Creating Community by 13 Ways

If a community isn't willing to invest in itself, then who will? That's the question posed by Mark Nikota, an Alberta-based economic developer and passionate community builder, in this week's podcast episode. Mark discusses with Doug the importance of leading by example and investing in your community's future — as opposed to waiting for change to happen organically. He also presents specific examples in which older, unused buildings have been demolished (in efforts led by local government) creating space for new investment to occur — and in doing so removing costly barriers that may be inhibiting future development from taking place. Listen in as the two discuss these items and a number of other ambitious initiatives being spearheaded to move a group of regional communities forward.

Working at the City of Beaumont in Alberta, Canada is more than just a job; it's a lifestyle. To its Chief Administrative Officer Mike Schwirtz, building an authentic, supportive culture in which staff are mobilized and engaged is the most important task a municipal leader can undertake. But in order to do so, one must empower, encourage, and allow plenty of room for mistakes. They are, after all, how we all learn, adapt, and build resilience. Listen in as Mike chats with Doug about the value of building culture in the workplace — and as he explains how the municipality leveraged the COVID-19 pandemic as a means of bringing staff together, despite being further apart.

Check out some of the videos discussed throughout the episode at the YouTube link below:

www.youtube.com/c/BeaumontAbCaT4X

A recent urban revitalization initiative in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) has seen the dramatic transformation of a large underutilized space in the city's downtown core into a bustling outdoor public gathering area. In today’s episode, Puneeta McBryan, Executive Director of the city's Downtown Business Association, discusses how the addition of a few simple outdoor features and amenities can both repurpose and rejuvenate an otherwise stagnant or neglected urban setting. Listen as she chats with Heather on the value of ambiance and aesthetics in economic development, and as the two discuss their shared love of what they describe as a ‘non-negotiable’ in any outdoor placemaking project — twinkly lights.

A community's ability to grow and succeed lies not in its size or its past, but in the spirit of those who understand what it truly can become. In community building, attitude is everything, and as Steve Langston — a passionate community builder from Manitoba, Canada — explains, anything is possible with a bit of vision, determination, and some solid community collaboration. Hear as he chats with Doug about the work, challenges, and seemingly endless opportunities associated with turning a community of less than 1,000 people into a model for innovative community collaboration.

Small towns and main streets are doing all they can to reinvigorate themselves, and are dedicating considerable time and resources to enhancing socialization, walkability, aesthetics, and other aspects of a healthy and vibrant local commercial environment. Equally as important to community sustainability, however, is the existence of a carefully planned, well-thought-out succession strategy — and the availability of resources and capacity to support it. On today’s episode, we explore this notion further with Alison Anderson and Chelsea Lees of Succession Matching, who explain that prudent succession planning may be one of the most important, yet often-overlooked, aspects of community economic development.

The Canadian government has announced a plan to offer $10/day childcare for parents nationwide within five years. This will have significant effects on parents and our economy as a whole. Recently, Doug and Heather caught up with Todd Hirsch, Vice President and Chief Economist of ATB Financial, for a chat around childcare and the future of economic development. Spoiler alert: they are inextricably linked to one another.

In the midst of an ongoing global pandemic, an array of solar panels — 25 megawatts' worth, to be exact — appeared on 100 acres of municipally owned land in the community of Innisfail, Alberta, Canada. And as new economic realities continued to force municipalities to discover innovative solutions and alternative sources of revenue, the Town of Innisfail partnered with the private developer of the project to explore and initiate a number of programs and initiatives that would ultimately create benefit for the entire Innisfail community.

As Town officials on today's episode explain, the ability to think outside the box and approach situations with an open mind can create opportunities that may otherwise be considered unfeasible — and perhaps even unrealistic. Now, however, the economic, social and environmental benefits to the community are already speaking for themselves.

Listen in to learn how a privately owned utility-scale renewable energy project is now acting as a source of long-term revenue for the municipality and helping build capacity within the Innisfail community.

When we talk about community building, it's often assumed that it's up to elected officials, administration, and active citizens to get the job done. However, we often forget about the shared responsibility of companies to develop and grow the community they are apart of. In this episode, we are joined by Paul Kimmell from Avista, an award-winning US-based energy company that has baked community building into its business plan from the beginning with amazing results. 

Tune in to hear more about how thriving companies and communities don't have to be mutually exclusive. And if you like to learn more about the work Paul and his team are doing at Avista, visit the link here -> https://www.myavista.com/about-us/our-community