Research Project

Exploring Progressive Solutions: Innovating the Regional Cannabis Sector

Led by Dr. Tracey Harvey, this three-year project that aims to understand the barriers and opportunities for the rural economic development of the regional cannabis sector. Through activities including co-design, co-pilot and co-evaluate, viable action plans will be generated in collaboration with the diverse stakeholders. There are four key objectives within the project:  

  • Bring divergent groups from the Central Kootenay and Kootenay Boundary regions together to inventory place-based regional strengths. 

  • Support regional innovation by identifying where the region is at, developing tools, guiding conversations, and identifying and prioritizing areas for investment and action. 

  • Develop refocused action plans and pilot between two and four select actions within the regional cannabis sector. 

  • Disseminate findings beyond the research team, study region, and sector.  

Our work is made possible by the support of Selkirk College and through a three-year federally funded research project through the College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF) and MITACS. 

Dr. Tracey Harvey

Tracey holds a PhD in Rural Studies from the University of Guelph, an MSc in GIS from the University of Southampton (UK), a Bachelor of Science in Forestry from UBC and an Advanced Diploma in GIS from BCIT. 

For her PhD, Tracey examined the socioeconomic implications of cannabis legalization to the rural Kootenays, a long-time cannabis producing region.

Tracey has taught and researched at Selkirk College since 2008, is a member of the Selkirk College Stewards Committee and serves as a Kootenay Cannabis Economic Development Council committee member.

Tracey loves spending time outdoors with her partner and kids.