Category: Resources
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Award-winning EDAC & EDCO Economic Recovery Projects
When COVID-19 cases began to spike in 2020, municipalities started exploring a variety of ways to support businesses. Across Canada, economic development organizations examined the unique challenges facing their communities and created action plans to help businesses survive and recover from disruption caused by the pandemic. This post showcases organizations and related activities that were…
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Highlights from the 2021 North & Eastern Ontario Local Food Conference
The North & Eastern Ontario Local Food Conference has officially ended. This year, hundreds of attendees from regions across Ontario attended the virtual conference to learn about topics such as agri-tourism, farming, greenhouse production, and more from experts and small Ontario businesses. Following the theme of local food, two chef-led lunches were hosted to encourage…
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REGISTRATION OPEN: MAY 6TH BR+E COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE WEBINAR
A recent survey of rural economic development practitioners across Canada revealed that business outreach and enhanced BR+E programs are two key avenues being explored to aid economic recovery. Business engagement and the use of business-level data to guide strategic planning have historically been core components of effective economic development practice. The current pandemic has reinforced…
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Learn How Clients are Using ANALYST to Inform Their Planning Decisions
Analyst is an online tool that pulls data from a range of sources to provide information on regional economies and workforces. Clients can use Analyst to understand the demand for educational programs, identify the skills that employers need, communicate the value of higher education to parents and students, connect jobseekers to the labor market, find…
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CAP Special Provisions and Farmer Mental Health Resources
Owning a farm is much more than a business; it is a way of life. As with most businesses, there are some very stressful times that can weigh you down. During busy seasons or critical production periods, it is normal to be faced with time constraints and pressures and facing major financial issues can multiply…
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Tips for Hosting a Successful Virtual Annual General Meeting
With the ongoing pandemic, Annual General Meetings (AGM) are being held in a virtual environment using video conferencing. Video conferencing is a good option when meetings can’t be held in-person. Participants still have the ability to be heard and seen in real-time using online meeting platforms. Now more than ever, it is very important to…
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Register Now: Spring 2021 BR+E Coordinator Training
Do you want to learn how to engage the business community so you can strengthen your local economy? Consider attending the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ (OMAFRA) three-part Business Retention + Expansion (BR+E) training in April: Thursday, April 8th 10:30am – 12pm Thursday, April 15th 10:30am – 12pm Thursday, April 22nd 10:30am…
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Black History Month 2021
It has been 25 years since the Government of Canada declared February as Black History Month. In 1995, the Honourable Jean Augustine (pictured above) coordinated a breakthrough unanimous vote to officially designate February as Black History Month in Canada. Augustine is the first Black woman elected as a Canadian Member of Parliament and the first…
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Advancing Opportunities in the South Korean Market to Ontario Exporters
Registration is now open for the FREE South Korea Market Opportunities Webinar occurring on March 10, 2021 from 7:30 – 9:15 PM EST. The Ministries of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade (MEDJCT) in collaboration with, the Korea Importers Association (KOIMA) and the Canada Embassy in Korea will…
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Using Focus Groups for Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E)
A thorough Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E) exercise can take several months to complete. However, there may be times when an economic development practitioner may need to gather data quickly. Recently, I had the opportunity to work with the County of Simcoe and the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury to address this challenge as they…