsDirect:• Leverage sunk infrastructure • ‘Repurpose’ capital investmentsIndirect:• Grow and diversify local economy and businesses• Renew community infrastructure• Employ local people• Attract new residents• Minimize risk of ‘over-building’Construction Camps: IssuesAll construction camps:• Local workforce hired for camp jobs• Airport facilities and services• Ground transportation Proximate and in-town camps:• Housing • Poverty• Social disruption• Increased service demands• Statistics• Lack of service coordination: ‘accordion’ services Operations Camps: Benefits• Employ local people in support and services• Contract with local businesses for support and servicesOperations Camps: Issues• Forego families moving to town bringing: Economic spending Property tax revenue Community diversification Population growth Community capacity• Critical for communities due to: Infrastructure replacement needs Critical mass for service provision Job diversity reduces dependence on a single industryDiscussionDiscussion I• Need to know where we wish to be in the future Our communities, economies, environments Staged: post-construction, into operations• What we need to get there Our people, institutions, organizations• What we need to stay there Long-term sustainability and stability Next-generation thinking• Inclusive of entire communityDiscussion II• Need for relationships for communications, information exchange, and planning Know what is happening Build understanding  Foster coordination, collaboration, and partnership Think broadly, ‘scale up’ Be inclusive of community, industry, and businessDiscussion III• Continuing points of focus: Checking in and evaluating progress Maintaining momentum over the long term Benefit flows Tracking impacts of policy changeKey Messages• Camps are only half the story Need to consider the those who will not be in camps• Being prepared is the key If the impacts are well-known, why aren’t we prepared• Information is essential Defines the scope of impact • Collaboration  Community, industry, regionThe Community Development InstituteUniversity of Northern British ColumbiaFor further information please visit our website at:www.unbc.ca/community-development-instituteGreg Halseth Marleen MorrisCo-Director Co-Directorgreg.halseth@unbc.ca marleen.morris@unbc.ca

Camps Are Only Half the Story: How Workforce Issues Impact the Community

https://research.library.mun.ca/14198/1/6.%20Camps%20for%20NCLGA%202014%20final%20for%20distribution.pdf

Camps Are Only Half the Story: How Workforce Issues Impact the Community

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