who we are

124°West is grounded in long-standing relationships and decades of community-based work. Together, the team brings over 85-years of experience working with local governments, First Nations, and for-profit and non-profit community organizations across Vancouver Island and British Columbia.

We are planners, researchers, facilitators, and educators who believe the best solutions are rooted in lived and generational knowledge of place, people, and community. Our work grows from the priorities of the communities and organizations we serve. We support locally relevant approaches instead of predefined agendas.

The principals of 124°West are committed to ongoing learning and unlearning to support decision-making that is meaningful and grounded. We also support mentorship and capacity building for students and early-career professionals, and over the past decade have worked on nearly 100 projects that form a “research triangle” connecting community partners, students, and researchers.

our approach

We take a community-led approach to every project by listening first, building trust, and working collaboratively with our partners. We pair this with strong research, clear analysis, and thoughtful engagement to create plans and solutions that are practical, meaningful, and achievable.

Meaningful community engagement is central to our work. This means our engagement strategies are tailored to best address the challenge at hand and deeply rooted in the unique aspects of each place and space. We never bring in a “cookie-cutter” approach to our work.

What we do

Our work spans everything from long-range community planning to short-term, action-oriented plans. We support all levels of government and community organizations with community-driven planning, policy development, research, and project implementation across urban, rural, and Indigenous communities.

Below is a selection of projects the principals have contributed to.

Community & Land Planning

Comprehensive Community Plans

Official Community Plans

Land Use and Lands Plans

Area Structure Plans

Integrated planning for lands, waters, and people

Land Governance

Additions to Reserve (ATR) processes – from application to completion

Land Code development – from initiation through to law drafting

Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCA) – education, support, and planning

Urban Design & Site Planning

Hand-drawn and digital visualizations to support decision-making

Site visioning and design schemes development

Master Plans

Strategic Planning & Action Plans

Strategic plans with clear implementation pathways

Key performance indicators (KPIs), monitoring, and evaluation frameworks

Housing & Community Assessments

Housing Needs Assessments (including BC legislative requirements)

Community assessments, including Age-Friendly Plans and accessibility evaluations

Economic Development Planning

Idea generation and opportunity analysis

Market research and implementation planning

Facilitation, Engagement & Event Management

Design and delivery of tailored engagement processes

Workshop and conference facilitation

Large scale event design and logistics planning

Environmental Research & Stewardship

Research design and implementation

Regulatory reporting and compliance support

Mentorship & Capacity Building

Engaging youth, students, and community members in projects and processes

Funding & Resource Development

Grant writing and reporting

Fundraising strategies for projects and land acquisition