This paper highlights ways in which Canadian colleges and institutes, with locations in over 900 communities, are widely accessible and well-placed to support community economic, social, and cultural development. As the only post-secondary presence in many Canadian communities, colleges and institutes serve as catalysts for increasing economic and educational opportunities in their communities by acting as partners or agents for local innovative development, complementing local economic and environmental assets, building networks of employers, community groups and local/regional governments, and creating a national dialogue on rural and remote communities socio-economic development, including aboriginal participation. Colleges and institutes are key providers of training and skills development programs, using advanced technology to facilitate on-site training in essential employability skills to the existing and future workforce and working with employers to increase training and apprenticeships in trades and technical sectors. At the individual level, colleges and institutes are the largest suppliers of advanced adult training and education in Canada, serving as the primary national network mandated to support government, industry and labour in the design and implementation of a national human resource strategy that provides all Canadians with the tools required to become lifelong learners and supporting the integration of immigrants in the workforce. As centers of research and innovation, colleges and institutes are positioned to spur innovation and economic revitalization within the regions they serve, providing targeted applied research and rapid technology transfer support to regional business and industry.