2008-2011

The National Network for Urban Aboriginal Economic Development was supported by three year grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Office of the Federal Interlocutor at Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, and by a one year grant from the Economic Development Branch at Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. The network is coordinated by Greg Halseth from UNBC’s CDI and Ray Gerow from the Prince George Aboriginal Business Development Centre.

The objective was to develop an open and inclusive multi-stakeholder national network of researchers, practitioners, and policy makers working in urban Aboriginal and Métis communities. This includes organizations, universities, federal/provincial/municipal governments, private industry, community groups, and NGO’s. The network’s focus is on mobilizing economic development knowledge and strengthening organizational capacity.

The tasks included building the network, fostering a better understanding of the key issues, hosting national conferences, and establishing local Learning Circles to facilitate knowledge exchange and capacity building. The network included more than 25 organizations across Canada.

Please note: this was an action-based project. No final report was prepared.