Community Economic Development: Keys to Success

Transcription

1 Community Economic Development: Keys to Success Summary of Policy Brief presented to the Métis Economic Development Symposium II January 19 21, 2011 in Vancouver, BC Paul Hanley Consulting, Saskatoon Métis Community Characteristics The Métis community: people who identify as Métis, who are of historic Métis ancestry, and are accepted by the historic Métis community. The ethnogenesis of the Métis people occurred along the fur trade routes between the Great Lakes and the Rocky Mountains in late 18 th century Largest concentration in the Red River Settlement (85% of the population of 11,000 in 1870 were Métis) After Manitoba Act 1870, large dispersion of Red River Métis to west and north After defeat at Batoche in Saskatchewan 1885, further dispersion to west and north including the Peace and upper Mackenzie valleys. Consequences: Métis the only Aboriginal people without a land base (except for Métis Settlements) Diffuse population distribution 1 1

2 The Métis: 2006 Census 390,000 Métis 90% located in the western provinces and Ontario. 25% of Métis population 14 and under compared to 17% in the non Aboriginal population. 70% of Métis in urban centres. Large Urban Centres: Winnipeg (40,980); Edmonton (27,740); Vancouver (15,075); Calgary (14,770); Saskatoon (9,610) Smaller Urban Centres (Urban Métis twice as likely as urban non Aboriginal people to live in smaller urban centres) 41% of urban Métis in cities of less than 100,000 Prince Albert (17%); Portage la Prairie (10%); Thompson (10%); Midland (9%); Dawson Creek (8%); Kenora (8%); North Battleford (7%); Lloydminster (7%); Cold Lake 6%; Grande Prairie (5%) 2 The Métis: Rural Context The highest concentration of Métis (as a percentage of the total population): rural and hinterland areas from northwestern Ontario across the north central Prairies and into the Peace River district. The sole land base of the Métis people: eight Métis Settlements in Alberta established in the 1940s million acres of land Approx. 9,000 residents Settlement lands are owned in fee simple on behalf of the 8 Settlements by Métis Settlements General Council. 3 2

3 Community Economic Development (CED) action by people locally to create economic opportunities and better social conditions, particularly for those who are most disadvantaged. Canadian Community Economic Development Network Early CED and Métis: s Liberal and CCF govts in Saskatchewan set up Métis farm colonies in the north (Green Lake) and across the south to integrate landless Métis into the economy and society. 1940s 1950s: CCF government promoted CED in Métis communities in northern Saskatchewan (cooperative marketing associations in trapping, fishing, forestry, housing, handicrafts and retail). Reasons for failure: preference of Métis for wage labor employment over agriculture tensions over private vs. communal or cooperative ownership government paternalism 4 Contemporary CED Programs Provide support for community based projects strategic community planning business information and planning services access to capital for small and medium sized businesses and social enterprises At Federal Level: Community Futures Development Corporations 61 in Ontario and 90 across western Canada INAC s Community Economic Opportunities/Community Economic Development Programs for First Nations and Inuit At Provincial Level: Aboriginal CED initiatives supported by First Citizens Fund (BC), First Nations and Métis Fund (Sask), New Relationship Fund (Ont), Alberta Aboriginal Relations. 5 3

4 Proposed MNC Approach to CED Democratic accountability via province wide ballot box system of elections for their provincial leaders as well as within the regions of each province and at the Local Association level. Build on established Métis arms length development institutions serving as province wide service delivery platforms more cost effective than multiplicity of locally based institutions Métis capital corporations Clarence Campeau Development Fund Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training (ASETS) Gabriel Dumont Institute Métis Child and Family Services 6 MNC Approach Métis Nation governance model responds to varying needs, circumstance and aspirations Urban centres: developed economic infrastructure and labor markets with related opportunities but lack of social supports (e.g. active measures to support daycare for working mothers). Rural and hinterland areas: Duty to Consult/Accommodate has potential for inclusion of Métis, but Métis communities constrained by limited capacity to engage with industry on major projects due to: underdeveloped commercial infrastructure Duty to Consult inconsistent in application Métis Settlements in Alberta: unique in owning a land and resource base with control over and participation in resource development projects. co management agreement with Province energy companies provide Settlement govt with royalty and participation rights in projects. 7 4

5 Emerging Trends in CED More opportunity driven and market oriented Focus on building capacity of Aboriginal communities to engage in effective economic development in areas of planning, governance, access to capital and improved commercial infrastructure Best Practices to Build On Arms length development corporations: Métis capital corporations Saskatchewan Métis Economic Development Corporation Louis Riel Capital Corporation (Manitoba) Apeetogosan (Métis) Development Inc. (Alberta) Métis equity capital providers: Clarence Campeau Development Fund (CCDF) Métis Economic Development Organization (MEDO) 8 Emerging Trends in CED Planning INAC s pilot project of business development officers enables MNC s Governing Members and Métis Settlements General Council to hire qualified economic development/business support officers to identify, assess and pursue economic development opportunities. General consensus that pilot is a good start in developing planning capacity but officers should be attached to Métis community economic development fund to source investment opportunities (as MEDO is doing). 9 5

6 Tools to Build Capacity MNC proposing Métis Community Opportunities Fund, a revolving capital pool making equity investments in eligible projects not limited to the energy and resource sector as is the case with MRED. The Fund would place a premium on joint ventures and partnerships with industry. It would also seek out co investments with other funds, including those of other Métis development institutions, the Provinces and private equity firms. A model for the structure of the Fund would be a syndicated loan pool that the three Métis capital corporations have designed for their loan operations that combines the following features: joint ownership and administration professional management and Board arms length decision making low cost leveraged delivery based on existing financial management and business development officers accountability to directly elected Governing Members. 10 MNC Tools to Build Capacity One of the Fund s primary investment targets will be the development of commercial infrastructure in Métis communities. Need for patient equity capital to build industrial parks, business centres, housing projects/accommodation services. These projects can generate sufficient income streams to repay the investment but are larger in size and build out. Example is new 30,000 sq ft business centre in Buffalo Narrows, Sask. financed by Clarence Campeau Dev. Fund 11 6