Cape Breton County Economic Development Authority

You might wonder how much money these folks were offered, but Chief Executive Officer, Eileen Lannon Oldford is quick to point out that there was no financial compensation. "That's the funny part," she laughs. "We just marketed what our region has to offer." CBCEDA also answered questions and provided support to the hundreds of people who responded to their vigorous marketing campaign. "Some of these people had been gone for 20 or 25 years," she says. "They wanted to know if they could afford a little plot of land outside the city and what types of things were going on in the community. We connected them with the right people."

The success of Retirement Cape Breton has led CBCEDA to continue to explore other initiatives, including how to match international students with local Cape Breton youth to form business partnerships. Lannon Oldford hopes that this will become another pilot project and will help keep both newcomers and youth in the region.

Repopulation is just one of the agency's seven strategic initiatives. Developed with public, private, and community partners in a strategic planning process, other areas of focus include revitalizing downtown communities and marketing Cape Breton County.

In total, there are 67 recommendations in the 2006-2016 Cape Breton County Strategic Plan. Of those, CBCEDA is responsible for about 15 and the rest are looked after by other interested parties in the community. "These may be institutions or groups in our community who take the reins based on their mandates and resources." Lannon Oldford calls them community leaders or "local champions of development" and cites Cape Breton University, the Chamber of Commerce, or rural community economic development groups as examples. "We facilitate and support them and report on their progress."

Established in 1994, CBCEDA is one of 13 Regional Development Agencies (RDA's) in Nova Scotia. They exist to promote and facilitate economic development in the region and are funded by all three levels of government. "Business, organizations, and citizens play a pivotal role in the planning and discussion process," says Lannon Oldford. "When you have this kind of an integrated approach to issues in your region, it creates a positive impact when working with government."

CBCEDA is known for building new partnerships while strengthening existing ones. The organization acknowledges the importance of working cooperatively and collectively with demonstrated partners not only to assist in the region’s economic recovery but to prevent duplication of efforts. Five core staff work on over 100 projects a year and are overseen by a board of directors with representatives from a broad range of sectors including community, youth, education, tourism, business, and government. "Each member is committed to the development of the region," says Lannon Oldford. "Our RDA is very strong and high performing."

One of the initiatives that Lannon Oldford is most proud of is a melding of public and private interests which saw the completion of 133 projects in the region in 2006-07. "These projects have allowed the community to take a proactive role in making decisions," she says. One example is the revitalization of downtown communities that has taken place over the last four years. Over 125 commercial buildings in the municipalities of Glace Bay, Sydney, and Whitney Pier underwent façade improvement.

Lannon Oldford says that the changes to buildings in the downtown cores were paid for by a combination of government and private sector money. "It's really altered the whole image of our downtown communities and brought out the true character of the region," she says. The result?  An increase in investment, the creation of new jobs and new businesses, and more consumers and visitors to the downtown cores. "We didn't have millions of dollars. We had limited resources that, working together, became very effective," she says. "These downtown communities have become vital and valued areas by everyone in the region."  This program is currently being reviewed by other RDA's across Canada as a model to implement.

It's this coming together that still amazes and inspires Lannon Oldford after 14 years in her role as CEO. "I think we have quite a number of people in our region who want to work very diligently. Without that, nothing would happen." She notes that there is a growing attitude towards collaboration, cooperation, and an increased appreciation of the vitality of the region. "People want to work in a collective manner and direction."

Lannon Oldford is appreciative of both the leadership and the support within the communities of Cape Breton County. "Trying to create economic growth for any community is not an easy task. It's not solved in one day or one year," she says. "It's a long term relationship and we're really working together as a team to figure out the best way to make it happen for the long-term.”