SCOR EDC Newsletter
July/August 2016
In this Issue:
WaterFood
Photo Courtesy of Norfolk County
  Water and Food Security Project

Climate change has gradually worked its way to the front of more minds. Environmental adaptive practices have been gradually changing and advancing based on recent experiences. The motivation for change has also changed; early work was often done based strictly on environmental stewardship. The prospect of loss of food producing land, changing sea levels and human migration / displacement 
 necessitated by climate change leads to economic disruption and settlement pattern issues. Climate change adaptation may be based increasingly on meeting necessities of life such as safe, affordable food and water.
  
SCOR EDC has partnered with other regional stakeholders including, Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS), Conservation Authorities, County Federations of Agriculture, Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association and our partner Municipalities to develop a pilot project encouraged by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change we are developing SCOR to be a Climate Smart Region with Climate Smart Agricultural practices.

AgrisuccessAgri-Success Starts with Agri-Training

Farming today isn't just about working the land and getting the best possible yield.  It is also about financing, marketing, social media and business.

So how do you succeed in this rapidly changing rural environment?  Fanshawe College in Simcoe is answering that call with a one-year graduate program in Agri-Business Management.

"Norfolk County is one of the most productive and diverse agricultural regions in Ontario," said Donna Gates, chair of Fanshawe's Simcoe campus, in a press release, "This diversity - combined with innovation and rapidly changing technology within the business of farming - generated an opportunity to develop a program that emphasized the skills necessary to move the industry forward."  

Art Lawson, GM of SCOR EDC and one of the community 
partners that provided input to the course outline, thinks that t he program is a welcome addition to the schools curriculum.  
 
"It is a great  example of what collaboration  can accomplish. Fanshawe College and regional leaders worked together to develop the course which addresses gaps in skills training.  SCOR EDC was happy to have been involved in, and support the Agri-Business Management Program at the Fanshawe, James N Allen campus in Simcoe.  This training will go far in  building capacity in the agricultural sector, and developing key skills that agricultural employers are seeking. This program is a great opportunity for the region," comments Lawson.

The program starts in September 2016.  Students will be receiving specific training in sales and marketing, human resources, food safety, occupational health and financing. 

For more information on this program, please contact the Simcoe campus at 519-426-8260 or view the full curriculum at www.fanshawec.ca
Infrastructure
Building Stronger Communities Through Infrastructure

The strength of our nation is dependent upon strong 
Photo Courtesy of Middlesex County
communities  and strong  communities rely upon strong infrastructure.

Infrastructure development is a vital component in encouraging economic growth.  Besides the fact that strong infrastructure enhances business productivity locally, but also  increases our attractiveness to foreign investment. 

Infrastructure improvements and additions has both long term and short term benefits.  In a Market Realist article written in 2014, it was shown that investment in infrastructure 
leads to more jobs than tax cuts do.  For every $1 billion in tax cuts, 15,000 jobs were created. For every $1 billion invested in infrastructure, more than 35,000 jobs were created (source: Peri).  This is an increase of jobs of 30%.

In the long term, foreign investment can provide us with new markets, cheaper facilities, access to new technology and access to new channels of financing and expertise.  In addition, local business will be able to produce and distribute its goods cheaper and more effectively.  Businesses will see savings in energy use and costs.  Communication levels between business and consumer will only increase with better access to internet and technologies.

But it is not only businesses that can see the benefits but b etter infrastructure is beneficial to Ontario citizens, as well.  Infrastructure investment supports improved access to education and healthcare.  It supports community centres, museums and parks, increasing our quality of life and celebrating our rich and diverse province.  

  The Government of Canada pledged $300 million over five years to develop and increase our infrastructure through the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program.  In Ontario, this program is run though FedDev.  Over 380 infrastructure enhancements are already underway.

"As we near Canada's 150 th anniversary of Confederation, the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program highlights the importance of the places in our communities that bring us together and make Canada home. By providing support to renovate, expand and improve cultural and regional infrastructure, we will ensure these spaces will continue to be enjoyed by Canadians for years to come," stated Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development in a recent press release.

By providing the framework of infrastructure, we improve our quality of life and strengthen our communities. For more information on this program or other Canada 150 activities, please click here

Funding
SCOR EDC Gives Regional Perspective on Funding Programs
 
SCOR EDC was invited recently by Ministry of Economic Development and Growth to provide input around funding programs delivered by the Ministry. SCOR's perspective was through a rural lens and focused on key issues for rural communities.
 
One of the key items discussed was the continued need for the Rural Economic Development Program (RED) or program with a similar focus.   Rural communities rely on funding that can encompass projects as well as capacity building  that the RED program allowed. 
 
Addressing the needs of rural and small town Ontario is really a multi-ministry issue- it is difficult to design a program that a larger centre would find useful and have equal value in very small rural communities such as Parkhill, Delhi or Burford. We need to create a planning framework that provides the rationale for the distribution of population and settlement patterns in the Province.  A long term growth plan could provide the framework for government investments in infrastructure, education, social services, and economic development; it's hard to achieve good outcomes without a comprehensive plan and view of where we're going.  Perhaps a fresh approach is needed to provide some vision of the types of development that is desired and could reasonably be achieved in terms of a population that is somewhat distributed and prosperous rather than concentrated along the 400 series corridors while communities more than 50 km off that corridor languish with slow or negative growth.
 
In developing a suite of programs to support economic development, the proposed Business Growth Initiative (BGI) could play a key role - perhaps covering some of the things that are valued in the RED Program.  Business Retention and Expansion projects are valuable in identifying local issues and targeting local actions to assist key businesses. There are a number of emerging sectors that need organizational assistance to address collective issues (South Coast Wine & Grape Growers, micro-breweries, Hazelnut industry, micro-distillers) - a small investment in helping these businesses organize and address shared issues can speed the growth of all the small businesses involved.
 
Other items discussed were related to
  • Infrastructure Tools
  •  High speed/SWIFT (South Western Integrated Fibre Technology)
  •  Natural Gas expansion for rural Ontario
  • Apprenticeship program changes 

Community
SCOR EDC in the Community
  • AMO is just around the corner! SCOR EDC Board of Directors will be heading to AMO August 14th-17th.
  • Watch for workshops geared towards producers and processors. Coming soon!
  • "Exploring Labour Mobility and Income Change" full report to be released on the Rural Ontario Institute website the 1st week of August.
  • Check out the Hard to Fill Jobs: 2016 EmployerOne Survey results here. 
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