Island Corridor Foundation

Situation

The Island Corridor Foundation (ICF) is a non-profit group that took over ownership of Vancouver Island’s historic 290-kilometre rail corridor in 2006, with the goal of keeping the railroad running. By early 2008 they faced a big challenge. The ageing rail line had been severely neglected over the years by the previous owners and it needed a $103.8 million upgrade. The ICF and the federal government were prepared to pay two-thirds of the cost – but the federal money was only available if the province matched those funds – and time was running out. The province wasn’t interested in pitching in, so the ICF turned to Acumen for ideas. The challenge: generate a wave of public opinion to save the Island rail line and convince the province to ante up and do it on an extremely limited budget.

Objectives

• To establish a clear theme for the campaign to rejuvenate the Island rail line and convince the BC government to contribute $35 million over five years as its share of the rejuvenation project.
• To sign up 5,000 Friends of the Corridor in less than two months to act as enthusiastic supporters for saving the Island Rail Line.
• To increase media exposure about the ICF’s rail rejuvenation campaign and awareness of the economic benefits that enhanced rail service would deliver.

Project Work Plan

• Let people know the urgency behind the call to action and make it easy for people to “get onboard” and support rail on Vancouver Island.
• The ICF has an enthusiastic Board of Directors and plenty of vocal supporters from towns and cities along the rail corridor. But they lacked consistent messaging. With Acumen’s help, the campaign gained focus – Keep rail alive on Vancouver Island.
• Take existing materials and website content and tighten and sharpen the message with new presentation materials, key messages and a revamped website for the rail rejuvenation campaign all aimed at urging the province to support Island Rail.
• Develop a series of fact sheets with information about the ICF, the rail line, the economic benefits of the rejuvenation project and the benefits for communities along the rail line to be used in presentations, media backgrounders and briefings with government officials.
• Deliver 65,000 pre-addressed postcards to selected communities, which people could send to Premier Gordon Campbell urging him to support Island Rail. 
• Design an exhibit booth and campaign materials for a traveling exhibit which traveled to fairs and exhibitions across Vancouver Island during the summer of 2008, signing up Friends and raising the profile of the rail rejuvenation campaign.

Outcomes

• In just four months, the rejuvenation campaign was featured in over 120 media stories in print, radio and TV across the island.
• In less than two months, the number of Friends of the Corridor jumped from less than 2,100 to 5,600.
• Thousands of postcards were sent to the Premier urging him to support Island Rail.
• When asked by Acumen if there were any surprises near the end of the campaign, ICF Executive Director Doug Backhouse said, “The only real surprise was how fast it all got done.”