Economic Development Resources

Regional and Provincial Economic Development Resources

Consumer Information Gateway
This site provides a vast range of consumer information indexed by topic and sub-topic and can be limited by locality of interest. The article content and links are primarily to government and association sites, giving the site a strong "consumer awareness and protection" feel. Options exist to search for issues of interest, browse both topic and sub-topic menus simultaneously, and utilize an informative, interactive, localized complaint process that affords step by step instruction.

Business Gateway
This site provides an enormous wealth of categorized information regarding business in Canada, and offers localized mirror sites covering the same information on a provincial and territorial basis. The site explains that: "BusinessGateway.ca provides a single access point to all the government services and information needed to start, run and grow a business." The site includes both simple and advanced search capabilities, and provides research tools, government forms, and searchable directories and databases.

Aboriginal Business Canada
The ABC site provides alphabetized links to internal, business-oriented sites within Industry Canada's mandate and a smaller index of information specifically tailored towards Aboriginal small business creation in Canada. The mandate of ABC is explained, its board is introduced, success stories are profiled, and information regarding funding, resources, and national support are offered.

Aboriginal Canada Portal
This site is a partnership between the federal government and six major Aboriginal organizations. Its index reveals two resources - Business and Economic Development - with links, articles, directories, financing, information and legislation particular to Aboriginal Peoples in Canada. Its business resources for both Aboriginal peoples and organizations benefit from being contextualized within the Aboriginal Canada Portal, adding depth and value to the site and many of the unique items and links within.

Canada Business Service Centres
The Canada Business Service Centres are a nation-wide resource of information, tools, and resources for starting and maintaining a small business in Canada. The information can be either national or localized by province or territory, and sections are available that focus on FAQs, government services and programs, and specific Business Information Guides organized by location. Of particular value are the Business Start-Up Assistant, the Interactive Business Planner, and the Online Small Business Workshop, tools which allow budding entrepreneurs opportunities to explore issues and factors that they may not yet have anticipated.

Strategis
Strategis is a vast, comprehensive business and consumer site covering a wide range of topics. It provides information in three main categories, and offers a "table of contents" approach to the information detailed within each. Also available are an alphabetized index and a further listing of topics, which are primarily focused on business analysis, business directories, and economic performance. The site's strength is also its weakness: it is so broad and provides so much information, one scarcely knows where to begin. It is nevertheless an enormously valuable resource due to its breadth of coverage and transnational scope.

Smart Communities Guide to Creating a Smart Community
A well run community initiative requires successful management of a wide variety of areas including day-to-day operations, information gathering, finances, human resources, technology, partnerships, and longer-term community strategy. This site provides guidance and direction in all of the above areas, and presents a valuable toolkit, examples of successful projects, and a number of situation-specific worksheets to help bring proposed projects to fruition.