Story by Lindsey Enns
As city councillors and staff members gear up to put the final touches on the 2012 ? 2014 Municipal Strategic Plan, the Dryden Development Corporation (DDC) is working on their own strategic plan that will serve to support the city?s economic vision which will be made available to the public by February 2013.
The DDC?s two year strategic plan will include a focus on a few key areas that DDC economic development manager James Harvey says are key to helping local businesses in the area grow to their full potential and will mark a new beginning for the DDC.
?I think the DDC is very proud of the direction that we?re moving in,? Harvey said.
?Economic development is not just bringing in industrial business and recruitment but also working with our local businesses and really ensuring that there is a quality of life here.?
A good quality of life is what Harvey says outside businesses and entrepreneurs look for in a city before they invest in a new place and he says the DDC?s new strategic plan will help emphasize that.
?We?re going to be looking at business retention and expansion, investment attraction, entrepreneurship development, tourism and sports, recreation promotion and investment and advocacy and facilitation. These are all things that we have to take a really hard look at so they will be apart of our strategic plan.?
But he says the success of the new strategic plan will be measured by the amount of willing local businesses and community members to implement the plan once it?s completed in early February 2013.
?Our strategic plan can only be as strong as the members around the table so if we only have one or two members it?s not going to be a strong strategic plan, we need everybody?s involvement and we need to be able to work together,? he said.
?The public and the businesses will have to help implement that plan so it?s going to be right out front for everyone to see.?
Harvey says that sports tourism and events coordination will also be a huge focus after the DDC secured two First Nation hockey tournaments for February 2013 which combined will have an estimated economic impact of $1.7 million on the community. The Dryden Skating Club is also hosting the regional championships and the DDC is working with the club and assisting them with their website, social media, business connections and hotel arrangements. Harvey says that hosting this event will have an economic impact of roughly $120,000 on the community.
?Working with these types of organizations to help their events grow is key to bringing in that economic stimulus to the community so we?ve been working on that,? he added.
?So things are happening, it?s exciting times I think going forward I think what we can actually see is kind of that sun on the horizon of good things coming and the DDC is trying to be as proactive as they can to ensure that Dryden is prosperous in the next year and years to come.?
Source: http://thedrydenobserver.ca/2012/11/ddcs-new-strategic-plan-to-focus-on-quality-of-life/
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