Almaguin Community Economic Development (ACED) represents a multi-municipal effort to provide economic development services throughout the Almaguin Highlands Region. In April 2019, municipal partners formed ACED as the first-ever multi-staff, fully regional, economic development services department.
ACED is undergoing the first major update to the Almaguin Regional Economic Development (RED) Plan, originally developed in 2018. While the 2018 RED Plan has guided strategic direction, collaboration, and investment decisions across the Almaguin region for several years, a review and update is required to ensure the strategy continues to be practical, inclusive, and aligned with current realities so that it continues to provide meaningful value to participating municipalities. Therefore, for the purposes of this project the following online survey is intended to align with the 2018 online survey and to receive high level feedback from residents, seasonal residents as well as other internal and external stakeholders from across the region.
Economic development is defined as the intentional process by which a community improves its economic, social, and environmental well-being. Economic development is often described as a “living ecosystem” that fosters the conditions necessary for a community to flourish. It involves several core functions including business retention and expansion; tourism marketing and destination development; workforce development; infrastructure and capacity building; and strategic planning. Communities have economic development as a function or service as it diversifies the tax base, creates a variety of jobs now and for future generations, provides economic resilience and creates a quality of life where people want to live, work and play, fostering a sense of community pride and well-being.
