Members of the Medicine Hat Economic Development team at the Rise Up Community Festival.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
As the Director of Economic Development at the City of Medicine Hat, people often ask me, “Selena, what do you actually do?” We can all agree that reliable services, community amenities, a variety of housing options and job opportunities help a city thrive.
Our team focuses on all these things. But how exactly do we help make Medicine Hat better?
Here’s a look at the work our team at Medicine Hat Economic Development does to help our community grow.Â
First, the crux of successful economic development is understanding what makes your community unique and what we offer that the community down the street does not. We accomplish this by doing a lot of research. We identify trends, talk to businesses, research policies, and keep in touch with other professionals.
This helps us know how to market our city and support our businesses so they can grow and attract new companies to invest. For example, economic development officer Alex Wright is currently conducting primary research and is leading a program with regional partners to survey over 65 businesses in the emerging sectors of manufacturing, defence, aerospace, and aviation.
Second, for companies to succeed, the city must be ready for growth. This means having skilled workers, diverse housing options, and the ability to support current and future businesses.
We understand workforce development fundamentals and help local companies with their workforce needs through various programs and collaboration with other service providers.
For instance, the Rural Renewal Program, administered by Brady Schnell and Tracy Tawiah, supports workforce development through the Southeast Alberta Immigration program and other partnerships.
This program has conducted 33 employer consultations and issued 17 endorsement letters to employers since May 1 of this year, helping them attract and retain quality employees.
Third, economic developers value their connections with support organizations, various levels of government, neighbouring municipalities, fellow economic developers and, of course, business and industry.
Together with colleagues and peers, we analyze issues and create strategies to support business and industry, whether through advocacy on key barriers to growth or connecting our clients to support and programs. Over the past six months, Darren Hall has assisted more than 50 businesses by answering inquiries, identifying investment opportunities, helping them navigate internal city departments and processes, and providing key information and connections.
Finally, we ensure businesses are aware of the City of Medicine Hat’s incentives to attract investment, expand housing, and beautify our downtown.
Darren and Teresa Schmidt have supported the development of our 2024 Incentive Policy and Programs. As a result, we have awarded $1.64 million to help create roughly 120 additional housing units across the city and improve properties in our downtown core.
Bringing all these elements together creates a fertile environment for strong economic development. Our work at Medicine Hat Economic Development is all about making the city a better place for everyone.
We research, support local businesses, plan for growth, and build strong relationships to help Medicine Hat thrive.
We are proud of the work we have done over the past year and are excited to continue energizing our future!
Selena McLean-Moore is the director of Economic Development for the City of Medicine Hat
