1. What is Community Economic Development (CED)?

Community economic development is the steady, practical work of helping a place grow stronger by supporting its people, businesses, services, and shared spaces. CED focuses on real improvements that make daily life better — housing, workforce, recreation, business support, public spaces, and community well‑being.

 

CED is long‑term, people‑centered, and rooted in local priorities.

 

2. Why do we need regional community development in the Turtle Mountains?

Because our communities are connected. People live in one town, work in another, shop in another, and play in another.

 

Regional cooperation helps us:

• share strengths

• support local businesses

• protect natural spaces

• attract visitors and newcomers

• plan for housing, workforce, and services

• build a welcoming, vibrant region

 

When one community grows, the others benefit.

 

3. Who can join the partnership?

Everyone. The partnership is multi‑stakeholder, not municipal‑only.

 

Partners include:

• municipal councils

• businesses

• non‑profits

• First Nations

• industry

• residents

• service providers

• community organizations

 

Every partner contributes equally. Every partner has an equal voice.

 

4. What does it cost to join?

The annual fee is $600 per partner.

 

This fee is:

• equal for all partners

• affordable

• fair

• simple

• rural‑realistic

 

No group pays more than anyone else — including councils.

 

5. What do partners get for their $600?

A lot — and it’s all practical, visible, and directly useful.

 

Businesses get:

• workforce support

• housing solutions

• marketing visibility

• grant assistance

• business planning

• problem‑solving

• regional promotion

• a voice in regional decisions

• marketing

• partnership possibilities

 

Councils get:

• professional capacity they cannot afford alone

• an annual quality of life survey

• regional coordination

• reduced duplication

• support for local businesses

• housing and workforce data

• continuity across elections

• discounted services and training

• grant support

 

Organizations get:

• grant support

• volunteer coordination

• regional promotion

• support for programs and events

 

Residents get:

• stronger local services

• better housing options

• more recreation and tourism

• a more vibrant region

 

Everyone gets:

• equal voice

• equal contribution

• equal benefit

 

6. What does the partnership do?

 

The partnership focuses on real, practical improvements, including:

• workforce attraction

• housing development

• business support

• regional marketing

• tourism events and marketing

• community well‑being

• shared public spaces

• regional events

• grant support

• data and reporting

 

This is the work that makes daily life better.

 

7. Who runs the partnership?

Matthewson & Co. serves as the regional backbone organization.

 

We:

• coordinate partners

• facilitate meetings

• gather input

• support businesses

• manage projects

• provide data

• write grants

• maintain continuity

• implement regional priorities

We keep the work moving — year after year.

 

8. Why not let municipalities run this?

Because municipalities can’t. Their priorities have to be their own municipality, and:

• don’t have the staff

• don’t have the time

• don’t have the capacity

• don’t have the continuity

• don’t have the mandate to support businesses directly

• cannot coordinate regionally without a neutral facilitator

 

Regional development fails when councils are expected to do it alone.

 

This model fixes that.

 

9. Why should we pay YOU?

 

Here is the strongest possible answer — simple, direct, and effective:

 

Because without a neutral, professional backbone organization, regional development does not happen.

 

Matthewson & Co. provides what no other partner can:

• full‑time coordination

• business support

• workforce attraction

• housing development assistance

• grant writing and funding alignment

• regional marketing

• data and reporting

• continuity across elections

• neutral facilitation

• implementation capacity

 

Every partner — councils, businesses, organizations, First Nations, residents — gets direct, practical, measurable value for their $600.

 

** You’re not paying for “consulting.”  You’re paying for the regional capacity that makes everything else possible. **

 

Without Matthewson & Co., the region has:

• no coordinator

• no business support

• no workforce strategy

• no housing strategy

• no regional marketing

• no shared data

• no continuity

• no implementation

 

With Matthewson & Co., the region has:

• a plan

• a coordinator

• a system

• a backbone

• a voice

• momentum

• results

 

You’re paying for the work that no one else has the time, staff, or mandate to do — and the work that benefits everyone equally.

 

That is the value.

 

10. What results can we expect in the first year?

• 300–350 partners recruited

• regional workforce attraction campaign

• regional housing plan

• 50–75 business visits

• regional marketing + business directory

• grant support for businesses and organizations

• regional engagement sessions

• shared regional priorities

• quarterly data reports

• visible improvements in business support, housing coordination, and regional identity