News & Updates

Don’t miss the 2017 Teeny Tiny Summits - a forum dedicated to community development in “Teeny Tiny Places”.  

www.teenytinysummit.com for registration and details.

For those on the Rideau Corridor, join us in advance of the Merrickville session towelcome Le Boat, Europe's largest operator of self-driving boating vacations to the Rideau Canal. Cheryl Brown, Managing Director of Le Boat, will share company highlights on the business, its clients and the decision to start cruising the Rideau Canal. Learn more about their intentions to make Smiths Falls their North American Headquarters incorporating sales, marketing and operations plus learn about their plans for 2017 and onwards. 

Breakfast: 7 a.m.

"Le Boat Who's On Board": 7:20 a.m. 

Cost: Free

Le Boat Presentation Registration

Ryerson University Introduces a New Certificate in Local Economic Development

This Fall 2017, Ryerson's University's G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education and the School of Urban & Regional Planning are launching the new Certificate in Local Economic Development. This program is designed to prepare you with the skills and knowledge to thrive in public and private local economic development (LED) positions in the Canadian context.

EDCO members are invited to attend the official launch event for this certificate. At this event, a panel of industry experts will discuss the latest trends in the LED field and provide more information on how this new program can help with career advancement.

WHEN:
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.

WHERE:
Ryerson University

For more information and to RSVP, visit the event page.

Canada is in a global innovation race, competing with countries around the world for the most talented people, the newest technologies, and the fastest-growing companies. As part of the Innovation and Skills Plan - an agenda to spark growth and help Canada realize its potential as a global leader in innovation - the Government intends to accelerate business-led innovation superclusters to deliver real results for Canadians.

On May 24, 2017, the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, announced the Innovation Superclusters Initiative, a new funding initiative designed to support a small number of business-led innovation superclusters that have the greatest potential to accelerate economic growth. The Government will invest up to $950 million by 2022 in superclusters that will enhance Canada's global competitiveness by focusing on highly innovative industries such as advanced manufacturing, agri-food, clean technology, digital technology, health/bioscience and clean resources, as well as infrastructure and transportation. These superclusters will become engines of innovation that support the development and growth of globally competitive Canadian companies, and ensure that Canada continues to develop and attract the best ideas, brightest talent and smart capital necessary for success.

Please visit the website to find out more about how this program will help Canada realize its potential as a global leader in innovation.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada will be holding information sessions in Ontario (June 6, 2017 to June 9, 2017) to provide program information to applicants preparing for Phase I of the application process (Letter of Intent). Online webinars are also available. Should you wish to register, please do so directly on the website. 

Nominations for the 2018 - 2020 term of the EDCO Board of Directors will be accepted from June 5, 2017 to September 15, 2017. There are three vacancies to be filled. 

Elections will take place by electronic ballots. Successful candidates will be announced at EDCO's 61st Annual Conference and Showcase to be held at the Sheraton Eaton Centre Hotel in Toronto, Ontario February 5-7, 2018. 

Remember, your Council is only as good as the participation of its members. Make sure you vote for your EDCO Board of Directors!

Download the nomination form.

Canadian Business Magazine recently published a list of the Top 25 Jobs in Canada in 2017. What came in at #8? Economic Development Director of course!

What makes a job one of Canada’s Best? Healthy demand for talent, a growing workforce, and a generous salary with room to move up. 

Check out the full list of Canada's top jobs. 

The May 2017 EDCO Exchange is now available!

In this month's Exchange:

• Roundup of innovation articles
• Spring Symposium presentations
• New reports in the EDCO Resource Library
• Nine upcoming events
• 12 employment opportunities

Ontario Helping Businesses Save Time and Money

Province to Introduce Measures to Help Small Businesses and New Legislation to Cut Unnecessary Red Tape

May 19, 2017 6:00 A.M.

 

Ontario is working to make it easier for businesses to grow and create more jobs. 

