IGNITE Entity Profiles
At the outset of 2024, our primary objective was to develop comprehensive profiles of individual entities within the Capital Region, showcasing regional socio-economic assets. These profiles are crucial for high-level investment attraction efforts and serve as valuable resources for communities, intermunicipal groups, development professionals, and organizations. They aim to foster sustainable planning and capacity building practices, identify local assets and opportunities for growth, and recognize regional trends for strategic planning purposes. The anticipated outcomes include enhanced investment attraction, informed community action plans, and strategic alignment with regional priorities.
The effectiveness of these profiles is already apparent. They have become essential tools for identifying regional needs and gaps, facilitating targeted outreach and services, and supporting municipalities in developing long-term capacity. The profiles have been instrumental in strategic planning, asset mapping, and policy formulation, contributing to more effective and efficient municipal services and economic opportunities on a regional level.
Creating these profiles posed several challenges, primarily in data collection and verification. New Brunswick has recently undergone Local Governance Reform. The implementation of this reform still requires introduction of legislation, regulatory changes, transitional support, and more. With these changes – many statistical data and sources are not yet reflective of the new boundaries and amalgamations.
We sourced data from the 2021 Census, Statistics Canada, Fredericton Tourism, the Government of New Brunswick, D&B Hoovers, Google Maps, IBIS World, and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). Ensuring the accuracy and relevance of this data required rigorous validation. To address this, we engaged regional entity Mayors and CAOs to verify the information based on their local knowledge and priorities, leading to several refinements and adjustments to ensure accuracy and usefulness.
The target audience for these profiles includes local municipalities, regional development organizations, intermunicipal groups, business investors, and development professionals. The demographics covered span a wide range, including local government officials, business leaders, and community planners who are focused on sustainable growth and economic development within the Capital Region.
The sustainability of this project is embedded in its approach and objectives. By promoting sustainable planning and capacity building, these profiles contribute to the long-term resilience of communities. They provide a foundation for strategic decision-making that aligns with environmental, social, and economic sustainability goals. The profiles encourage the integration of external studies, plans, and projects, fostering a holistic approach to regional development that benefits local and global communities.
These profiles are part of a cohesive series available digitally on our website, featured on the Economic Snapshot dashboard, Our Region page, and Insights page. They offer a simple, easy-to-follow snapshot of key assets, facilitating investment attraction, community action planning, and strategic alignment. The profiles are designed to highlight regional strengths and opportunities, support policy development, and enhance the overall capacity of municipalities. Ignite will ensure the profiles are updated annually to ensure that we are capturing changes in immigration, population growth, new development and resources along with entrepreneurial growth yearly.
We also host these profiles on our Insights page as a blog story so people can access the entire series at once.
