Halifax Partnership Receives Four 2023 Excellence in Economic Development Awards from the International Economic Development Council

HALIFAX, NS – October 5, 2023 - Halifax Partnership received three Gold and one Silver 2023 Excellence in Economic Development Awards from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) at its annual conference in September.

• Halifax Partnership’s best-in-class economic development strategies and initiatives received a gold award for Economic Development Organization of the Year for cities with a population of 200,000 – 500,000 people

• Halifax’s COVID-19 Economic Response and Recovery Plan received a gold award in the category of Resiliency, Recovery & Mitigation which recognizes programs, actvities, and projects that represent a successful response and recovery from natural and human-caused disasters.

• The Living in Halifax Toolkit received a gold award and the Halifax Index received a silver award in the Digital Media category which recognizes digital media platforms, programs, materials, and technologies that further economic development initiatives.

“Halifax Partnership has raised the bar for excellence in economic development. These awards are a testament to the Partnership’s dedication to its residents and serves as a great example of how economic development can help transform a community for the better," said Nathan Ohle, IEDC President and CEO. “It is IEDC’s honour and privilege to present Halifax Partnership with these awards and recognize its leadership and innovation in the field of economic development!”

Every year IEDC looks specifically for economic development organizations, government entities, initiatives, and programs that have demonstrated consistent, exemplary performance in the economic development profession, leading the execution of projects that have a significant impact on revitalizing communities, and playing a major role in shaping and improving the practice of economic development.

“These awards recognize the contributions of each and every person on the Halifax Partnership team and are confirmation of our global best-practice in economic development, led from right here in Halifax,” said Wendy Luther, President & CEO, Halifax Partnership. “They also recognize the power of the collaboration of our Halifax Partnership Board, Investors, and partners who contribute to our work to create a more vibrant, prosperous Halifax.”

About the Award-winning Initiatives:

GOLD AWARD: Economic Development Organization (pop. 200K-500K)
This award recognizes a non-profit, public agency/authority, or economic development unit within a local government with a primary mission of economic development that has demonstrated long-term strategic planning, organizational development, and significant community impact and/or innovation.

The Partnership demonstrates this through its unique public-private economic development model that for over 25 years has fostered collaboration between over 100 Investors, all orders of government, and its many local, national and international partners who together are working to build an inclusive, sustainable, entrepreneurial, and prosperous Halifax for all. People. Planet. Prosperity. Halifax’s Inclusive Economic Strategy 2022-27 is the shared roadmap for economic development that guides the Partnership’s work.

GOLD AWARD: Halifax’s COVID-19 Economic Response & Recovery Plan
When COVID-19 hit Nova Scotia in March 2020 Halifax Partnership acted immediately to co-lead with the Halifax Regional Municipality the development and implementation of Halifax’s COVID-19 Economic Response and Recovery Plan which aimed to support businesses and residents in weathering the urgent health crisis, reopen and stabilize Halifax’s economy, and recapture pre-COVID economic momentum and growth.

By July 2020, most sectors of the economy were in the Stabilization Phase. By September 2020, Halifax had gotten back as many jobs as were lost in the spring, and as 2020 turned into 2021 Halifax led all Canadian cities in job growth. Halifax experienced its second-best year ever for population growth in 2021 and 17 companies opened or expanded their operations in Halifax jobs.

GOLD AWARD (Digital Media): Living in Halifax Toolkit
The Living in Halifax Toolkit has become a valuable, ready-to-use resource for local businesses, government, and post-secondary institutions working toward a shared goal of attracting and retaining talent. The toolkit is also used as a research tool by individuals considering a move to Halifax, helping to drive population growth which shows itself through its position as the second fastest growing city in Canada. Over 13,722 unique pageviews of the Living In Halifax section of the Partnership’s website were received from March 1, 2022–April 30, 2023; top users are from India, the United States, and the UK, which are among the top ten source countries for immigrants to Halifax.

SILVER AWARD (Digital Media): Halifax Index
Since 2012 the Halifax Index has been recognized as the city’s economic scorecard and serves as an annual call to action on economic challenges and opportunities and a planning tool for government, business, post-secondary institutions, community organizations, and prospective talent. In 2020, the Partnership transitioned from producing annually a 60+ page printed Halifax Index report to developing a digital Halifax Index on its website, making the data and insights more user-friendly, accessible to a wider audience, and reducing the organization’s environmental footprint. Over three years the Partnership’s digital Index has increased Index users by 413%, enabled a significant increase in the depth and breadth of the content, and eliminated use of 135K sheets of paper.

About the International Economic Development Council
The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization serving economic developers. With more than 4,300 members, IEDC is the largest organization of its kind. Economic developers promote economic well-being and quality of life for their communities by creating, retaining, and expanding jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth, and provide a stable tax base. From public to private, rural to urban, and local to international, IEDC’s members engage in the full range of economic development practices. Given the breadth of economic development work, our members are employed in various settings, including local, state, provincial, and federal governments, public-private partnerships, chambers of commerce, universities, and a variety of other institutions. When we succeed, our members create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities, and improve the quality of life in their regions. Learn more at iedconline.org.