| Date | Location | Registration Fees | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 24-28 | Thunder Bay |
Accomodations fees forthcoming (Fee structure outlined below) |
10 |
Why take Year 1?
Year 1 is about two things: building a strong foundation of knowledge in economic development, and building connections with your peers.
This course helps economic development professionals learn the basics of the field, from what an EDO really does, to measuring success. Generalists will learn strategies for handling the many and diverse tasks they're expected to do. Specialists will learn about the spectrum of economic development activities and become more insightful team members.
Professionals of all types and experience levels will appreciate the peer-learning and networking opportunities. Participants come from across Canada and are eager to share their successes, challenges, and lessons. On a personal level, spending a week learning, eating, and relaxing together builds a bond that leaves each cohort looking forward to reuniting at conferences and other industry events.
"For those considering a profession in economic development, I highly recommend participating in the EDAC Year 1 program. It is a great way to expand your professional toolkit, build community and establish a network of colleagues that you can turn to for experiences and knowledge."
Thunder Bay 2025 Schedule Forthcoming
Having worked in this field for 20 years, it was an excellent base in my field. Well designed. Well executed.
Speakers
(more speakers forthcoming)
Brock Dickinson
Brock is the Director of the Economic Development Program, and has worked in local economic development for over 25 years. He is currently an Adjunct Professor with the University of Waterloo. He was previously CEO of MDB Insight, Canada’s largest specialist economic development consultancy, where he worked with hundreds of communities across North America. Before this private sector role, Brock headed a number of provincial and municipal economic development agencies in both Ontario and Nova Scotia, and spent six years as a consultant with the United Nations, leading sustainable development projects in 30 countries.
Paul Knafelc
Paul Knafelc is an economic researcher as well as founder and President of Community Benchmarks Inc. He has established a reputation for innovative data products and for rigorous research approaches which have been used by private and public sector organizations to direct strategic initiatives and make evidence-based decisions. A distinct advantage of Paul’s practice is his deep knowledge of, and expertise with, Statistics Canada data sources, methodologies and custom data tabulations procedures. Paul also teaches a graduate course, ERS 619 Regional Economic Analysis, with the Economic Development program at the University of Waterloo
Registration & Accommodation fees*
| EDAC members in good standing* | Non-EDAC members | |
|---|---|---|
| Early bird | $1250 + HST | $1550 + HST |
|
After Jan 27 |
$1395 + HST | $1695 + HST |
| Accommodation Fees | |
|---|---|
| Sunday - Friday |
TBA |