Tag: Community
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Attracting and Retaining Youth in Rural Communities
Attracting and retaining youth is one of the many challenges faced by rural communities. The Newcomer and Youth Community Indicators is a tool that was designed to assist rural communities looking to better understand their attractiveness to both newcomers and youth. It is a free Excel-based tool that includes information for every municipality in Ontario.…
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Collaboration Goes a Long Way: Huron County-wide Economic Development Planning Project
Successful regional economic development planning achieved thanks to the “Train the Trainer” program developed by the Regional Economic Development Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). Gone are the days of planning in silos for the municipalities in Huron County. In 2014, the County began the challenging process of re-structuring…
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Ontario Craft Brewery Ramps Up Production with Growing Forward 2 funding
Time is always in short supply when you run a business. It is something Brent Davies always seems to run out of. He is vice president and co-owner of Wellington Brewery, so finding the time to look into funding opportunities just never seems to rise to the top of his priority pile. “When you are…
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Overview of the First Impression Community Exchange Program
A First Impressions Community Exchange (FICE) is a structured and cost-effective process that reveals the first impression a community conveys to potential visitors, investors and new residents. The results can serve as the basis for action plans to enhance or build on community strengths and address challenges.
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Overview of Ontario’s Downtown Revitalization Program
When it comes to revitalizing a downtown, people often think of structural and tangible improvements. However, frequently there is more to the picture than the appearance of the downtown.
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Ontario Downtown Revitalization Community of Practice Sessions
Downtown Revitalization Community of Practice sessions are an excellent opportunity for downtown revitalization coordinators, volunteers and community leaders to network, gain insights into the experiences, successes and challenges communities have faced on their downtown revitalization journey
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Two ways to Explore Value-Added Opportunities
In spring of 2015, Regional Economic Development and Business Management Unit of OMAFRA, Harvest Hastings and the Small Business Centre delivered the ‘Starting or Growing your Food Business?‘ two-part series workshop in Stirling. Part one was ‘Exploring Value-Added Opportunities (EVAO)’ and part-two was ‘Market Considerations’.
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Too Small for Economic Development? 5 Strategies for Teeny Tiny Places.
You’re a small community in rural Ontario. You have a stable or declining population, no downtown core, no economic development officer and no strong drivers of economic activity. Give up, right? Not so fast… Economic development is a means to an end goal, which is community well-being. And Teeny Tiny Places can improve community well-being…
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Insights from 3,100 Ontario Business Retention and Expansion Surveys
Results from 3,100 surveys in 73 BR+E projects undertaken from across Ontario between 2009 – 2014 have been analyzed.
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New Strategic Planning Resource
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has developed a Strategic Planning Resource Manual.
