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  • January 22, 2013 2:35 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)
    If you are coming to the EDA Annual Conference, think about registering for one of our Pre-Conference sessions. This year we have three to choose from! click here to register

    PRE-CONFERENCE SEMINAR #1: Prairie Canada Future Game

    Do you want to:
    •· Engage your fellow leaders and stimulate debate and discussion about the future of your community?
    •· Add extra depth and strength to your regional planning efforts?
    •· Hone leadership and decision making skills?

    The Prairie Canada Future Game is a highly interactive facilitation tool that allows participants to tackle the challenges of economic and community development in a fun and engaging manner. It is played in a small team format with teams making a series of critical decisions that shape the future of a typical prairie region over a 25 year period.

    The tool allows leaders to work with their groups in a dynamic way. By observing how today’s decisions can impact tomorrow’s future, key leaders and groups can focus on the importance of a long term vision and what it takes to get there.

    Moderator: Selena McLean-Moore, Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Education
    Presented by: Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Education

    PRE-CONFERENCE SEMINAR #2: ICCI Contribution Writing Workshop & Investment 101 Session

    Invest Canada- Community Initiatives (ICCI) is a contribution program designed to help Canadian communities attract, retain and expand foreign direct investment. ICCI supports non-profit and public-private partnerships at the local community level, and follows three basic principles:
    •· Focusing on supporting the attraction, retention, and expansion of foreign direct investment;
    •· Work through partnerships;
    •· Sharing costs.

    Are you interested in learning more about the FDI attraction and Invest Canada- Community Initiatives (ICCI) contribution program? Is foreign direct investment a part of your economic development strategy? Then sign up for this pre-conference session to learn more about FDI attraction and the ICCI program for communities.

    Speakers: Pierre Desmarais, Deputy Director, Investor Services Division
    Bernard Lemay PhD, Special Advisor, Investor Services Division

    Presented by: Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
    PRE-CONFERENCE SEMINAR #3: Productivity 101 Session

    The Productivity 101 Workshop is intended to help you work with your clients to inspire them to take a more strategic approach to their organizations in order to achieve their personal and business goals. Key concepts discussed will include Innovation, Operations, Leadership and Management, as well as best practices for productivity improvement in SMEs.
    About the Workshop: Productivity 101 is the first step in the productivity journey. It is the starting point for a more productive and more importantly, a more profitable business. Participants will learn about the Productivity Assessment Tool, how to use the Tool with clients, and how to guide clients in developing their own custom 120-Day Productivity Action Plan.

    What You Will Learn: Productivity basics including:
    •· The value of productivity improvement to your own organization
    •· What tools, programs, and services are available to businesses
    •· How to start your journey of productivity improvement
    •· The three pillars of productivity

    Presented by: Productivity Alberta
  • January 16, 2013 9:06 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)
    Are you planning to come to EDA's Annual Conference scheduled to take place from April 10-12, 2013 in Kananaskis? Then don't miss your chance to take advantage of pre-conference early bird pricing. Prices go up January 19 so register now by clicking here.

    If you have already registered, we hope you are collecting items to bring to our Silent Auction! All funds raised during the Silent Auction are placed directly into a scholarship account for disbursement. More details to come in the future.

  • January 16, 2013 9:00 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)
    EDA is proud to present a number of awards that recognize excellence in economic development in Alberta. The following awards are presented at the Annual General Meeting and Professional Conference.
    To download the 2013 EDA Awards of Excellence Nomination Package click here.

    2013 Timeline:
    Call for entries begins- January 15, 2013
    Final deadline for submissions- March 1, 2013
    Judging complete- March 22, 2013
    Awards presentation- April 11, 2013
    Awards include:

    Economic Developer of the Year Award: Presented to an outstanding professional practicing in the province of Alberta. Any member in good standing of Economic Developers Alberta.

    Alex Metcalf Awards: Acknowledges individuals or agencies for excellence in economic development relating to the attraction, expansion or retention of business within Alberta. This award is not limited to the attraction, retention and expansion of "industry" alone and includes the development of new strategies, programs and/or developments that bring economic benefit to a community. Economic Developers Alberta recognizes up to three economic development initiatives or projects each year with this award.

