Formal request and rationale for Prince Edward County Council to devote some municipal staff resources to formally investigate models for co-locating social and learning services with small enterprise in Prince Edward County. Request was approved, with the stipulation that any eventual colocation initiative should be run by the private or non-profit sector, and not the municipality.

1. Support for Co-locating Social & Learning Services with Small Enterprise
Prince Edward County Municipal Deputation
July 16, 2015
“As anyone who is involved in economic development will know, driving sustainable economic
development in rural communities is complex. Building a successful strategy requires […] first
and foremost, building and leveraging local capacity – economic, social, technological and
political capacity and resources including location, labour, capital, entrepreneurs and industrial
composition.” - PEC Community Development Strategic Plan, Objectives and Outcomes, p. 2
The Challenge
Non-profits contribute enormously to the public good in the County, but some are perpetually in
fragile financial state, and many either cannot afford proper locales or spend a disproportionate
amount of their resources on rent. Meanwhile, the self-employed make up more than 50% of the
businesses in the County (Stats Canada 2014) and include 150+ knowledge workers (as of
2011), yet there is no dedicated co-working hub where they rent shared access to fibre-
connected broadband, office services, meeting rooms, or enjoy networking and collaboration
opportunities.
The Opportunity
Co-locating can maximise utilisation of existing assets, stabilise smaller organisations by
sharing costs, make service delivery more efficient, spark collaboration and innovation, and
attract and sustain a healthy ecosystem of small enterprise and social innovation.
Our Request
As two interested parties seeking to instigate progress for all stakeholders, we request that
Council devote some municipal staff resources to formally investigate models for co-locating
social and learning services with small enterprise in Prince Edward County.
Background
Prince Edward Learning Centre (PELC) is a key local non-profit that is without a lease and is
hoping to relocate by March 2016 to a space better suited to its needs. Duncan Moore is a
County-based, self-employed marketing consultant who has been looking to establish a co-
working space since recently taking up full-time residence in the County after 2 years of part-
time residence.
Both parties responded to a newspaper article about surplus buildings and contacted Picton
Councillor Lenny Epstein. He recognized potential synergies and brought the two parties
together to discuss collaborating on a sort of community hub that would combine learning and
co-working. Councillor Epstein then arranged a meeting with both interested parties and Neil
Carbone, Director of Community Development, on July 10, 2015.
72 King St.
The surplus property at 72 King St. was the catalyst for this deputation, given its potential as a
possible building for co-location. Upon discussion on July 10, it was agreed that the opportunity
existed to take a more comprehensive approach that would consider other potential locations,
and include other possible stakeholders in discussions about their upcoming needs for space
(for example: Recreation Outreach Centre (ROC), Ontario Works, Family Health Team, Public
Health, etc).

2. PELC Thrives in Partnership
PELC currently works intensively with over 100 people per year to support high school
completion, access to post-secondary and apprenticeship programs, and upgrading skills for
employment. This work happens best in close partnerships with other agencies that help people
remove systemic barriers to getting ahead, such as income security and employment support
through Ontario Works, access to mental health and addiction services, and access to dental
service. An important component of PELC’s work is supporting employment through
mentorship, volunteering and co-operative placement with the business community.
About Co-working
A co-working space is a shared work environment for freelancers, small businesses, and
telecommuting knowledge workers who are either independent or employed by a remote
organisation. The concept originated in Silicon Valley in 2005, and has since spread around the
world. Co-working spaces typically have an open-concept area with ergonomic office chairs and
desks for rent by the year, month, week or day. In addition, there are meeting rooms with
projectors and videoconferencing equipment, and shared services such as fast broadband
Internet, printer/scanner, and kitchen. What makes co-working spaces unique is their focus on
community, with regular peer learning and networking events to foster collaboration and find
innovative solutions to local challenges. For more info, see http://coworking.org &
http://coworkingontario.ca.
Co-location Aligns with Council’s Strategic Direction
2 of the 4 pillars described in PEC’s Community Development Strategic Plan are:
• Developing sustainable jobs well matched to local employment needs and opportunities;
• Supporting Prince Edward County’s profile as an attractive economic climate with business
opportunities;
Demonstrated Need
The Community Development Strategic Plan and PEC Vital Signs discussed the following
issues, challenges and opportunities in the Prince Edward County economy:
Changing Nature of Economy and Workforce
• There is an anticipated need for improvements in telecommunication technology,
increased opportunities related to telecommuting and potential work schedule flexibility,
most notably in knowledge-based employment sectors.
• Home-based employment is expected to grow as the 55 and over cohort seek lifestyles
that allow them to work from home on a full-time or part-time basis.
• Community Development survey found that both businesses and other organisations in
the County said that ‘availability and quality of high speed telecommunications’ was the
top factor for ensuring growth (yet it’s often not accessible from many residents’ homes).
• Strong growth in food services, accommodations, retail, and services for retirees are
creating seasonal labour shortages in the County. Creating greater proximity between
small enterprise and training and placement services could help.
• Existing research and trends across Canada suggest that an overwhelming percentage
of new business investment in a community is derived from companies already located

