News & Updates

Voting is now open for the 2017-2019 EDCO Board of Directors. As an EDCO member, you have the right to vote! Voting will be open until December 15, 2016. 

If you are an EDCO member, you received an email on October 13 with login details to vote for the 2017-2019 EDCO Board. Please check your inbox and junk folder for this email! 

When you login, you will see nine potential directors. Please vote for the four directors you would like to represent you on the EDCO board. 

If you have issues logging into eBallot, or if you have any other questions, please email Brittany Bruce at grow@edco.on.ca. 

The University of Waterloo is happy to announce that on January 1, 2017 the Local Economic Development graduate program will be relaunched as the Master of Economic Development & Innovation (MEDI). The program has been revised and refreshed to better reflect contemporary trends in theory and the profession. We are excited to educate the next generation of economic development leaders and professionals as they address the challenges and opportunities faced by cities and communities across Canada and internationally. More information on the MEDI program can be found here.

We encourage you to collaborate with the MEDI program in the following ways:

Spread the word about our program. If you know of anyone who would benefit from an education in the Economic Development field, encourage them to consider the University of Waterloo.

Think of our MEDI students when hiring interns or undertaking research projects within your organization. The MEDI program is committed to providing it’s students with an experiential education, which would not be possible without our partnerships

Lastly, please mark your calendar for a LED Alumni and networking event on Wednesday, November 30^th in Toronto.

Awards Deadline Extended to October 17!

The EDCO Awards of Excellence submission deadline has been extended to Monday,October 17, 2016! Don't miss your chance to be recognized for your economic development achievements. Apply today! To learn more about the Awards, click here.  If you are ready to submit your entry, click here.  Have you already submitted your entry? Don't forget to mail us your hard copies!  Promotional Awards - 1 hard copy Collaboration and Partnership Awards - 1 hard copy Planning and Building Initiatives Awards - 3 hard copies Click here for your hard copy submission checklist!  Finalists will be notified ahead of time, and winners will be awards at the President's Dinner on February 9, 2017 at EDCO's Annual Conference and Showcase.

fDi Intelligence, part of the Financial Times, is currently running its American Cities of the Future 2017/18 ranking. You can visit their dedicated website where you will find more information about what they do. 

The ranking seeks to find the most promising cities for foreign investors, from a select list of locations they have devised, based on FDI attraction data from fDi Markets. The awards are completely free of charge to enter, there will be no cost to you. Results of the awards will be published in fDi Magazine in April 2017.

They have selected Ontario for the ranking, and are extremely keen to receive a submission for the FDI Strategy category of the ranking. Click here for a Word document version of the survey which will need to be completed for this category and emailed back to cathy.mullan@ft.com or ellen.shannon@ft.com. 

You can also find this survey online. Their deadline for entries is Friday 16th December 2016, however, extensions are available on request.        

The ranking is free to enter, and provides an excellent opportunity for your city to showcase its foreign direct investment capabilities and strategies. To learn more about the benefits of included in the fDi ratings, click here.

Should you have any queries, please contact Ellen Shannon at ellen.shannon@ft.com. 

Hot off the presses - the new Professional Development Catalog for IEDC Training Courses. See 2016 - 2017 Professional Development training course topics, speakers and locations.

Have you completed your requirements to be a Certified Economic Developer? Expand your knowledge and gain practical skills in the profession. Here's your opportunity to move your career to the next level. Take a look at all the great training courses coming up - sign up early to experience savings.  

Access your electronic copy of IEDC's PD Catalog now! 

EDCO is pleased to offer an annual scholarship opportunity to members through the professional development committee. 

Scholarship recipients can receive up to $1,500 to use towards training to assist with achieving or maintaining their professional designation (Ec.D or CEcD.) 

Applications will be accepted October 1, 2016 - November 11, 2016 and will be awarded at the 2017 EDCO Conference in Toronto on February 7-9, 2017. 

2017 Application (completed via SurveyMonkey)

The 8th annual Municipal Agriculture Economic Development Forum is being held November 2 & 3rd. The conference is hosted by a partnership of the Town of Caledon and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Special thanks to Foodland Ontario and Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance for their partnering with this event.  

