The Business Retention & Expansion (BR&E) program assists communities in identifying both obstacles to, and opportunities for, growth. Through a series of interviews and visits to a sampling of their business sector, communities become better able to understand the needs, concerns, issues, and opportunities that face existing business, businesses from which 80% of all new jobs are created.

The Gananoque BR&E started in Fall of 2003 and interviewing was completed by winter 2004, with 31 of 71 contacted businesses being interviewed. Businesses have continued to participate in the survey process and are expressing their satisfaction and pleasure with the survey questions, process and objectives. The specific listings of businesses surveyed have been kept confidential, therefore all survey findings are presented in aggregate.

Following completion of the surveys, Key Findings were presented and the initial stages of the Action Plan began to take shape. The Action Plan was finalized by late Spring 2004 with various groups and organizations identifying roles and remedies which they could offer in response to identified issues. The participation of local government, Chamber of Commerce, BIA, local community college and various other organizations in developing the Gananoque Action Plan represents a collective team effort 

The completed Gananoque BR&E report is available as a PDF file below. Adobe Acrobat, the program required to view this document, can be down loaded free from www.adobe.com. 

Click here to review the Gananoque BR&E