Ten per cent of Canadians live in communities susceptible to workforce disruption in the coming years because of global and domestic efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, according to a major new research project led by the Institute for Research on Public Policy.

With change on the horizon over the coming decades due to actions in Canada and around the world, the IRPP is calling on federal and provincial governments to better co-ordinate their efforts and carefully tailor their assistance to help communities transform their local economies.

That is just one of the key recommendations to emerge from the IRPP's groundbreaking and multi-pronged Community Transformations Project. The project is designed to provide Canadian communities with tools and knowledge to help them navigate changes that will unfold over the coming years.

"Susceptible communities may ultimately come out ahead, with a stronger economy and more skilled workforce, but the process of getting from here to there can be painful," said Rachel Samson, the IRPP's vice-president of research.

"There are things governments can do to improve the resilience of communities and help make transformations easier."

The communities, identified by the Institute through a first-of-its kind interactive map, are often small, rural and less economically diverse. Some, such as auto manufacturing communities, are already in the process of transformation while others, such as those producing natural gas, may have decades before transformation occurs.

In small communities, disruption can spread from individual companies and their workers, and go on to affect local suppliers, services, government revenues and even housing markets.

The IRPP recommends:

• Enhancing incentives for private investment in susceptible communities: Federal, provincial and territorial governments should offer enhanced tax credits and subsidies to drive investment toward the communities that need it most.
• Empowering local strategic economic development planning: Federally funded Community Futures Organizations are based in the communities, are locally governed and could support community-led transformation strategies if they are adequately resourced.
• Establishing a Canadian Centre for Community Transformation: The creation of a centralized information hub would allow for the sharing of community data, case studies and best practices nationwide, reducing the need for each community to start from scratch.

Future recommendations from the project will consider skills and training needs, adjustments to Employment Insurance, assistance for major employers and enhanced social supports. By 2026, the project will provide a comprehensive body of research and a suite of analysis, data and recommendations.

"Canadian communities will face a host of challenges in the coming decades at the same time as governments will have to grapple with deep fiscal challenges. We need strategic, collaborative and ultimately locally driven policies and programs that will help our communities seize opportunities and respond to disruptions," said IRPP president and CEO Jennifer Ditchburn.

For more information, visit irpp.org/community-transformationsThere, you will find:

• Community profiles: Estevan, Saskatchewan and Ingersoll, Ontario
• Susceptibility analysis: infographic, interactive map and methodology
• Policy brief: Empowering Community-led Transformation Strategies

The Community Transformations Project is an initiative of the Institute for Research on Public Policy, in collaboration with the Canadian Community Economic Development Network's Community Data Program, The Energy Mix, and several experts. This project was made possible in part thanks to support from Vancity, the McConnell Foundation, and the Max Bell Foundation. Research independence is one of the IRPP's core values, and the IRPP maintains editorial control over all publications.