This thesis investigates the concept of community economic development. The study focuses on a local organization in southern Ontario, the Centre Wellington Community Development Committee. Because cultural assumptions of liberalism and industrial capitalism implicit in the concept might have obfuscated its meaning, guiding definitions were proposed for community, economic, development, and organization. Likewise, an inductive methodology was emphasized because deductive methodologies, it was argued, could introduce similar cultural biases. Special attention was paid to assumptions in formal economic theory. Alternatively, a substantive economics, which would not assume cultural behaviour patterns, was topically considered throughout the thesis. Evidence was drawn from historical literature, peoples perception and behaviour, the organizations association with other agencies, statistical data, and four other organizations in southern Ontario. The evidence indicated that the role of local elite, vested interests among public agencies, and inter-organizational competition were not well addressed in the concept of community economic development.