Energy, Mining and metals, Canada Sustainable community development planning

Summary

EEM was retained by a consortium of public and private sector partners to develop a multi-year sustainable economic development action plan for a northern community facing rapid growth in the mining sector.

Approach and Solution

Labrador West, Newfoundland is a small, remote mining town in an iron ore rich part of the province whose fortunes are directly tied to global demand for steel products. When recent cost of living and housing price increases started to become significant issues for the community, it became clear that solutions would require partnering between and amongst government, business, and community organizations. The first, key step was to comprehensively document the extent of the gap between population growth and infrastructure supply. The next step was to work with key stakeholders to prioritize actions that would address the specific challenges in a coherent and organized fashion.

Results

The study’s extensive stakeholder engagement process (phone outreach, e-survey, key stakeholder workshop) provided both the quantitative and qualitative data required to both understand the extent of the local problem, and then come up with a made-in-Labrador West solution to it that will deliver results on the ground in the near, medium and long-term future.