"CIEL has developed very professional tools and approaches that truly meet community needs. They have a lot of depth.”
- Mary Ward, Human Systems, Ashland, Oregon, USA
"We live in an increasingly global world and we also live in tiny individual worlds. The in-between layer, the community, gets lost. The CVI helps us to fill that gap and instil a sense of community”
- Community Vitality Initiative participant
CIEL - Conferences and Events
"Mike Stolte is the most fascinating economist ever"
- Shelagh Rogers - CBC Radio Host
Some of the conferences CIEL has made presentations at:
International
- Tools for Creating Vibrant Communities Forums in Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia in conjunction with Peter Kenyon and the Bank of IDEAS (2007)
- Business Retention and Expansion International (BREI) 2007 International Conference, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Regards to Rural– Rural Development Initiatives, Oregon, USA (2007)
- Municipal Association of Victoria - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (2007)
- For the People By the People - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (2007)
- Ford Family Foundation, Oregon, USA (2008)
National
- Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation, Tweed, Ont. (2004)
- Canadian Rural Conference, Red Deer, Alberta (2004)
- Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Rural Forum – Vancouver, BC (2005)
- Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNET) /CEDTAP National Conference, Sault St. Marie, Ont. (2005)
- CCEDNET National Conference, Vancouver, BC (March 2006) (Mike was also an emcee)
- Pan Canadian Community Futures Conference, Whistler, BC (2006)
- Innovation in Arts & Health, Nelson , BC (2006)
- Canadian Council for Small Business & Entrepreneurship - Trois Rivieres, Quebec (2006)
- Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF)/Nat’l Rural Research Network (NRRN) conference –Twillingate, Newfoundland (co- emcee of gala) (2006
- Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF)/Nat’l Rural Research Network (NRRN) conference (co-facilitator of Think Tank on “Future of Rural Canada” - Gatineau, PQ & Lanark, Ontario (2006)
- CCEDNET National Conference, St. Johns, Nfld. (2007)
- Federation of Canadian Municipalities Sustainable Communities Conference – Ottawa, Ontario (2008)
- Rural Matters - Edmonton, Alberta (2008)
Provincial/Regional
- Quebec Community Futures (SADC) Conference (2004)
- Newfoundland Community Economic Development (CED) Forum, St. John’s, Nfld. (2005)
- Alberta CED Conference, Edmonton (2005)
- BC First Nations Comprehensive Community Planning Summit, Vernon, BC (2005)
- Economic Development Association of British Columbia
- Manitoba Rural Forum, Brandon, Manitoba (2005)
- Ontario Rural Conference, Blue Mountain, Ont. (2006)
- BC Rural Summit, Osoyoos, BC (2006)
- Ontario Community Futures Conference (2007)
- Celebrating Communities - Sydney, Nova Scotia (2007)
- Economic Development Association of Manitoba (2008)
- Columbia Basin Trust (various forums and conferences)