    Marketing Awards: The Economic Developers Alberta Marketing Awards are open to all Economic Developers Alberta members, in good standing, who undertake to promote and market, with a view to improving the economic well-being of their communities.

    President's Award: Recognizes an individual or organization that has made a substantial contribution of time and talent to Economic Developers Alberta in the past year.
  • January 16, 2013 8:58 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)
    Economic Developers Alberta now has a Facebook page! Visit often for the latest news.  We also want to hear from you! 
  • January 14, 2013 2:23 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced the Government's Venture Capital Action Plan to improve access to venture capital financing by high-growth companies so that they have the capital they need to create jobs and growth.

    "Our Government understands that Canada's long-term economic competitiveness in the emerging knowledge economy needs to be driven by globally competitive, high-growth businesses that innovate and create high-quality jobs," said Prime Minister Harper. "We will provide the resources needed to put Canada's venture capital industry on the path to sustainability and ensure Canada's high-potential firms have the resources they need to succeed."

    Recognizing the importance of the venture capital industry to Canada's future productivity growth, Economic Action Plan 2012 announced resources to support Canada's venture capital industry, including $400 million to help increase private sector investments in early-stage risk capital, and to support the creation of large-scale venture capital funds led by the private sector.

    Over the summer, the Government conducted extensive consultations with key stakeholders on how to structure this support and on how to ensure that the support contributes to the creation of a sustainable, private sector-led venture capital sector in Canada.

    Based on the results of the consultations, the Government will pursue a comprehensive action plan for deploying the $400 million in new capital over the next seven to ten years. The Government's approach recognizes the need to demonstrate that Canada's innovative firms represent superior return opportunities, and that private sector investment and decision-making is central to long-term success. With this in mind, the Venture Capital Action Plan will make available:

    • $250 million to establish new, large private sector-led national funds of funds (a funds of funds portfolio consists of investments in several venture capital funds) in partnership with institutional and corporate strategic investors, as well as interested provinces;
    • Up to $100 million to recapitalize existing large private sector-led funds of funds, in partnership with willing provinces; and,
    • An aggregate investment of up to $50 million in three to five existing high-performing venture capital funds in Canada.

    In addition, the Venture Capital Action Plan will promote a vibrant venture capital environment in Canada rooted in a strong entrepreneurial culture and well-established networks that link investors to innovative companies.

    Private sector expertise will be sought in the coming weeks to advise the Government on the selection of the private sector management of the large-scale, national funds of funds, and on the selection of the high-performing venture capital funds to receive capital from the Government.

    The Government is currently asking potential investors to signal their interest in co-investing in new or existing funds of funds. Please indicate your interest by February 8, 2013, at VentureCapital-CapitaldeRisque@fin.gc.ca. The Government is not accepting proposals for investment in individual firms.


    Source: The Prime Minister's Office - Communications
  • January 12, 2013 2:11 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)
    January 12, 2013
    Toronto Ontario

    Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced that he will meet with some of Canada's leading business women today in a roundtable discussion about economic objectives in the year to come. The Prime Minister will be joined by Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance.
    "I look forward to hearing from our top business leaders on how our Government can continue to maintain and improve our economic performance in the year ahead," said the Prime Minister. "Our priorities continue to be creating jobs, growth and long-term prosperity for all Canadians and their families while keeping taxes low. The suggestions from today's roundtable will contribute to our overall plan to maintain our economic stability while the global economy remains fragile."

    The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss economic priorities and to propose suggestions to ensure Canadian taxpayers' dollars are put to their best use in 2013. This will be the first of several economic consultations the Prime Minister will participate in around the country, focussing on engaging Canadians in discussions about the economy.

    "By receiving ideas from Canadians across the country both through online consultations and business roundtables, our Government will be better able to address their needs in the coming year. Their suggestions will also inform how we build on pro-growth initiatives, to create jobs and long-term prosperity for Canadians, while keeping taxes low and achieving our objective to balance the budget before the end of this Parliament."

