Background - Economic Development Office
Background
Historically, economic development services for the Town of Canmore were outsourced to an independent agency. From 2012 to 2016, the Town had a contract with Canmore Business and Tourism (CBT) to provide these services. in December 2017, Council approved the establishment of an in-house Economic Development Department beginning in 2018.
Core Functions
Facilitate Stakeholder Alignment
- Work with industry leaders and partner organizations to align delivery of services and avoid duplication of efforts (TCK, CHLA, Downtown BRZ, BOWDA, Chamber of Commerce, Arts & Events etc.)
Support Business Retention and Expansion
- Help to streamline processes and systems to make it easy to do business in Canmore
- Provide mentoring and support for new start-ups and businesses wishing to grow
Support Business Innovation and Diversification
- Understand local economic sectors and barriers to growth and expansion
- Work with businesses in each sector to create sector-specific development plans
- Attract new businesses aligned with sector targets
- Lead a discussion with Council and community leaders regarding the role of growth in tourism and destination marketing in relation to economic development
Support the Arts & Events Department in their delivery of cultural and artistic programming