Tag: sustainability
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Effective economic development requires data
Effective economic development requires an understanding of the local and regional economy. No one I know would argue this (especially not economic development practitioners). Data is critical to understanding the local and regional economy. For example: Norfolk County is where I grew up and still frequently visit. Norfolk is a single tier municipality located on the north…
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Farming the North – Growing opportunities for agriculture in Northern Ontario
OMAFRA is working with the agriculture community to provide opportunities to expand agriculture in Northern Ontario with a website that offers clients information to help them make their expansion or investment decisions. September 1, 2015 is the launch date for the website. Check it out farmnorth.com.
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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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Updates to the Ontario Business Retention & Expansion Program Resources
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs introduced the Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E) program in 1998 to support economic development efforts of rural communities. BR+E is a structured acton-oriented and community-based approach to business and economic development.
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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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Staff Profile: Heather Candler
Get to know our staff. We’ll be profiling them here so you can get to know who can help you grow your ideas. What is your role in the Regional Economic Development Branch? I have the pleasure of working as an Agriculture and Rural Economic Development Advisor out of the Brighton office in Eastern Ontario. …
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Welcome to the Regional Economic Development Branch Blog
Welcome to our blog. We are always looking for ways to better connect with you. Our stakeholders have taken to social media so we thought it is time we did too. This blog is designed to keep you up to date with the latest information on how you can grow your agriculture and economic development initiatives.…
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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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Two Takeaways for Successful Performance Measurement from PPX
I recently had the opportunity to attend the Performance and Planning Exchange (PPX) Symposium in Ottawa, Ontario. This international centre of excellence provides learning, sharing and the development of expertise in performance and planning – including its measurement, implementation, public reporting and management. Primarily catering to a federal government audience, it was beneficial to understand…