Writer Aaron Nelson shares his takeaways from the recent Rising Economy 2025 conference where he discovered stories of grit, resilience and how adversity shapes us.
By Aaron Nelson
At the recent Rising Economy 2025 conference in Greater Victoria, keynote speaker Zita Cobb, Founder and CEO of Shorefast, shared a striking memory: “My parents, who had spent their lives fishing, sat at the kitchen table at night, whispering about what was going to happen to us. They had no answers. For the first time, they were afraid of the future.”
Zita’s story of transforming Fogo Island from a community on the brink of collapse into an international model for place-based economic development was nothing short of inspiring. Against a backdrop of minimalist architecture and rugged landscapes, Fogo Island Inn — only two hotels in the entire country with Michelin’s Three Key recognition — stands as a beacon of sustainable economic growth. With 54% of its revenues staying directly in the community, Shorefast demonstrates how government, markets and community can work together to build resilience. The model is now being shared with other communities through The Shorefast Institute.
Behind the Image
During her Rising Economy keynote, Zita shared the following observation about Greater Victoria: “It does feel a little bit like a land of milk and honey, so I do worry about ‘where’s the adversity?’ of it a bit.”
Having grown up in Manitoba and Alberta, I initially shared this perspective. Seeing people wear Canada Goose jackets in a place that rarely dips below -5 °C still surprises me. As well, the region’s economy has a reputation for being stable because of a large presence of government jobs due to it being the provincial capital and having Canada’s Pacific Coast naval base.
However, after five years in Greater Victoria, I have experienced and witnessed some of the pressing issues facing our community: the challenges of operating a business on an island, a severe lack of affordable housing, the opioid epidemic, rising costs on household essentials and a downtown challenged by rising retail vacancy and rents, among others.
The speakers at this year’s Rising Economy shared their own stories of facing and overcoming adversity head-on with the help of their community. It’s a testament to the galvanizing power of the conference, which first emerged in 2020 and brought together over a thousand community members online. Participants shared stories and brainstormed ideas on how the region could become more resilient throughout and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Going Forward with Grit
Five years later, Rising Economy continues to tap into the spirit of resilience that defined the first conference. On the conference panel “How Do You Get the Grit and Growth Mindset,” Ann Squires Ferguson spoke to the role of struggle in building resilience: “None of us is born with resilience. Any resilience we have comes from struggle.”
As CEO of Western Design+Build, Ann grew her company from three employees to an all-female team of 14. During this growth, she also faced the challenge of a lifetime: ovarian cancer. Forced to step away and prioritize her health, she had to trust her team and accept help—one of the hardest things she’s ever done. But through this adversity, she discovered the strength of her community, which supported her return to leadership after beating cancer.
Resilience and Reconciliation
Cyril weqʷaqʷələq Morris, Cultural Ambassador with Songhees Tours, recalled how, 30 years ago, Indigenous culture was often met with denialism and racism. Today, Indigenous tourism has become a catalyst for reconciliation, and visitors ask genuine questions and show deep appreciation. In addition to being a bridge to cultural understanding, Indigenous tourism is an economic force. British Columbia is home to 505 Indigenous tourism businesses—over 20% of Canada’s total—contributing $559 million to the provincial economy.
The Time for Warriorship
Keynote speaker Teara Fraser reinforced the link between prosperity and perseverance. “Right now, prosperity has everything to do with warriorship.” Teara founded Iskwew Air, Canada’s first Indigenous- and female-owned airline, which operates scheduled and charter flights across British Columbia. She overcame financial struggles, the COVID-19 pandemic, gender and racial bias and systemic barriers in aviation and entrepreneurship.
Teara credits her resilience to the Indigenous philosophy of “All My Relations,” recognizing that every decision impacts not only the present but the next seven generations. This worldview informs her leadership, ensuring sustainable and inclusive growth.
Rising to the Challenges
I am the product of the same grit these leaders embody. My great-grandmother, Agda Nilson, left Sweden at 16 to escape an alcoholic father and settled in Canada. She spoke no English but, alongside my great-grandfather, built a farm in Vulcan, Alberta, during the Great Depression. More recently, I saw firsthand how people came together during the 2013 Alberta floods. Thousands of us helped strangers clear debris from flooded homes, opened our doors to evacuees, and provided food and supplies. Adversity strengthens the physical, social and human ties that bind us together.
“None of us is born with resilience. Any resilience we have comes from struggle.”
Ann Squires Ferguson, Western Design + Build
Today, it’s normal for community members to feel anxious and fearful about the world around them. The Trump administration’s intent of annexing Canada through trade tariffs upends decades of mutually beneficial trade and 250 years of recognized sovereignty. This compounds the existing geopolitical shift toward a bipolar world with an increasingly assertive China, which recently slapped tariffs on Canadian products, including 25% on seafood and pork and 100% on canola meal and oil. Add to this the rising disruption of generative artificial intelligence, ongoing climate change, growing income inequality, slowing productivity and reorienting global supply chains. There is no lack of adversity here — and there has never been a greater need for strong, engaging and unifying leaders.
This is why I was inspired by South Island Prosperity Partnership’s CEO Aaron Stone’s announcement of a SIPP Taskforce 2.0 to end the Rising Economy conference. The Taskforce will convene leaders from across Greater Victoria to develop strategies to help the region maneuver these uncertain times and come out more resilient, connected and prosperous. The Taskforce leverages the model SIPP successfully utilized to accelerate the region’s economic recovery from the effects of the pandemic.
As Aaron said, “It’s essential that we come together again to shore up our vulnerabilities and ensure our residents’ incomes are protected.” I thank him and SIPP for catalyzing regional cooperation and leadership and look forward to doing my small part to build a more robust and thriving community.
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Aaron Nelson is a Policy Advisor with Housing Infrastructure and Communities Canada supporting the implementation of the Canada Public Transit Fund. His public policy career includes roles with Innovation Science and Economic Development (ISED) and the BC Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General. He holds a Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs from the University of British Columbia. Aaron spent several years in Calgary as a senior commercial real estate consultant and appraiser with a Toronto-based international valuation and advisory firm. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, running, camping, cycling and surfing.
Aaron contributed this article as part of his volunteer experience with the South Island Prosperity Partnership Rising Economy 2025 Conference.
