SASKATOON — The Saskatchewan Economic Development Alliance seeks to address regional challenges and stimulate economic development in rural areas of the province. Chief Executive Officer Verona Thibault highlighted the alliance's unique approach to bridging gaps within community economic development Tuesday in Saskatoon.
Established in 1984, SEDA has long been the province's backbone for community economic development. Its mission is to help communities become investment-ready, and it focuses on equipping them with the tools and resources necessary to attract and retain investment. "
"At SEDA, everything we lead and do is intended to assist communities in operating from a place of strength. Over the next two years, we look forward to enhancing investment readiness in rural areas through direct engagement with industry and communities," said Thibault
SEDA's rural investment would be funded by a combined $450,000 over the next two years, with Prairies Economic Development Canada matching half of the provincial government's pledge as part of their agreement.
Thibault said distributing the money will be based on the different needs of each community and region, as SEDA works with its assessment, which may take longer in some areas of the province".
"There will be primary work talking to industry and communities. What is needed may be a second step that we can assist them with. Collaboration is pretty much in our DNA. We're a very lean organization that has been successful for over 40 years," Thibault added.
SEDA's strategy involved a distribution and support approach for each community, which involved conducting assessments to determine their specific needs.
Thibault said engaging with industry and local communities involves identifying and addressing everyday challenges. They aim to tackle issues like housing, food security, and living wage concerns across the province, which affect urban centres like Saskatoon and Regina and smaller rural communities.".
"The challenges we see in rural communities are similar to those in larger cities, albeit on a different scale. Our goal is to address these issues holistically through collaboration with municipalities and other stakeholders," she said.
Their new initiative involves developing commercial and industrial land inventory in five key rural regions. This effort aims to provide investors with critical site selection data and foster opportunities for economic development.
Thibault said successful examples of collaboration include the Rural Industry Cluster Development project, supported by PrairiesCan. This initiative has seen nearby manufacturers work together as a formal alliance, illustrating the power of regional collaboration.
Trade and Export Development Minister Jeremy Harrison said proactive planning in managing growth is important to ensure local governments are prepared for large-scale projects and investments. This includes addressing housing, childcare, and healthcare needs. "
We're working with municipal governments. Still, there are sometimes capacity challenges, particularly in rural Saskatchewan, for local governments to be able to accept large-scale projects. We will work with SEDA in different parts of the province and other organizations to ensure we anticipate where growth will come from. We're also working with municipalities to attract that growth into those communities."
He added that SEDA will work with municipalities and other groups to identify where the funds should be best allocated. They will ensure that resources provided by the partnership between the provincial government and the Feds are prepared to provide local solutions to local challenges.
