Uncovering & Harnessing
the Power of Place

A national initiative to catalyze the holistic development of local economies, big and small.

Creating thriving economies that promote dignity for more people and more places.

The Institute brings together economic actors from communities, governments, and markets to develop, refine, and expand place-based approaches.

Learn how your community can work with us

Why Place?

We live, work, and make meaning in physical locations. When these places thrive economically, so do the people, nature, and culture within them.

What is Economic Development?

Economic development is the process of improving a region's economic well-being through initiatives that enhance growth, expand business activity, and increase employment opportunities.

What is Place-Based Economic Development?

A place-based approach capitalizes on the unique strengths and assets in the places we live to transform local potential into national prosperity. It fosters solutions that respond to the intrinsic natural and cultural assets within communities.

Local Development, National Prosperity

By creating new models and networks to share insights and best practices, activate entrepreneurship, and develop coordinated financial strategies and tools, we can build a more prosperous and resilient Canada.

Interested in partnering with us?

Learn about our consulting services and workshops

The Shorefast Institute’s methodology is grounded in the Economic Stewardship Framework.

We put community coordination and the economic stewardship table at the centre. Before any lever can be pulled, the economic actors in a place need to come together across markets, governments, and communities to coordinate and act as economic stewards of the place they share. Effective coordination and stewardship depends on access to data about the local community; policies that support the places we live; literacy, or understanding of how the economy affects us at the individual, business, and community level; and access to financial capital.

The Shorefast Institute works alongside communities and across sectors to advance each of these areas.

To learn more – Contact us

“Strong communities are natural ecosystems of innovation.”

"By strengthening the capacities of communities to identify, harness, and amplify their specific assets, we can help enable economic agency and prosperity for places big and small."

-Zita Cobb, Founder