3. there, and that a significant amount of job creation and innovation is being driven by
small to medium sized businesses.
• The results of the businesses patterns assessment and community consultation have
suggested the need to support the growth of professional service firms and knowledge
based businesses.
• An important consideration in the attraction and retention of these types of small and
medium sized businesses is the need for small and/or adaptable office space or
buildings, something considered to be in short supply in the County.
Youth Departing for Education and Employment
• Development of on-line options for education, and co-ordinated programs and services
for youth will assist with youth retention.
Low Rates of Educational Attainment
• Vital Signs reported that the rate of no diploma, degree or certificate for those aged 25 –
64 is almost 40% higher than the Ontario average. To address the unique needs of the
currently available labour market, and help existing residents who are not attached to the
labour market gain employment, we need approaches that recognize the seasonal
nature of currently available employment, promote upgrading in the off-season, utilize
small businesses and independent professionals for co-operative placement and
mentoring activities, and work with social service delivery agencies.
Surplus Municipal Lands and Buildings
• The County has over 30 surplus lots (comprising both land and buildings). The Strategic
Plan recommends prioritizing “uses that would assist with the attraction of professional
service and knowledge based businesses including options for shared use,” further
noting that, “Consideration could also be given to identifying under-utilized or
underperforming properties that could be repurposed to support small business
operations/multi-tenanted operations as well as business incubators.”
Benefits of Co-locating
• Synergies are created when services are in close proximity to each other.
• Cost savings are realized with:
o Shared reception, meeting and kitchen spaces
o Shared telecommunications infrastructure (fibre-connected broadband,
videoconferencing, VoIP phone system, tech support, etc)
• Anchor tenants able to commit to long-term leases can help provide stability to smaller,
more vulnerable non-profits with project-based funding.
• Including small enterprise in the mix connects potential employees more directly with
possible employers, whom they might not otherwise meet.
• A multi-sector hub that attracts independent professionals, including home-based
workers aged 55+ with management expertise, creates repeated opportunities for
serendipitous sharing of expertise with both managers and clients of social and learning
services.
• Access hours for programming and service delivery can be increased through shared
staffing. For example, shared reception means service can be maintained over lunch
hour, and evening service can be offered if 2 organisations are open and staffed by 1

4. person each, rather than the usual requirement of having 2 staff on site to deliver 1
service when each organisation is located separately.
• By creating dedicated local capacity with long-term stability, we can attract knowledge
workers and telecommuting employees of remote organisations to the County.
Major Actors Investing in Co-location
• The Ontario Premier has appointed a Special Advisor to study Community Hubs, and has
identified promotion of community hubs as a priority in its mandate letter.
http://www.ontario.ca/home-and-community/community-hubs-talks-2015
• Bell Canada, through its Let’s Talk program, has committed to providing fibre Internet
service to United Way Toronto community hubs that bring health and social services
together under one roof. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/coalition-
calls-on-crtc-to-force-expansion-of-broadband-access/article25508763
• Ontario has created a Social Enterprise Strategy and a matching $4 million Social
Enterprise Demonstration Fund to support innovative social finance pilot projects across
Ontario. Community hubs are ideal magnets for such investments.
http://www.ontario.ca/business-and-economy/social-enterprise-demonstration-fund
Questions We Would Be Happy to Entertain
• Are co-working centers or community hubs financially self-sustaining?
• Are there existing examples of rural co-working or co-location of services?
• How are co-working spaces different from business incubators?
• What is the risk to the municipality?
About Prince Edward Learning Centre
Prince Edward Learning Centre is dedicated to helping adult learners acquire the skills needed
to achieve their personal learning and employment goals. PELC is funded by the Ministry of
Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) as one of over 300 Literacy and Basic Skills
Programs across Ontario. They offer projects to support employment that are funded through
Service Canada and the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Employment.
About Duncan Moore
Duncan runs a County-based consultancy with expertise in branding, digital marketing strategy
and bilingual marketing messaging. He began his career with Cossette, a leading ad agency,
and has since worked as a consultant to organizations large and small, including Canada’s big
telcos, SMEs, tech startups, quasi-governmental organisations and non-profits. Duncan was a
member of one of the first co-working spaces in Montreal. He currently chairs the marketing
committee for the Bloomfield and Area Business Association.
For More Information:
Kathy Kennedy
Executive Director
Prince Edward Learning Centre
206 Main Street
Picton, ON K0K 2T0
613-476-1811
Kathy@pelc.ca
Duncan Moore
Principal
Duncan Moore & Co
87 Bloomfield Main St.
Bloomfield, ON K0K 1G0
514-594-5693 (cell)
duncan@duncanmoore.co