Keystone Strategies Inc.

Strategic Planning & Economic Development

Keystone Strategies Inc.

Experience That Delivers Results

Keystone Strategies is a nimble, upstart economic development consultancy where all of our strategies are built on one keystone – delivering the results that clients need to be successful. Larry and Richard bring a unique approach to serving their clients, based on years of experience in a variety of economic development settings.

From a municipal perspective to regional collaborative development, Keystone’s principals bring a diverse wealth of experience to bear on delivering strategies that clients can use rather than just read.

Keystone Strategies’ diverse professional backgrounds and the vast network of associates we’ve developed over the past 30 years in municipal government and business consulting mean you’ll have access to a broad range of experts that are ready to assist you while exceeding your expectations.

Contact Us

Our Services

What We Do

Strategic Planning

Whether you are a municipality, an organization, or a business, you need a plan to guide your direction, help you achieve your goals, and measure your progress along the way. Keystone Strategies will work with you in developing your strategic direction, putting an action plan together to move towards your goals and set performance measures to monitor your progress. The strategic planning process will evaluate where you are today, where you want to be in the future, and what plan of action is needed to reach the desired goal.

Public Participation

The importance of engaging stakeholders, your partners, and the public cannot be overstated. Specifically trained in public participation through IAP2, Keystone Strategies can help you better communicate, collaborate, involve, and empower those who can influence and support your success.

Business Planning

Business owners face challenge at all stages, whether it’s during start up or when you’re looking to grow and expand. Keystone Strategies’ business planning process will review existing operations and challenges, examine opportunities and challenges, and work towards achieving desired outcomes. We’ll work with your leadership team to get an action plan in place and achieve results.

Community Assessments

It’s well known that it can be hard to see the forest for the trees. In order for your community to have an independent understanding of how investors, company owners, future residents, and visitors view your municipality, Keystone Strategies can perform a complete assessment of your community. Is your community investment ready? Does it welcome visitors and new residents? Keystone Strategies will assess your community and develop an action plan to address any issues so that you’re always putting your best foot forward.

Business Counselling

Now more than ever, businesses are facing challenges. Keystone Strategies and their expert associates will work with you and your business to resolve issues, expand markets, secure funding, or tackle specific challenges, helping you work on your company, not in your company.

Public Presentations, Moderating & Advice

From acting as Master of Ceremonies to moderating debates and forums, Keystone Strategies brings a professional and experienced team to your event. Maybe you’re looking for a one-time session for your community or business to address a current issue. Keystone Strategies can put together a presentation or series of presentations to address everyday challenges you may be facing. Our presenters are engaging, humourous, and deliver a clear message. Keystone Strategies can share advice and common practices that will benefit your audience and move your community or company forward.

Our Work

Experience

Keystone Strategies’ diverse professional backgrounds and the vast network of associates we’ve developed over the past 30 years in municipal government and business consulting mean you’ll have access to a broad range of experts that are ready to assist you while exceeding your expectations. Call us today at (780) 217-5995 and find out how we can provide you with the strategy you need to succeed!

Regional Economic Development

Town of Onoway and Lac Ste. Anne County Regional Economic Development Initiative – Partners in Progress

Regional Economic Development Strategy and Project Management

Read the project story

Keystone Strategies provided the Partners In Progress with a thorough and achievable regional economic development strategy that was built using an innovative stakeholder engagement process. The committee members and elected officials of the region unanimously supported the strategy, confident it reflected the needs of our businesses and residents.

They also worked with the committee in implementing the plan, acting as project managers, keeping us on track with milestones, adjusting to changing circumstances, and providing expertise to help us overcome obstacles.

“Frankly, I could always trust their advice, they always had our partnership’s best interests in their minds. The folks at Keystone Strategies are committed to achieving results with their clients, they genuinely care about success, and their extensive background meant they always provided us with sound economic development advice.”

Nick Gelych
Chairperson, Partners in Progress
Councillor, Lac Ste. Anne County

Economic Development

The City of Edmonton

Economic Development Strategy

Read the project story

Keystone Strategies served as Project Lead for TWWP [The Way We Prosper], the City of Edmonton Economic Development Strategic Plan from May – Dec. 2012. This included supervision of contract consultants, stakeholder engagement, updates with the Business Advisory Committee, and presentations to community and city groups and facilitation of the Project Team consisting of various civic department leaders.

“The project was completed on time, on budget and received unanimous support from Edmonton City Council.”

Paul Ross
Executive Director
Economic Sustainability
Sustainable Development
City of Edmonton

“...your leadership was invaluable in bringing this project to a successful conclusion. I also appreciate all the soft skills that I picked up from you over the last eight months – presentation skills, facilitating meetings and getting group consensus...”

Raja Bajwa
Senior Business Consultant
The Way We Prosper

Strategic Planning

Alberta Municipal Supervisors Association

Strategic Planning Facilitation

Read the project story
“The session was enjoyed and appreciated by all in attendance… The outcome provides direction for the executive and association to move forward in meeting today’s challenges and the future needs of the association. Thank you for your services, in particular your experience and professionalism. We are pleased with the outcome of the session and would recommend your services to others.”

Marshall Morton
President
Alberta Municipal Supervisors Association

More Experience

Additional Projects

Summer Village of Ross Haven Provision of CAO Services

Keystone Strategies provided contract municipal administration services to the Summer Village of Ross Haven. We have quickly come to appreciate their ability to make concise sense of a vast amount of material, providing Council with the timely and relevant information we need to make sound decisions.

“Keystone Strategies readily understands their role and fulfills it with professionalism and enthusiasm with our residents’ interests always top of mind.”