    The Prime Minister's Office - Communications
  • December 04, 2012 5:11 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    EDA’s New "Marketing and Branding Your Community" course was held December 2,  2012 at the Two-Hills municipal office.  And participants gave it an enthusiastic thumbs-up! This is what they had to say:

    "This course was very timely and long overdue for our community. A great tool for building on."

    "The instructor, Natalie Gibson was excellent! There are some unique differences between each of our municipalities, but a lot is also the same. Working together, regionalization, and collaboration across the country is the answer."

    Among the 18 participating were elected officials, economic development practitioners, and Community Futures representatives. They came from places like:  Vegreville, County of Two-Hills, County of St. Paul, Willingdon, Myram, County of Vermillion.


  • December 02, 2012 6:53 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Thank you members for taking the time to complete our annual member survey.

    We want to know what we are doing right, and what areas you think we need to improve upon to best serve your needs.

    We are still analyzing the results, so far we are thrilled to tell you that nearly every EDA member said "yes" to recommending EDA to a friend or colleague!  


  • November 09, 2012 9:42 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Today EDAC’s Board of Directors announced that they, in conjunction with Deloitte, RBC Financial Group and National Post have once again joined forces to offer Scholarships to their members.

    In 2012, they provided up to 12 $500 Scholarships (to be used in 2013) to EDAC members for their accredited courses/seminars.

    Online applications can be found here. Deadline to apply is December 31, 2012 so apply today. Applications will be reviewed in January and awarded by mid-February 2013.

  • November 07, 2012 12:57 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    November 7, 2012
    New Delhi, India

    Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered the following remarks at the World Economic Forum:

    “Thank you very much.

    “Good morning.

    “Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, before I begin, I should just like to extend a few greetings, first of all to the Canadian business delegation, I want to thank all of you for making time in your busy schedules to support our Government’s trade and investment mission to India.

    “It is much appreciated.

    “Also to members of our Government caucus, Ministers Ed Fast, Tim Uppal and Bal Gosal, Senators Asha Seth and Tobias Enverga, Members of Parliament, Deepak Obhrai, Nina Grewal, Devinder Shory, Parm Gill and Kyle Seeback.

    “Thank you for coming, and also good to see my old friend and colleague Stockwell Day, here as well, great to see Stock again.

    “Finally, I’m sorry to learn that Professor Schwab cannot be with us today.

    “However, I’m pleased to once more meet with the World Economic Forum’s Managing Director Borge Brende.

    “And Borge, I look forward to our discussion in a few minutes.

    “Laureen and I visited India in 2009, and I have to tell you ladies and gentlemen, it left quite an impression.

    “The first thing you realize is that one trip cannot possibly be enough to even scrape the surface of this large and fascinating civilization.

    “So, it really is a pleasure to be back.

    “It is also a pleasure to be back at the World Economic Forum, a place where a great many people who want to make a difference regularly come to meet.

    “And I am delighted to see that you have also chosen to be in India, a place where globally important decisions are increasingly being made.

    “Almost a year ago, during your last Davos gathering, I highlighted some of Canada’s economic strengths and challenges.

    “On the former, on the strongest, Canadian banks remain the soundest in the world.

    “The World Economic Forum is one of several organizations that says so.

    “Canada’s net debt-to-GDP ratio remains the lowest in the G-7, and the lowest by far.

    “Thus Canada’s top credit rating has been reaffirmed by all of the major rating agencies.

    “Among G-7 countries, Canada now has the lowest overall tax rate on new business investment.

    “Canada also possesses a diverse yet harmonious society, with public institutions and a public service noted for professionalism and integrity.

    “All of these assets, as Borge mentioned, and others have helped Canada better weather and better recover from the global recession.

    “Indeed, despite the uncertainty of the times, the Canadian economy has now added more than eight hundred thousand net new jobs since July 2009.

    “Still, we remain acutely aware of the difficult global trends, especially for many developed countries.

