Big Lakes County and Driftpile Cree Nation are proud to share their participation in their first Workshop delivered by Community Economic Development Initiative (CEDI), a national program delivered jointly by Cando (the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers) and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).
Big Lakes County and Driftpile Cree Nation are one of five partnerships in Canada to embark on this three-year First Nation-municipal collaboration program between 2024 – 2027. CEDI seeks to support First Nations and neighbouring municipalities to build respectful and equitable partnerships, and to develop capacity for long-term planning for joint community economic development and land use.
On February 25, 2025, Big Lakes County and Driftpile Cree Nation hosted their first workshop delivered by CEDI at the Community Hall in Driftpile Cree Nation. Elected Leaders and senior staff from both communities were in attendance. This is one of many workshops the communities will be participating in over the next two years.
“I am pleased to participate in this important initiative with Chief Dwayne Laboucan and Driftpile Cree Nation,” said Big Lakes County Reeve Tyler Airth. “We recognize that working together to address our economic challenges will strengthen our relationship and the regional economy and move our communities forward.”
The objectives of this workshop aimed to foster relationship-building between Council members and staff from each community while completing a community self-assessment to identify areas for further shared learning. The workshop focused on deepening mutual understanding and appreciation of each other’s history, explore community planning and economic development practices, and identify opportunities for collaborative economic development.
About CEDI
The First Nation–Municipal Community Economic Development Initiative (CEDI) aims to improve the economic prosperity of participating First Nations and municipalities through joint community economic development and land use planning. CEDI is a joint initiative of Cando and FCM and is this cohort is funded by PrairiesCan. For more information, visit our website.
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