In March 2018 the Harris Centre partnered with Grenfell Campus (through GO Engagement) to complete the first workshop in the Thriving Regions Partnership Process. Four broad themes were developed, including Tourism, Community and Regional Development, Natural Resource Development, and Food Security. 

Summary Report: Baie Verte Peninsula Thriving Regions Workshop, Baie Verte, March 28-29, 2018

A call for Expressions of Interest from the university community to do research in the region based on the themes was opened, and the fund evaluation committee chose three projects to move forward:

• Assessing Potential for Land-Based Production of Green Sea Urchin Roe on the Baie Verte Peninsula (Dr. Patrick Gagnon, Associate Professor in the Department of Ocean Sciences)

• Celebrating the Mining History of the Baie Verte Peninsula: A potential tourism mecca (Dr. Derek Wilton, Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences)

• Development of a Business Model to Help Address Food and Nutrition Security on the Baie Verte Peninsula (Dr. Carlos Bazan, Assistant Professor in Civil Engineering and Engineering Chair in Entrepreneurship; Bennett Newhook, Executive Director of Greenspace Urban Farms and Engineering Student; and Hannah Gaultois, Partner Relations Officer with Memorial's Centre for Social Enterprise). 

These researchers were brought to Baie Verte for a second workshop, where they received feedback and built community partnerships. 

Summary Report: Baie Verte Peninsula Thriving Regions Workshop Phase 2, Baie Verte, June 7, 2018

The researchers submitted full research plans, which were reviewed and approved by the fund evaluation committee and began their projects in the summer of 2018.

Following a third workshop, in March 2019 the researchers presented their results to community members who then began a separate process of putting these results into action.

FINAL REPORTS:

BVP: Sitting on a mine of green gold