    “As I said to the World Economic Forum in January, many countries with which Canada is traditionally aligned continue to be weighed down by debts they cannot seem to control, by entitlements they can no longer afford and by growth which threatens to remain sluggish for the foreseeable future.

    “As I said in January, it is high time we realize that:

    “The wealth of western economies is no more inevitable than the poverty of emerging ones.”

    “As these last four years have revealed, the wealth we enjoy today in the West is not inevitable. 

    “Our standard of living will be based on – and will be based only on – strong, growth-orientated policies and on getting the hard choices right.

    “That is why, over the past year, the Government of Canada has committed itself to a series of determined actions, we want to help ensure that growth, job creation and economic prosperity will be there for Canadians over the long term.

    “Now, broadly, for the sake of a shorthand, we categorize our various set of actions, which I’ll review quickly, into what I call the five ‘T’s’.

    “The first of these is taxes; what I mean by that is keeping them down while ensuring strong government finances at the same time.

    “We have continued to restrain and reform government expenditures to ensure that our budget will be balanced over the medium term and, perhaps more importantly, we have taken actions to ensure that the federal fiscal position will be clearly sustainable over the next generation and beyond.

    “The second ‘T’ is training and by that I mean that we are reforming broadly our labour markets.

    “We are investing in training and higher education at home.

    “We are also making Canada’s open and generous immigration system faster and more flexible in order to attract and integrate those with the skills we need as quickly as possible.

    “As well, we have improved incentives in our Employment Insurance program to better connect Canadians with available work.

    “The third ‘T’ refers to technology.

    “We are just beginning to comprehensively modernize our approach to research and innovation policy in order to get better commercial results for the significant government investments we make in scientific and technological development.

    “The fourth ‘T’ refers to the transformation, and specifically to the transformation of bureaucratic processes.

    “We are doing a number of things, for example, we have launched the Red Tape Reduction Initiative and the Responsible Resource Development Initiative.

    “The goal of the latter is to ensure that environmental reviews are comprehensive and that they are also completed in a reasonable timeframe according to the principle of ‘one project, one review’.

    “The final ‘T’ and the one that brings me again to this part of the world is, of course, trade, and more broadly, our Global Commerce Strategy for trade and investment.

    “Now since our Government came to office in 2006, we have successfully concluded foreign investment promotion and protection agreements with fourteen countries, that, of course, includes China.

    “We are negotiating with twelve more.

    “Since 2006, Canada has also concluded new trade agreements with nine countries and we’ve launched negotiations with over sixty others. 

    “These include the Trans-Pacific Partnership which we officially joined just one month ago.

    “They also include our current talks with the European Union, this is Canada’s most significant trade initiative since the signing of NAFTA and it is progressing very rapidly.

    “All of this leads me to talk about India.

    “During my 2009 visit and while Prime Minister Singh was with us in Canada the following year, I spoke about the need for Canada and India to become closer partners.

    “And while I believe that this clearly is a mutual objective,

    “I also believe we need to become closer partners more quickly.

    “When so much mutual interest, obvious synergy and cultural compatibility draw us together, greater momentum for a much closer and deeper partnership between Canada and India should be attainable.

    “Prime Minister Singh and I have agreed on a goal of expanding bilateral trade to fifteen billion dollars by 2015.

    “Certainly, Canada has demonstrated our commitment to this goal.

    “Canada now has seven Consulates throughout India.

    “We have strengthened high-level contact.

    “In addition to my trips, there have been no less than twenty-two visits from Canadian ministers since 2006.

    “Our businesses are also increasingly engaged.

    “Over 500 Canadian companies are here now, and hundreds more are making plans.

    “The Canada-India CEO Forum has been established.

    “And, I would be remiss not to mention the remarkable international partnership of Canada and India at the summits of the G-20 since their inception.

    “In fact, Canada and India have co-chaired and led consensus on two of the most important G-20 working groups:

    “On international financial sector reform, and on the framework for strong, sustainable and balanced global growth.

    “Ladies and gentlemen, through actions such as these, our priority on, and our commitment to, building bridges with India should be unmistakable.

