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“Health & Wellness Sector: Any individual, business, organization, facility or institution involved in providing services, care, products, research, devices, equipment or infrastructure that improve or enhance physical and mental wellbeing.”
HEALTH & WELLBEING FESTIVAL
Nov. 14 &15, 2008
Silvertip Resort, Canmore, AB
The Canmore Economic Development Authority is inviting the Bow Valley community of health & wellbeing practitioners, residents, business owners, developers, entrepreneurs and government officials to join us to set the direction for establishing Canmore as a leader in health & wellbeing.
Partners in Economic Development
Town of Canmore
Tourism Canmore
The Biosphere
Institute
BOWDA
Mountain Arts
Foundation
Canmore Community
Housing Corporation
MD of Bighorn # 8
Chamber of Commerce
Associate Membership
Canmore Business Registry
Canmore - A leader in excellence & innovation in Health & Wellness
Introduction
It is the intention of the Canmore Economic Development Authority (CEDA)
to strategically position the Town of Canmore as a community of healthy
living and wellbeing, and to develop a strong health and wellness industry.
Invaluable in helping us achieve our goals, we received assistance and financial support from both the Rural Community Economic Development Fund and the Community Investment Support Program.
More Information.... www.rockieswellbeing.ca
Background
As a community, Canmore has developed a Community Economic Development Strategy which identifies a number of sectors that would broaden our tax base, enhance our key strength, the tourism sector, but at the same time, diversify our economy and increase employment opportunities beyond service and hospitality. These sectors include Health & Wellness, Art & Culture, Advanced Technologies (Environmental Technologies), Education and Research Institutes and Film.
As a small community, we had to deliberately set a priority within our community economic development strategy and focus our resources in a way that would provide results and use our limited land base wisely. We would support other opportunity areas as they came forward, but would focus our resources and energy on building & growing our Health & Wellness sector.
This effort has been assigned to the Canmore Economic Development Authority (CEDA), led by the local municipality, the MD of Bighorn, the tourism industry, the development industry, business, arts & culture, sustainable environment and the community housing corporation.
Approach
A multi-staged approach has been established to reach these community goals. Stage One, in which we are now undertaking, is focused on developing a knowledge base and understanding of the industry as well as engaging the community and industry operators in the project.
Ultimately, the goal is to get Canmore ready to approach targets with the knowledge & resources necessary to initiate investment opportunities. Identifying and approaching these targets will be part of Stage Two & Three of the project.
Stage One – Work to be completed by February 2008
Health & Wellness Sector Profile:
1. Conduct a comprehensive Health & Wellness Study and develop a Health & Wellness Sector Profile out of this study that will identify our current assets, advantages, weaknesses, infrastructure, potential gaps & opportunities. The purpose of this work will be to provide businesses and individuals with a comprehensive overview of the sector’s strengths and identify emerging opportunities that may be available in the Valley.
2. Develop an understanding of the scale & impact of the industry worldwide including international trends, existing scale compared to potential scale.
Canmore Health & Wellness Summit
1. Engage the industry and community in the project. Confirm preliminary targets and strategic approach by ensuring that there is a consensus to continue and provide opportunities to become actively involved.
2. Develop an opportunity to communicate our assets and showcase existing strengths and capacity.
Host a “Summit” in November, 2007. Use this forum to communicate the scope of the industry today and the potential for the future as outlined in the Health & Wellness Study/Profile. In this way, engage the local operators and community and excite them about the benefits & potential worldwide. In the future, add a Wellness Festival to the Summit. The enhanced forum can be used to continue to engage the community and provide investor showcase opportunity.
3. Become familiar and begin a process to develop relationships within industry – who’s who, what’s what & how is business conducted. Identify and join associations and organizations involved in wellness.
Stage Two - Develop a Health & Wellness Investment Attraction Strategy
1. Using priority target sub-sectors identified in the Industry Profile/Study, establish clear growth objectives & strategy.
2. Identify successful models of operation on the international scene in these sub-sectors.
3. Establish industry/government contacts and liaisons
Stage Three - Health & Wellness Recruitment & Attraction - Plan to be developed out of results of above.