What is the Vital Conversation program?
The Vital Conversation program is a facilitated community discussion, collaboration, and granting opportunity to help leaders from non-profits and charities kickstart solutions to pressing community challenges. It plays a key role in mobilizing resourceful community members to help improve quality of life in Greater Victoria for everyone. The program is part of a larger Community Foundations of Canada program and is organized by the Victoria Foundation while supported by Coast Capital.
This program invites leaders from the charitable sector, local businesses, elected officials, and other community members to explore emerging issues through the lived experiences of certain demographics, in order to identify pressing community challenges. The program also serves as a platform to generate qualitative data, illuminate trends, and inspire action.
Insights from these conversations guide future granting priorities, inform discussions with potential donors, and raise awareness of the foundation’s leadership role. Following these discussions, participants can apply for a Spark Funds grant, empowering the ideas discussed to take shape in impactful projects. This year marks the second offering of the Spark Funds with a total of $80,000 available, up last year from $75,000. Coast Capital generously provided $20,000, and $60,000 came from Victoria Foundation’s discretionary funds.
Data Focuses
- Victoria’s 2023 Vital Signs report identified two specific data points as areas for deeper exploration, specifically concerning youth (ages 20-35), and newcomer populations. Net migration to Greater Victoria is up—especially from other countries (56%)—but the number of young people aged 20 to 34 is down.
- Secondary data immigrant retention: 75% of immigrant taxfilers in 2020 continued to live in Greater Victoria 3 years upon admission to Canada (similar to 2018 and 2019. BC was 90% and Canada was 87%).
Rising Economies Panel
The Rising Economies Conference, hosted by the South Island Prosperity Project (SIPP), unites voices from business, government, and non-profit sectors to discuss solutions for the issues facing our region. The conference offers a blend of in-person and online events, focused on proactively shaping the future of our economy. The Victoria Foundation contributes insights from the latest Victoria’s Vital Signs report to support informed dialogue and actionable strategies for our community’s growth.
At the Rising Economy Conference 2024, the Foundation and Coast Capital hosted a panel discussion that asked, “Is Victoria Really on the Rise?” Panelists discussed what kinds of people our region attracts, why they stay, and why youth and some immigrants have decided to make their homes in other cities.
Panelists
- Dallas Gislason, Deputy Director, Regional Economic Development, South Island Prosperity Partnership
- Kelsi Langdon, Gadsden Initiative member, young mother, born and raised in Victoria
- Shelly D’Mello, CEO, Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA), arrived in Victoria in 2023
- James Gatsi, Founder, CL Web Developers, immigrated from Zimbabwe
- Bhupinder Dulku, moderator, Victoria Foundation Impact Investment Committee member, Gadsden Initiative member, born and raised in Victoria, child of immigrants
Discussion points raised by the panel:
- Young newcomers often face difficulties in having their credentials formally recognized, creating barriers to affordability and belonging.
- Additional supports, like jobs for spouses, can help newcomers succeed.
- Victoria’s niche economy, focused on government and tourism, offers fewer corporate roles, yet offers strong support for entrepreneurs.
- Systemic hiring issues persist for newcomers without permanent residency, such as limits on provincial tech sector grants.
- Access to childcare is essential since families need two incomes to live here.
Community Engagement
An advisory made up of Foundation partners was then created to help guide the community consultation process. This would inform the design of the forthcoming Vital Conversation event. Members of the advisory were:
- Dallas Gislason, Deputy Director, Regional Economic Development, South Island Prosperity Partnership
- Shelly D’Mello, CEO, Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA)
- Tanya Smith, Manager, Social Purpose Ecosystems, Coast Capital
Additional expertise and engagement were required to highlight the voices of people with lived experience. Three focus groups were held, consisting mostly of postgraduate students and young working people. Newcomers face particular challenges, and some postgraduate students face additional, unique barriers to belonging and affordability.
Newcomer challenges
- Challenges identified for newcomers include regular experiences of racism and microaggressions.
- There are not enough central hubs where immigrant populations can connect, seek advice, feel safe, and access culturally appropriate supports.
- Newcomers without ties to settlement agencies struggle to find information on programs and resources.
- Newcomers often feel as though they’re stuck in survival mode and long to be seen as contributors beyond their labour.
Student challenges
- Students found Victoria different from their expectations and faced challenges like limited networking opportunities because many peers are also new.
- Public transit for students and the overall community could be improved.
- Students found it difficult to secure co-ops due to the local business landscape.
- Although students contribute to high tuition and taxes, local governments could offer greater support.
2024 Vital Conversation Event
A group of invitees gathered at the University of Victoria in June to share stories, analyze data, and engage in small group discussions aimed at uncovering strategies to allow individuals to blossom in our region. Throughout the event, participants collaborated and brainstormed ideas during a series of breakout sessions.
Photo caption: The evolution of the day’s conversation was captured in a graphic recording by Mo Dawson.
Event speakers
- Jordan Perrault – Director of Strategic Initiatives, Construction Foundation of BC
- Ariel Reyes Antuan – Managing Director and Founder, Iyé Creative
- Shelly D’Mello – CEO, Intercultural Association of Greater Victoria
- Dallas Gislason – Interim CEO, South Island Prosperity Partnership
- Kristi Fairholm-Mader – Director, Innovation & Initiatives, Scale Collaborative, 2023 Spark Fund recipient
Strategies discussed:
- Youth (Age 20-35) leadership and capacity building: Establish a centralized platform for young adults to connect and access civic engagement opportunities. This could be achieved by organizing a youth forum to identify programs in mental health, employment, civic action, and other areas.
- Skills training: Develop a forward-thinking workforce by encouraging industry and educators to begin skill-building early, like introducing basic trades knowledge in elementary school.
- Engage with the education system: Use existing evidence to collaborate with the education system and engage in a conversation around skills and knowledge development. This will require a community champion.
- Co-op Incubator – Community wealth building: The benefits of community ownership and social purpose models could be shared and promoted through open, public dialogue. Bring together experts from credit unions, education, and business programs to explore community-centered ownership strategies.
- Policy changes around credential recognition: Leverage newcomer skills by positioning regional needs with their specific expertise. Gather a coalition of newcomers, community leaders, and government representatives to drive policy changes to recognize newcomer credentials.
- Destigmatize renting: Shift perceptions of long-term renting through positive storytelling by young people, influencers, and PR agencies. This narrative change could influence new rental developments and enhance better property management practices.
- Shift mindsets and culture from individual to community focus: Create a community resource map that is easy for organizations to update. Led by young people, this resource would display community spaces and programs. The first step is to identify a lead organization and collaborators.
- Raising awareness of services: Engage young people to understand and reduce barriers to accessing services, this would include going to where young people are and committing to understanding what piques their interest most. Partnerships with Island Health, Community Health Networks, and 211/811 resources would enhance service awareness and support pathways
- Affordable intergenerational housing: Explore models of multi-generational housing with integrated services like medical and daycare facilities. Beacon Community Services will lead a feasibility study to examine community-centered, socially responsible housing.