SASKATOON — The Saskatchewan Economic Development Alliance (SEDA) has announced the launch of the 2026 Community Builders Workshop Series, a province-wide initiative designed to equip local leaders with practical tools to strengthen community wellbeing, economic resilience, and place-based innovation.
The 2026 series will again be facilitated by internationally renowned community development practitioner Peter Kenyon, founder of the Bank of I.D.E.A.S. (Initiatives for the Development of Enterprising Action and Strategies). With more than 35 years of experience working with over 2,000 communities worldwide, Kenyon is widely recognized for helping rural and small-town communities mobilize their strengths and build sustainable local futures.
Delivered in partnership with host communities across Saskatchewan, the full-day workshops are tailored to local priorities while grounded in proven, asset-based approaches to community and economic development.
“Strong, resilient communities are built from the inside out,” said Verona Thibault, CEO of SEDA. “The Community Builders Workshop Series supports local leaders — both formal and informal — to recognize what already works in their communities and turn that into meaningful, lasting progress. This is practical capacity-building that helps communities move from ideas to action.”
Empowering Local Leaders
The Community Builders workshops are designed for municipal leaders, economic development practitioners, community volunteers, business owners, non-profit leaders, and emerging leaders who play a role in shaping their community’s future.
Each workshop focuses on:
- asset-based community development and local leadership
- building experiential businesses to support an experience economy
- identifying and leveraging existing community strengths
- engaging residents, including youth and emerging leaders
- building collaboration, confidence, and momentum
- taking practical, achievable steps toward community-led action
Strengthening our Rural Economies Together! www.seda.ca
“Every community has far more capacity than it often realises,” said Peter Kenyon. “These workshops help people see their place differently — not through the lens of deficits, but through strengths, relationships, and possibility. When communities build confidence and ownership, they create the conditions for long-term economic and social prosperity.”
2026 Workshop Locations
The 2026 Community Builders Workshop Series will be delivered in seven Saskatchewan communities starting April 27 and running until May 8. Each host community works closely with SEDA to ensure the workshop reflects local context, challenges, and opportunities.
Full details, including dates, locations, and registration information, are available at: www.seda.ca/community-builders-workshops
