Eve O’Leary is putting the skills she learned at the first ever Cando Indigenous Economic Development youth summit to good use.
O’Leary, economic development officer with the Regional Economic Development Corporation, was one of only 60 individuals chosen to attend the inaugural event, hosted by the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (Cando). Cando is a national indigenous organization involved in community economic development.
O’Leary joined a group of both indigenous and non-indigenous youth between the ages of 18 and 30 at the summit to learn about various aspects of community economic development and provide input in indigenous community economic development priorities and solutions.
The summit was also designed to promote economic development as a career choice and to showcase the positive impact indigenous EDOs can have on their communities.
“It was just a fantastic week of knowledge and working,” said O’Leary, explaining that the group was split into teams and given a project.
“Every morning and every night the teams worked on a challenge they were given. Basically, you have 10 acres of industrial land and a variety of stipulations and work that needed to be done … we created a hydroponic unit that focused on self-sustainability for the community. A lot of northern communities don’t have access to fresh fruits and vegetables – that’s really what the focus was.”
O’Leary said the knowledge and networking opportunities she garnered at the conference will benefit her role as the area’s regional economic development officer. In that role, she serves the communities of Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach.
“The tools and resources will contribute to my current skill set and align with the objectives of the regional economic development committee by growing the economy and making this area a great place to live, work, play and visit.”
