Opinion: Economic Development articles – Quarterly summary #1

Submitted by the Anishinabek Nation Economic Development Department

We hope that you are finding the articles on Economic Development informative, thought-provoking, and complementary to other sources of information on the topic. We want to take this opportunity to give a brief overview of the topics that we have covered to date.

Our first article in this series attempted to lighten the discussion around economic development and bring a little fun into the discourse. The issues that we deal with in our communities weigh on our minds and resolve is never quick enough. Creating some fun and hopefully developing a consistent understanding of some of the terminology we use when talking about economic development will make it easier to continue the positive work we have done in our communities. The hope is that by providing insights and anecdotal information related to local, regional, or national economic development issues, ideas, or initiatives, we can continue to have an open and positive dialogue regarding economic development and break down some of the barriers to honest dialogue on some of the topics.

Now, there are bound to be some discussion topics that are not-so-popular but still require notable mention. Of course, the second topic in the series – taxation – can only be expected to generate some negative comments. However, with so many Indigenous Governments turning to taxation as a means of supporting the delivery of programs and services, and as a source of capital to develop community infrastructure, it was a necessary article.

The third article in the series brought the issue of broadband access into the list of topics that impede economic progress. Although broadband itself does not really support the structures which strong economies are built upon, having access to high-speed broadband does open doors to other markets that may have remained out of reach for small businesses, artistic entrepreneurs, and local developing economies. With the world as we know it today, in the middle of a global pandemic, access to broadband to support our local economies and consumers has become more important than ever.

A natural progression from the previous topics was to begin looking at how our communities can begin to diversify the local and external markets on which they rely. We explored how deviating from the usual gas station and smoke shop-based economy, which is so prevalent in our communities, and moving toward participating in off-reserve property acquisition, our local businesses’ market shares and individual wealth could increase exponentially. The example, though extremely simplified, did paint a very positive picture of what can be achieved through economic planning and product diversification.

It is important to say that the goal of this series is to generate discussion and to get people thinking about economic development a little differently.  The articles are not expected to identify all of the issues or to give all of the answers; rather, the hope is that it gets us thinking about the topics enough to go looking for our own information and resources. The hard-working individuals at your Band Office have much of these resources to offer and can help lead the way, but it begins with even the slightest interest in the subject matter and a bit of ambition – after all, the most successful community initiatives are ones adopted and led by community members.

We are hoping that you find these articles interesting and welcome any feedback you can offer. Keep an eye out for the next article on business incubators and innovation centres!