In 2019 CF Sunrise received funding under the Canada Coal Transition Initiative (CCTI) through Western Economic Diversification (WD) to develop and execute regional business retention and expansion activities and provide a Regional Business Development Plan as input into the larger community transition plan led by the City of Estevan.
After extensive engagement with stakeholders throughout the region in the last quarter of 2019 we are pleased to announce that this work was completed ahead of schedule and the plan is now being shared with stakeholders and partners.
Through the process several key findings emerged including that
- 2/3 of respondents expect to be impacted by the coal transition
- only 22% of businesses use online sale methods
- there is a need for rural diversification and regional economic development support
- a lack of economic development knowledge exists at the community level, and that;
- overall an attitude of optimism and resiliency are prevalent within the region
The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic did interrupt the finalization and release; however the transition away from coal-fired power generation will continue to move forward. CF Sunrise is poised to provide business program delivery, supports and resources for the SE Saskatchewan region as we recover and forge ahead in the post pandemic era. Now more than ever there is a need to work collaboratively for the improvement of the entire region.
Read the complete report and accompanying information.