Building a diversified and inclusive local economy

A coalition of Community Economic Development (CED) experts, practitioners, and organizations collaborated to create a brief on CED opportunities in Alberta. The recommendations in this brief highlight opportunities to strengthen and diversify Alberta’s economy, while making it more sustainable and inclusive.

The Government of Alberta is committed to investing in job creation, economic diversification, renewable energy, and being the best place to start and grow a small business. The Government is uniquely poised to support CED in the province, which can boost its current economic development strategy at the benefit of all Albertans. To this end, the coalition recommends that the Government of Alberta pursue the following three strategies:

1. Investing in a Community and Co-op Business Secretariat to support local business development, social enterprise, and co-operatives; 
2. Supporting the creation of community-owned renewable energy projects by providing technical, regulatory, and financial support; and
3. Promoting local investment opportunities by creating a market exemption and enabling the Alberta Investor Tax Credit to facilitate CED investment, similar to the Nova Scotia and New Brunswick CEDIF models.

Download the Community Economic Development Opportunities in Alberta brief

Please review and discuss this brief with your team and caucus. We invite you to come visit the collaborating organizations and see CED in action, including the wide variety of innovative examples shared in this brief. We welcome your questions, feedback, and involvement as we work to implement these recommendations across Alberta.

The brief was prepared and submitted on behalf of:

The Alberta Community & Co-operative Association
Athabasca University
BALTA
The Canadian CED Network
The Canadian Worker Coop Federation
Edmonton Community Foundation
Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers
Momentum
REAP (Respect for the Earth and All People)
Social Enterprise Fund
Thrive