    “And it all rests on a solid foundation.

    “We are inheritors of similar traditions and values.

    “We are pluralistic societies, seeking strength from our diversity.

    “We practice and esteem both the democracy and solidarity of our society and the rights and dignity of the individual.

    “Such bonds as these should allow not just for a profitable relationship, but for a profound friendship.

    “Certainly they have made it easy for India’s sons and daughters to integrate into Canadian life just as Canada’s efficient and predictable business climate has made it possible for so many of them to build businesses and achieve success in Canada.

    “In doing so, Indo-Canadians contribute tremendously to our country.

    “More than a million Canadians of Indian origin now live in Canada, more than three per cent of our entire population.

    “They work hard, give back to their communities and make us proud.

    “And you send us your young people in growing numbers.

    “Last year, more than twenty-three thousand Indian students studied or conducted research in Canada, that is a one-third increase in just one year, two-and-a-half times more in just the past three years.

    “I personally place great importance on these people-to-people links.

    “They are, and will be, a living bridge between our two great countries, a bridge of increasing span, and growing importance.

    “In fact, I am delighted to point out that there are no less than eight members of the government caucus in Canada, including two ministers, who trace their roots to India.

    “But besides these impressive human relationships, we are, as I said three years ago, also obvious partners.

    “This potential partnership is particularly obvious in the areas we have identified as core Canadian economic opportunities in India: energy, agriculture, infrastructure and education.

    “Canada, on the one hand, is a natural-resources powerhouse.

    “On the other, India needs resources to serve its growing industrial and technological strength.

    “Canada has strong, established public institutions.

    “India’s needs in areas like education and infrastructure are outstripping its capacity.

    “Canada is an outward-looking nation.

    “India’s reforms are increasingly opening its economy.

    “Canada understands that traditional economic linkages will not be sufficient to preserve our prosperity in this uncertain global economy.

    “And I think India likewise understands that while its aspirations are achievable, without the right policies, and the right partners, a continuation of its high rates of economic growth is simply not assured.

    “As I’ve said before, the untapped economic potential between us is massive and undeniable.

    “But, massive and undeniable as that potential is, it will not develop itself.


    “It will take concerted efforts by both of our countries to reap all of the benefits that this relationship can yield.

    “I acknowledge, ladies and gentlemen, that there has been progress.

    “The Social Security Agreement is finally done.

    “So too, at last, is the Administrative Arrangement to complete our Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.

    “Our Foreign Investment negotiations have come much of the way. 

    “We have to get serious about getting them over the finish line.

    “And negotiators will meet next week in Ottawa for the next round of discussions on a comprehensive economic partnership and trade agreement.

    “To complete that would ensure the realization of our ambitious trade goals and more, but we still do have a long way to go.

    “Friends, here’s the bottom line.

    “The world’s economy is moving quickly; Canada and India must also.

    “On our side, we have been deepening trade and investment ties with the largest, most dynamic markets in the world, the United States of course, the European Union, Japan, China.

    “We want India to be firmly in that list.

    “But time and tide wait for no one.

    “We must redouble our efforts.

    “Let us not lose the chance for both of our countries that this moment offers.

    “Now ladies and gentlemen, let me finish with this thought: you know, I believe there is a kind of parallel to Canada and India and the typical Bollywood plot.

    “Two young people meet.
     
    “They know they’re meant for each other, but they have obstacles to overcome.

    “They do, in fact, overcome those obstacles and the happy ending ensures, and they do so before the viewer loses interest.

    “Ladies and gentlemen, it is a bit like how I see the relationship between Canada and India.

    “We have had a very promising start.

    “But, we have to work hard to overcome the obstacles, and we have to work quickly and in a determined matter if we are to get to the happy ending that we both want.

    “It won’t be easy, but it can be done, so let’s get it done, let’s get it done quickly and it will be worth it.

    “Thank you again to the World Economic Forum for this invitation, and ladies and gentlemen for your patience and your attention.”


    Comments courtesy The Prime Minister's Office - Communications

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