Carlton Trail Regional Economic Development Authority Inc. has entered into three year service contract with Saskatchewan Regional Economic and Cooperative Development to provide four basic economic development "pillars" of service within the CTREDA region:

Pillar 1: Capacity Building

Capacity building is the development of regional capacity to generate new ideas to increase investment, resources and businesses. Its progress is measured not just in numbers of jobs but also in a quality of life that extends into all corners of society. It is about building assets that are not easily measured.

Capacity  building focuses on:

• Expanding and diversifying the people who participate in regional decision making
• Helping to build new leadership and strengthening people’s skills
• Creating and implementing rolling strategic and work plans
• Helping to build more effective community organizations
• Helping to use local resources more effectively and efficiently
• Planning to meeting regional needs for labour, capital and regulations

Pillar 2: Investment Readiness

Investment readiness consists of the stages of development activity that move a region from reactive to proactive mode in order to create opportunities.

Investment readiness focuses on:

• Community profiling
• Business retention and expansion strategies
• Sector development strategies
• Investment marketing plan
• Ensuring appropriate infrastructure is in place to attract new investment
• Ensuring appropriate regulations are in place to attract new investment
• Assisting in access to capital

Pillar 3: Business and Sector Development

This economic pillar is made up of the services and programs available within a region to support new, existing and expanding businesses and sectors.

It focuses on:

• Business counselling and training
• Providing resource materials and information
• Research and development
• Project development and management
• Downtown and industrial park development/revitalization
• Clustering initiatives
• Export readiness; import replacement
• Productivity enhancements

Pillar 4: Sustainability

Sustainability is an integrated economic, social and environmental approach to capitalizing on a region’s natural attributes to sustain and enhance regional wealth.

This pillar focuses on:

• Growing the local economy
• Preserving the environment
• Increasing population
• Securing financing for organizations and projects
• Addressing infrastructure needs
• Addressing regulatory needs
• Marketing and promotion
• Implementation of long term strategic and work plans

CTREDA Mission Statement

To promote and assist in economic and social development while improving the economic infrastructure and quality of life within the region.

CTREDA Vision Statement

Carlton Trail Regional Economic Development Authority Inc. shall become the model in Saskatchewan for sustainable economic growth and prosperity.

CTREDA Guiding Principles

The following points represent the beliefs and basic values of the Carlton Trail Regional Economic Development Authority Inc.

• Responsive
• Innovative
• Dependable
• Cooperative
• Sustainable
• Proactive
• Knowledgeable
• Responsible leadership
• Respectful of confidentiality
• Delivery of  quality services
• Networking central
• Environmentally friendly
• Partners for success/progress 

CTREDA Annual Work Plan

CTREDA Board of Directors hosted a consultation evening with members as well as non-member municipalities and businesses in January of 2006 to gather feedback that could be used to help create the CTREDA 2006–2010 Work Plan. As a result, the following CTREDA goals were established:

• Goal 1: To maintain and ensure financial stability of CTREDA
• Goal 2: To investigate and foster community and regional economic development opportunities and initiatives
• Goal 3: To provide community support in economic development
• Goal 4: To improve marketing of CTREDA services
• Goal 5: To improve marketing of CTREDA region
• Goal 6: To make CTREDA region immigrant-ready
• Goal 7: To improve promotion of Small Business Loans Program and increase number of loans

For each goal, CTREDA lays out a number of deliverables to be met by the organization in the current operating year. Accomplishments based on the deliverables are monitored and evaluated by the CTREDA Board of Directors and Saskatchewan Regional Economic & Cooperative Development.