This is an opportunity for those involved in municipal and local economic development who have agriculture and food (farming, food processing, agri-tourism, equine/agri-business sector, and agri-entrepreneurship) in their portfolio to network, share successes, experience the "tastes" and sites of Caledon. Learn more about programs targeted to the agricultural sector. Registration is now open!

Day 1 - full day tour! Jump on the bus at the Millcroft Inn & Spa at 10am, with like-minded economic development practitioners and enjoy the Eat, Drink & Network bus tour. Enjoy a variety of local and fresh foods as part of a progressive lunch at Spirit Tree Cidery and Heatherlea Farm Store.  Learn from the business owners tell their stories from an economic developer perspective.   The last stop of the tour will enjoy a wine tasting at Adamo Estate Winery before heading back to the Millcroft Inn & Spa.  The evening will begin with an informal networking reception followed by a local food dinner.  The evening speaker will be Dana McCauley, the Executive Director of Food Starter who will speaker on Accelerating Food Entrepreneurship in Your Community.  Dana will bring along a few FoodStarter clients, who will have products available to taste and will talk about their journey from idea to product.

Day 2 of the forum will feature speakers including Michele Harris, Executive Director, Headwaters Tourism.  Michelle, will be sharing the journey of her community identifying  the strength of the equine sector to develop and brand Caledon and surrounding area as Headwaters Horse Country, Ontario's Centre of Equine Excellence.  Forum participants will have a chance to tour the Caledon Equestrian Park, (PANAM equestrian site) with Craig Collins, one of the key people behind the facility.  Additional speakers will be presenting on: Using Planning Tools to Support Farm Viability, Resources Supporting Agriculture Economic Development and Food and Farming Economic Development Success Stories.

Pricing

• Day 1 (Nov. 2) - $80.00 (includes lunch and dinner) 
  
• Day 2 (Nov. 3) - $70.00 (includes lunch and refreshment breaks) WEBEX (Day 2) - $40.00
  
• 2 day package - $150.00
  

The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is presenting its 2017 Annual Conference in Toronto, Canada from September 17 – 20, 2017. This is an opportunity to highlight success stories, lessons learned, share cutting-edge ideas, and engage your colleagues at the premier event for economic development practitioners. IEDC is seeking compelling session proposals to ensure a comprehensive program. The conference theme is “Going Global: Connect. Collaborate. Create.”

Session proposals should address trends and topics that reflect the wide-ranging needs and interests of IEDC’s diverse membership. Concurrent sessions will be organized into five tracks:

1. Building Local Linkages and Expanding Global Trade

2. Cashing in on Creative Capital

3. Nurturing the Start-up Ecosystem

4. Regional Collaboration for Investment Promotion

5. The Nuts and Bolts of Economic Development

Conference Audience:

IEDC is the world's largest membership organization serving the economic development profession. From public to private, rural to urban and local to international, our members represent the entire range of economic development experience.

Submission Deadline: November 18, 2016 

Download the RFSP

Is your community prepared to meet the Tourism Investment Dragons?

EDCO working with the Ontario East Economic Development Commission and the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, will be conducting two Tourism Investment “Meet in the Investor Dragons” events in Ottawa on December 7, 2016, and Toronto on December 16, 2016. 

Only a limited number of communities will be able to participate per event, and meet with key real estate and tourism investor "Dragons" to pitch their prime tourism land investment opportunities.

The “Dragons” are interested in commercial land sites consisting of waterfront parcels, parking lots, agricultural plots, parklands, vacant buildings, or local historical assets in need of new investment.  These sites could be repurposed for Accommodations, Attractions, Entertainment, Food and Culinary, Land Space to Host Major Events, Retail and Travel-Related Operations. 

To help you learn what is takes to be “Dragon” ready, it is recommended that you attend one of the following “Perfecting the Pitch Workshops”. 

Preference will be given to participants of the workshops to attend the December 7^th and 16^th Tourism Investment “Meet in the Investor Dragons” events.

For the full workshop outline and to register, please use one of the links below. 

Space is limited, so don't delay - register now! 

Kingston - November 2, 2016

North Bay - November 10, 2016

Burlington - November 15, 2016

London - November 16, 2016