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Task forces launched to support regional economic development
Those involved in the economic development of the Edmonton region are shifting their focus from celebration to action with the launch of four task forces.
The working groups, which were announced at the second annual forward/slash at the Edmonton Convention Centre on Nov. 2, set high-level goals for the region to become:
- Canada's fastest-growing and most resilient economy;
- Canada's most connected and respected business community;
- Canada's smartest working and most adaptable workforce;
- Canada's most attractive region for affordability and quality of life.
About 18 months in the making, the task forces began development even before last year's inaugural forward/slash.
"We realized that there's so much that needs to happen and that from a sector perspective, there's actually quite a bit of activity already. But what was missing was more of the connective tissue across the community," said Chris McLeod, vice-president of global marketing and communications for Edmonton Global. "The sectors were going incredibly well, but we still had some missing parts. So that's where we started doing the work around shifting our thinking a bit and started to look more at what are the underlying foundations that we need to make sure are strong."
The names and objectives emerged from more than 50 interviews with business and community leaders across the 14 municipalities Edmonton Global serves. About 100 businesses weighed in on the themes.
"We are purposely doing this under forward/slash, rather than Edmonton Global," McLeod told Taproot. "We want it to be something that any organization can lead and can be part of. And while we're doing some of the upfront organization of it … we're trying to ensure that it really is a regional approach — that Explore Edmonton, Edmonton Unlimited, airports, businesses, and others can say, 'This is the part of it that we own and that we're doing.'"
The approach can also reduce duplication of effort, said Joan Hertz, a member of the forward/slash advisory circle.
"If Edmonton Global is trying to bring investors to the city, or if the airport is trying to attract airlines to the city, or if Explore Edmonton is trying to attract more conferences and events to the city, doesn't that all sound like the same thing?" she told Taproot. "And yet, we're doing it in three different ways. So how do we pull together and make sure we're all chasing the same thing?"