A Message from GSCC President Dan Kutcher.
Now is our opportunity to embrace change and think big about working better and smarter, together, to grow our economy and create more good, well paying, year round sustainable jobs. What we do collectively in the next few years will determine the future of our local economy and by extension the broader community, for all of us, our kids, and theirs.
This is what Forward Summerside is all about.
In 2015 the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce held its second Way Forward Conference. At that time local businesses told us that a lack of a shared vision, gaps in collaboration and an overlap of services between and among economic development agencies was impacting our future prosperity. We listened and we took action.
Last week at the first Forward Summerside session the City of Summerside, the Summerside Port Authority, Summerside Regional Development Corporation, Downtown Summerside, the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce, Slemon Park Corporation and Explore Summerside came together to explain to the community, and to each other, in short five- minute elevator pitches how they individually try to develop our local economy and contribute to the delivery of good sustainable jobs.
Each stakeholder laid out their weaknesses and challenges as well as their successes. The more than one hundred community members had creative and lively discussions and provided valuable insight and ideas. It was informative and collaborative. And it was the first step towards developing a more integrated, collaborative, supportive and smart approach to building our local economy. Not bad for a Thursday night.
At the end of the session, every single group that presented stood up and jointly committed to taking the next step together. This is going to be a marathon, but we have gotten off to a fantastic start.
I believe that Summerside Prince Edward Island is the best place on earth to live, mostly because of the people; but also for the opportunity that stands before us. We have the ingredients to do some truly special and unique things here, but will involve thinking big, taking risks and not being afraid of failure.
I hope you will continue to join us. I hope you make sure to hold us accountable for what we do with this opportunity. I hope you will challenge us, and challenge yourselves to think big. We have started out by imagining what is possible, sharing our ideas, hopes and time, and now we will see just how far we can go.