Community Futures Centre West

Community Economic Development (CED)

About CED
Rural Diversification Initiative Program
Rural Alberta's Development Fund
Alberta Youth Entrepreneurship Camp
Current Projects

About CED

Community economic development (CED) is based on a philosophy that people in communities can best make decisions about local opportunities and challenges. Community Futures Centre West helps communities take a leadership role in defining their futures and achieving sustainable development.

Community Futures Centre West services are available to a wide range of organizations, including:

Municipal councils, boards and committees
Regional and community non-profit organizations
Service clubs and other special interest groups

These services are provided to assist stakeholders build skills and knowledge to create efficient and effective methods of group organization and planning.

Specific facilitation and training services include:

Strategic planning
Project development
Board governance
How to conduct effective meetings
Moderating public meetings
Volunteerism recruiting and training
Researching and applying for funding

Community Futures Centre West will also research new training opportunities to meet the demand for specific skills development for regional municipalities and community organizations in areas related to Community Economic Development.

Please contact us if you would like more information about any of our services.

Rural Diversification Initiative (RDI)

What is rural diversification, and why does it matter?

In the simplest terms, rural diversification involves changing and growing local economies so that they no longer rely completely on one particular industry. In Alberta, rural economies have traditionally been based on primary activities such as farming, oil and gas extraction, mining and forestry. If one of these industries experiences a slump, or even collapses, the local economy suffers extreme consequences.

Since diversified economies produce revenues from a variety of sources, they are far more resilient during economic downturns. Marketing to local, domestic and international markets means that sales will be less affected by any regional crises. When a primary industry, such as forestry, goes into a slump, secondary industries in the same field, such as wood manufacturing, may still be viable. And if there are several sources of jobs in a region, then having one industry fail doesn’t create such dire economic repercussions.

What types of projects get funded?

	Cluster Development A cluster is a geographic grouping of linked companies that benefit both from working together collaboratively and from competing against each other. They can be joined horizontally – meaning similar firms in the same location, like antique dealers all on the same street. Or, they can be joined vertically, meaning firms in different stages of one industry grouped together – like hay compression plants set up near hay producers. Finally, they can be joined diagonally, where businesses offer distinct services but add value to each other – like the many activities available in a tourism area.
	Productivity Enhancement Productivity enhancement is linked to innovation. It could mean increasing productivity in a cluster by adopting new technology, using new materials or new processes, introducing lean manufacturing or industry training, or creating a business incubator project that allows different firms to share ideas, skills, equipment or services.
	Import Replacement Import replacement involves replacing imported goods or services with locally made goods or services. It could include “buy local” campaigns, creating connections between local suppliers and local businesses, or attracting new businesses to fill gaps in local manufacturing or food production.
	Development of New Markets The development of new markets could include working with a cluster either to develop new export markets or to develop new markets in targeted sectors.
	Innovative Access to Capital Creating innovative ways to access capital could include the development of angel investor networks, creating programs that encourage innovative funding for business, or providing innovative access to growth capital.

Want to learn more? Visit ruraldiversification.com

Rural Alberta's Development Fund

Rural Alberta's Development Fund is an independent not-for-profit company that wants to work with groups, organizations and communities that care about growing rural Alberta. The Fund's Board of Directors are looking for new or innovative projects that are community-supported, collaborative, and will have a positive, sustained impact on rural Alberta.

Alberta Youth Entrepreneurship Camp

Click here to visit the camp page.

Current major projects:

Canmore - A Community of Health and Well Being

Canmore is moving forward with a project which will shift the community from over dependence on a single industry – tourism – to a diversified sustainable economic base with the growth of a health and wellness industry. A health and wellness industry will broaden and raise the employment base into the medical and health professional level and attract visitors to experience the energy and rejuvenation of the environment and health and wellness services in the community. A key part of the vision of this project is to fully integrate health and wellness into all aspects of the community – otherwise, it could end up competing with other valuable community efforts for attention and resources.

Activities for this particular part of the initiative include:

Building Community Capacity through

developing a health and wellness industry alliance
holding an annual health festival
developing an industry brand and
creating a matchmaking tool

Cluster Development through

a community integration study (to identify business growth opportunities and tertiary opportunities for suppliers)
identification of key niches like spa resort and lifestyle, physical fitness and sport rehabilitation, integrative medicine, and health and wellness product development
creating a health and wellness website and on-line directory

Sector Growth through

New business and investment attraction
Developing a matchmaking process

RDI Contribution: $183,000

Too Hot for the Kitchen - Local Food Commercialization

The Commercial Kitchen project is located in the town of Cochrane but will also serve businesses based in the surrounding district of Rocky View County and the MD of Bighorn.

The purpose of the Commercial Kitchen project is to accelerate the growth of small businesses involved in the production and sales of food products by the establishment of commercial kitchen facilities which will be accessible to local, home based food related producers. This use of shared space and equipment will increase access to new markets and promote productivity enhancement for home based small businesses currently restricted by regulations requiring commercial kitchen grade facilities.

The primary goal of the project is to provide infrastructure and support for the development and growth of small and home based businesses involved in food production and/or preparation.

RDI Contribution: $68,000

Internship Program

Part of the Community Futures Centre West (CFCWest) region, Crossfield is located approximately 51 kilometres north of Calgary and is home to 2,648 people. The main economic base of the Crossfield area is agriculture, agricultural services, natural gas processing and manufacturing. Major manufactured goods include: steel columns, beams, and joists; furniture; custom wood products; poly pipe manufacturing; pressure vessel construction; portable structures; oilfield and industrial equipment; and expandable polystyrene and expanded polystyrene products.

With a large region and limited resources, CFCWest has been unable to offer the enhanced support required in Crossfield. The placement of an intern in Crossfield to assist in the development of an economic framework and set the stage for future growth is exactly what the town requires. Crossfield is awaiting annexation of 11 quarter sections of land which should be finalized in March 2010 (back dated to be effective January 1, 2010). Crossfield has a thriving business/industrial area; however, with the newly annexed lands it is becoming apparent that the Town of Crossfield needs to focus on sustainable practices to increase their economic growth through the attraction of new industries as well as expanding their existing industries.

Community Futures Centre West placed an intern Economic Devleopment Officier in the Town of Crossfield for 18 months. The intern was tasked with completing the following:

Economic Development Framework
Business Point of Contact
Partnership Development
Building blocks for a permanent Economic Development Officer position