Council of the Summer Village of Ross Haven

39/20 Alliance Project Management and Regional Economic Development Strategy

Keystone Strategies provided the 39/20 Alliance with a regional economic development strategy built extensively on stakeholder engagement that was both measurable and realistically implementable using our existing resources.

“The team at Keystone Strategies are genuinely interested in the success of their clients, they work hard to ensure their strategies are simple to understand and easy to undertake, and their passion for economic development that is of real benefit to communities is evident in everything they do.”

Terry Balaban
Calmar Town Councillor
Chair, Calmar Economic Development Board
39/20 Alliance Board Chairperson

Opus Stewart Weir First Nation Community Development Plan

Keystone Strategies stepped in to assist us in creating a community development plan for our First Nations client. From stakeholder engagement to issue identification, their approach was both innovative and thorough.

“The recommendations made by Keystone Strategies were clear and measurable resulting in a strategy that our client could use and not just read.”

Mike O’Sullivan
Engineering Manager (Retired)
Opus Stewart Weir

Leduc-Nisku Economic Development Association Interim Management Services

The Leduc-Nisku Economic Development Association chose Keystone Strategies to provide interim management services to help the Board of Directors during a period of transition in our organization.

“The team at Keystone Strategies was able to process large amounts of information quickly, identify and recommend resolutions for gaps in service delivery, and encourage teamwork among our incumbent staff while simultaneously working with the board in ensuring we had the information we needed to make sound decisions.”

Emma Pietroleonardo
Past Board Chair
Leduc-Nisku Economic Development Association Board of Directors

What Others Are Saying

Trusted by Clients & Partners

“Larry is enthusiastic and committed to whatever task he starts on. I highly recommend him.”

Cor De Boon
Director, Northern Alberta Business Incubator

“Richard is very knowledgeable and respectful of our opinions and input. [The strategic planning] exercises facilitate great brainstorming and discussion.”

Scott Kwasnecha
Board Member, Leduc Community Adult Learning Council

“Larry is a straight-talking, honest and transparent professional.”

Duff Jamison
President of Great West Newspapers

About Us

Keystone Strategies

Keystone Strategies is a nimble, upstart economic development consultancy based on the premise that all our strategies are built on one keystone – delivering the results that clients need to be successful. Larry and Richard bring a unique approach to serving their clients, based on years of experience in a variety of economic development settings.

From a municipal perspective to regional collaborative development, Keystone’s principals bring a diverse wealth of experience to bear on delivering strategies that clients can use rather than just read.

Larry Horncastle

Larry Horncastle, Ec.D. (HLM)

Certified Economic Developer, Honourary Lifetime Member of EDAC, Three-time EDAC President’s Award Winner

Larry has more than 30 years’ experience in the economic development profession, both in rural regional projects and small to mid-size urban municipalities throughout Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Read more about Larry

He has also garnered experience from serving on a volunteer economic development committee and on boards for Community Futures and Regional Economic Development Authorities.

Dedicated to professional development, Larry was one of the lead contributors to the establishment and delivery of the Introduction to Economic Development for Saskatchewan Communities through the Saskatchewan Economic Developers Association (SEDA) and the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST).

He also served on a panel to develop the Essentials of Economic Development: Practices, Principles and Planning developed by the Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC) to assist practitioners’ understanding of the core competencies required in the economic development accreditation process. The University of Waterloo has used Larry’s expertise as a lead instructor, guest lecturer and case study host since 1990.

Throughout his career, Larry has won numerous awards including the Economic Developer of the Year from the Saskatchewan Economic Developers Association, and he has been awarded the President’s Award from EDAC for his contributions to the economic development profession three times. He is also the recipient of numerous provincial, national and international marketing awards.

During his time on the national board for EDAC, two of Larry’s accomplishments stand out – the implementation of the EDAC Code of Ethics and the creation of the MOU for the International Network of Economic Development (INED) which originated the collaboration between United States, Australia, Europe and Canada for professional development in the economic development field.

Richard Horncastle

Richard Horncastle, Ec.D.

Certified Economic Developer, IAP2 Certificate in Public Participation

Richard has quickly risen to be an outstanding professional in economic development and has won numerous awards and accolades for his work. Over his decade of experience, he has been a guest speaker at several economic development workshops and conferences and brings an energetic, entertaining presentation style.

Read more about Richard

Richard, who has a Diploma in Economic Development from the University of Waterloo, has been employed in the economic development field for more than ten years. Winner of three Economic Developers Association of Canada marketing awards, Richard understands the importance of communications and the importance of partnerships in building a positive climate for growth.

Richard maintains a commitment to sound, balanced economic growth and that approach has brought him recognition from both Economic Developers Alberta (Alex Metcalfe Award, 2008) and the Central Alberta Economic Partnership (Excellence In Economic Development Award, 2008).

Recently, Richard served on a curriculum development committee that oversaw the development of new Community Economic Development courses now being delivered by Dalhousie and Cape Breton Universities as part of their Local Government programs.

Richard is a past member of the International Economic Development Council International Advisory Committee and Content Review subcommittee. He served as Policy Chair, President, and Past-President of the Leduc Regional Chamber of Commerce and was an active member of the Chamber’s many committees.

An occasional moderator and Master of Ceremonies at local events, Richard lives in Leduc and holds his professional designation from the Economic Developers Association of Canada.

Contact

Contact Keystone Strategies

Call us today at (780) 217-5995 and find out how we can provide you with the strategy you need to succeed!

Phone

780-217-5995

Email

larry@keystonestrategies.ca richard@keystonestrategies.ca

Address

109 Keystone Crescent
Leduc, Alberta T9E 0J4