Ignite Fredericton announced Wednesday it has received two Excellence in Economic Development Awards from the Washington, D.C.-based International Economic Development Council.

The Fredericton economic development agency won Gold for the Fredericton Community Profile in the category of General Purpose Print Brochure, and Silver for Planet Hatch in the Entrepreneurship category.

The awards were presented at an awards ceremony on Tuesday during the IEDC Annual Conference, which was held in Toronto.  This was the first time that IEDC held its conference in Canada. The IEDC is a non-profit membership organization serving economic developers. With more than 5,000 members, IEDC is the largest organization of its kind.

“On behalf of the IEDC Board of Directors and Excellence in Economic Development Awards Advisory Committee, congratulations to Ignite Fredericton,” IEDC Board Chair Michael Langley said in a statement. “Not only did they work to provide a necessary service to their community; but also, their participation in the awards program sheds light on their stellar projects which other communities can now use as a benchmark.”  

The Fredericton Community Profile is a booklet containing an economic snapshot of the community comprising various statistical data and value propositions to attractively position the region. In addition to a brief history of Fredericton, the information highlighted in the profile ranges from demographic data to awards and recognitions to education and lifestyle.

Planet Hatch, New Brunswick’s flagship accelerator, is an economic initiative led by Ignite Fredericton and Knowledge Park. These three outfits operate as a single organization but have three distinct brands and service offerings.  The startup suite of services runs from Planet Hatch -- offering a full range of programming designed to help entrepreneurs turn their ideas into game-changing products and services in all sectors.

“These awards are considered leading economic development best practices among IEDC’s network of 5,000 members,” said Laurie Guthrie, Economic Development Specialist with Ignite Fredericton, who was present to accept the awards as an IEDC member. “It’s a major compliment to have our work recognized on this international stage.”