Proposed measures to help small businesses grow and cut red tape, to be introduced this fall, include:

1. Reducing regulatory costs: Requiring all ministries to offset every dollar of new administrative costs to business, by removing $1.25 of old and unnecessary costs.
2. Streamlining compliance for small business: Ensuring that undue burdens aren't placed on small businesses when new or amended regulations are introduced, while maintaining robust environmental, health and safety requirements and other public interest protections.
3. International or national standards alignment: Increasing harmonization with other jurisdictions and adopting international or national standards, where appropriate, when developing or reviewing regulations.
4. Rewarding good actors: Recognizing businesses that have a good compliance record and lowering their costs by reducing the requirements, such as the number of inspections, without compromising the environment health and safety, and other protections.
5. Electronic transmission guarantee: Providing businesses the option to electronically submit any required documentation to the Government of Ontario instead of more costly paper submissions.
6. Government procurement: Introducing a preferred procurement policy for small businesses that would help provide better access to government contracts.
7. One-window service: Developing a new program that would help small businesses access support, information and resources by phone, online and in person.
8. Reducing fees and other costs: Reviewing licence and registration fees paid with a goal of providing relief to small- and medium-sized businesses. 

These proposed changes support Ontario's five-year, $650-million Business Growth Initiative that is helping to grow the economy and create jobs by promoting an innovation-based economy, helping small companies scale-up and modernizing regulations for businesses. 

Supporting businesses is part of Ontario's plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.

 

QUOTES

" Cutting unnecessary red tape helps keep Ontario businesses competitive in a fast-changing global economy. These changes reflect our commitment to developing modern, evidence-based regulations that will save businesses and taxpayers both time and money."
- Brad Duguid
Minister of Economic Development and Growth

" Small businesses are critical for vibrant main streets across Ontario. These business owners contribute by creating jobs and strengthening local economies. Supporting these business owners by streamlining their dealings with the province and providing new opportunities for growth will help Ontario prosper."
- Jeff Leal
Minister Responsible for Small Business

 

QUICK FACTS

• Ontario is committed to reducing business costs and burdens while maintaining a competitive tax environment. The government's recent business tax reforms have cut taxes and lowered compliance costs to encourage investment and job creation.
• Ontario has introduced legislation that would, if passed, lower electricity bills by 25 per cent on average, with rates being held to inflation for four years. The proposed Fair Hydro Act, 2017, would result in lower electricity bills for all residential consumers and as many as half a million small businesses and farms, starting this summer.
• Ontario’s 2016 Burden Reduction Report highlighted significant progress, featuring 26 initiatives across government and identified that the government’s burden reduction efforts have saved businesses a total of $122 million since 2011, surpassing the province’s goal to save businesses $100 million by 2017.
• The Red Tape Challenge is part of Ontario’s five-year Business Growth Initiative.
• Ontario will introduce legislation to implement recommendations from the Business Law Advisory Council to update and reform Ontario’s corporate and commercial law statutes, as well as reforms to reduce burden for not-for-profit corporations.

 

LEARN MORE

• Read the 2017 Ontario Budget
• Burden Reduction Act, 2017

Greetings from Thunder Bay where EDCO staff and delegates are attending our 2nd Annual Spring Symposium!

We are excited to announce that EDCO has reached another membership milestone! This month, we surpassed 1000 members! 

"Surpassing this important milestone demonstrates the importance of economic development in Ontario and the value that communities see in EDCO" stated Heather Lalonde, Chief Executive Officer for EDCO.

In this, our 60th year, the EDCO Membership Committee selected a target goal to have 1000 members by the end of 2017 - a goal that has been already been surpassed. We are excited to have reached this milestone in our 60th year and look forward to serving each and every one of our members for years to come!

We are proud to represent a diverse group of economic developers and related professionals from across the province and beyond. EDCO thrives on a healthy and engaged membership - that includes you! We are consistently looking to better serve our members and to support and enhance the economic development profession.

If you have any staff you would like to add to your membership (for free!), contact us today!

Registration for our 2nd annual Spring Symposium closes this Friday! 

Join us May 16-18, and learn about Thunder Bay's approach to Cultural Tourism. Enjoy some of Thunder Bay's historical landmarks such as its newly development waterfront and Fort William Historical Park. Master OMAFRA's Analyst Tool and learn how to Build Business Diversification within Your Community. The final morning will feature a Northern Funders Forum to show you how to improve your funding proposal writing to secure additional monies to complement economic development initiatives.

Earn 6 points towards EDAC's Ec.D Designation for attending our Spring Symposium! You can also earn 1 point toward the IEDC CEcD certification. 

Register Now!

Thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible!

Don't miss your chance to earn 6 points towards your Ec.D. certification! 

Registration for our second annual Spring Symposium closes next Friday. 

Join us in Thunder Bay for two days of economic development programming including cultural tourism, economic development impact tools, business diversification and Northern funding opportunities. 

Learn more about our Spring Symposium and register today!

Thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible.