1. Local Action for Developing Regions
2008 Municipal Symposium
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Good Morning everyone and thank-you for joining us this morning for another excellent panel. This morning we are turning our attention to economic development, specifically some interesting new tools that municipalities can use for development as well as some of the funding and support agencies that can help us meet our development goals.

2. Introduction Update on LADR activities Panel on tools for development
Dr. Alvin Simms, MUN
Joanne Smyth, ACOA
Sylvia Alexander, NL Association of CBDCs
John Wickham, INTRD
Discussion
Before we get to the panel I am going to give you a very brief update on LADR, our economic development initiative. We will then hear from each of the panelists: Dr. Alvin Simms from MUN’s Department of Geography; Joanne Smyth, Manager of Community Economic Development with ACOA; Sylvia Alexander, the President of the provincial association of CBDCs, and finally Rita Malone, Assistant Deputy Minister of Regional Economic Development with INTRD. I want to note here that Joanne, Sylvia and Rita are all members of MNL’s Economic Development Committee and we appreciate the effort they put in to working with us on LADR.
After the panelists have spoken, we have time for questions from the audience and we really want this to be an interactive discussion. Questions about the presentations, about your role in economic development, about MNL’s work supporting you, about where we are going with economic development in general - everything is open for discussion. We have some heavy hitters on the stage here this morning, so now is your chance!

3. What We Are Doing Workshops Bringing Resources To Municipalities
Regional Focus, Provincial Implications
Regional Conference approach
Bringing Resources To Municipalities
Business Resource Centre
Funding and Support Agencies
Website
Ascent Newsletter
LADR started back in 1999 when ACOA partnered with us on a series of workshops designed to help municipalities understand the new REDB process and their own new economic development responsibilities. Over the years we have run dozens of workshops, conducted research and study tours, and raised the awareness of the important role municipalities can and should play in economic development.
We are currently running a new series of workshops that build on the needs and concerns of the regions in which they are being held. We design our agendas to address regional needs, but highlight provincial implications for everyone. With more of a Regional Conference approach, we are now attracting participants from far outside the specific regions hosting each event. Because each event addresses different issues, you can literally attend each one and learn something new and useful each time.
Our philosophy is to use the LADR as an opportunity to bring experts and other resources to municipalities that might not otherwise have access to them. For example, through LADR you all have access to a special section of the Business Resource Centre in St. John’s that focuses on collecting books and other material on the municipal role in economic development. Their free Books-By-Mail program means you have access to hundreds of reports and ideas at no cost to your Council.
We also use the workshops to bring senior funding agency decision-makers to your doorstep so you can hear right from them how to access their funds and you can tell them what you need.
Our website contains all the material presented at our workshops as well as other resources that you can use. And every two months you all receive Ascent, our LADR newsletter which comes as part of MNL’s Municipal News. A copy of the latest edition was in your registration kit.

4. Where We Are Going The LADR Program Collaboration with Partners
Toolkit
Enhanced Support
Collaboration with Partners
ACOA Program Guidelines
BR&E
CBDC Funding Opportunities
Memorial University Regional Inventory
Municipal Entrepreneurship
Opportunity Identification
So where do we want to take LADR? First, we are working with ACOA and our Economic Development Committee on making LADR more of a program you join than a workshop you attend. We are working on a LADR Toolkit that your Council and staff can use to focus your economic development efforts. We are also working on ways to provide enhanced support to municipalities that are implementing the LADR Toolkit.
We are also benefitting from greater collaboration with our partners. ACOA is making program development guidelines available to LADR workshop participants to assist them in the development of successful proposals. We are working with INTRD on ways to integrate the findings of provincial Business Retention & Expansion projects into our workshops. We are partnering with the provincial association of CBDCs on how municipalities can take advantage of their favourable lending programs. And we are working with Memorial University's Harris Centre on making the opportunities identified in their regional inventory available to LADR participants.
In many parts of the province the private sector, for a variety of reasons, is not providing some key services that they do provide elsewhere. We feel there may be a role in specific situations for municipalities to step into this gap as an economic development catalyst. We are working with ACOA and the CBDCs on means of supporting this kind of activity and both Joanne and Sylvia will highlight some of this work in their presentations.
Finally, we are working all our partners on how we can use LADR and our workshops to identify opportunities for collaboration and development - to make sure that the ideas discussed at workshops actually see the light of day. MNL is in a unique position to be able to bring funding agencies and industry representatives to meet you directly and we want to help you make the connections that will create development in your region. We want workshops to be about making deals - about action.

5. Thank-you!