Wednesday Webinar: Rural Economic Development Update

Over the past year, the Government of Alberta (GOA) has advanced its rural development policy by appointing an Associate Minister responsible for rural economic development, and leading a series of engagement sessions with rural stakeholders and Indigenous businesses to gather their perspectives on the successes, challenges and opportunities for rural economic development.

In the fall of 2021, development of the Economic Development in Rural Alberta Plan (EDRAP) was initiated, with a series of Minister-led engagement sessions and an online survey, the purpose of which was to gather rural perspectives on the successes, challenges, and opportunities for rural economic development.

During this Phase One engagement, a commitment was made to connect back with stakeholders, share key learnings of what they heard, and provide an opportunity for additional input into the EDRAP.

As the “champion” of rural economic development in the GOA, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Rural Economic Development (AFRED) will be leading a Phase Two round of targeted engagement sessions in June. These have been designed to further support the development of the EDRAP, and lead to a more coordinated effort in implementing targeted initiatives to support new and better rural economic development policy and programs. This work is being supported by the Jobs Economy and Innovation Regional Relations Team.

Join EDA and members of the GOA, for this free webinar to gain insights into:

• The key economic development focus areas that have emerged during the rural engagement sessions;
• Key current economic development initiatives that are currently underway; and
• Updates on the Phase Two Engagement sessions currently underway.

Moderated by Amanda Mercer, EDA Board Member.