The WC Conversations are showcasing the communities of Wheatland County. Next in our series is Speargrass.

Economic Development Officer for Wheatland County, Patrick Earl, welcomes Jacob Manz, Lorraine Toews, and Jeff Perry of Speargrass.

Speargrass is a unique community within Wheatland County that offers a special quality of life and charm to its residents and visitors. This WC Conversation showcases what makes Speargrass a gem only minutes from Calgary and a highlight within the region on the banks of the Bow River.

To view the WC Conversation https://youtu.be/TIwW7k5JwTs

To see more conversations or listen to our podcasts visit www.infinitewc.ca/media

WC Mercantile is the first sector-focused initiative under the WC branding of Wheatland County, Alberta Canada. The initiative is to develop out the region's agriculture value-chain network from farm production, through to processing, distribution and then to retail and restaurants for consumers. For more information on the initiative and to get involved visit www.infinitewc.ca

This WC Conversation is a discussion with a few of our region's support organizations. We talk with Wheatland County Family and Community Support Services, Wheatland County Food Bank, Strathmore & Area Adult Inclusive Learning, Rocky View and Wheatland Employment Services, and Wheatland Crisis Society. We hear about all of their major programs and challenges and opportunities during the pandemic and discuss what is coming in 2021.  

If you are looking for their support see their contact information below.  

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This WC Conversation has Wheatland County Reeve, Amber Link and General Manager of Community and Development Services, Matt Boscariol review the year that was and how the WC brand, economic development, planning and development and other department efforts have evolved since the WC emerged in late 2019. They also discuss how the WC has adapted to the challenges of 2020 and where it's going into the future.

This WC Conversation is with Dee Ann Benard, Executive Director with Rural Development Network.   Dee Ann Benard is the inaugural Executive Director of the Rural Development Network (formerly known as the Alberta Rural Development Network). Dee Ann has over 15 years of experience as an Executive Director and has spent over 25 years working in rural Alberta. With this experience, Dee Ann leads the RDN, helping smaller communities navigate the landscape of rural development in areas such as building affordable housing, addressing homelessness, increasing immigration, supporting agri-food initiatives, and finding solutions to big issues such as transportation and community sustainability.   

The RDN has a vested interest in seeing communities thrive, not just survive, and is well-positioned to assist them through the complicated processes. Dee Ann has a B.Sc. and M.Sc. from Simon Fraser University. She has worked for government, private industry and not-for-profits in her career.  

https://www.ruraldevelopment.ca/

[email protected]

Phone: 780.964.2736

Dawn Shave is the interim director of clinical innovation with the Calgary Rural Primary Care Network. Dawn has worked with the PCN for the last 7 years and prior to that worked within the Strathmore Hospital. As a director Dawn oversees PCN nursing staff as well as the implementation of clinical services and programs. Throughout her nursing career, Dawn has worked in many settings caring for patients with complex health needs. Dawn’s passion for helping others has been fulfilled by her years of nursing service.   Dawn is a long time resident of this area with roots deep in the community. She has worked with various community agencies in order to enhance local projects. Dawn is proud to have been involved in the development of the Strathmore Lions Regional Outdoor Rink as well as many other initiatives. When she is not working, Dawn can be found taking in community events with her family or spending time outdoors.   

For additional information go to www.crpcn.ca 

For additional resources go to https://www.infinitewc.ca/covid-19-support

We are talking with Heather Dougall, Wheatland County's contracted realtor about the County-owned Lakes of Muirfield development.   Over the past 25 years, her career has focused on real estate.  Heather has worked in many different areas of the industry and which gives her an extensive base of knowledge and connections to draw upon.  As she licensed in residential, rural and commercial real estate she sells a wide variety of properties from mobile homes in Cayley, to cafes in Rosebud, to acreages in Balzac. Her areas of focus include Calgary and everything 1.5 hours surrounding. This keeps her very educated on current and upcoming Alberta communities, construction process and availability.  Also, being raised in Calgary and now residing in Lyalta she has watched Calgary and surrounding areas grow and know first hand the communities which would best suit clients' needs. Over the past six years, Heather has looked after the sales of single and duplex lots in Lakes of Muirfield, the community she calls home and is very passionate about and she is very excited for the community to gain momentum.  

Heather Dougall

Designing your Social Media Strategy

Connect Media is based out of Hope, BC, and was established in 2013. With a passion for the tourism industry, Connect Media operates exclusively within this market, specializing in content marketing, creation, and distribution, as well as project management and digital marketing strategies. Having many clients located within the Fraser Valley and Fraser Canyon, Connect Media has become the largest marketing agency serving the tourism industry in these regions, and among the largest in the province of British Columbia.  Riley will be discussing how a business can develop a social strategy and build effective creative engagement with your current and future customer.

The power of authentic visual content  Every day, locals and visitors are sharing photos of your business with their friends and networks. These visuals are authentic, unfiltered, and trustworthy content assets you can tap into to attract guests and customers.  CrowdRiff is a visual marketing platform used by 800+ destinations including the WC region, to source, get rights to and use these visuals.  

In this Small Business Week discussion, Amrita Gurney, Vice President of Marketing & Community at CrowdRiff, will explain how to use this visual content and connect to your Destination Marketing Organization's subscription if they use the platform.  ​

Amrita Gurney is the Vice President of Marketing & Community at CrowdRiff, where she leads a team responsible for marketing, brand design and customer community. She is a frequent speaker at travel and tourism events around the globe. Amrita loves digital marketing, contemporary art, drinking tea and recently fulfilled a lifelong dream of travelling to all 7 continents.

WC has a conversation with Todd Hirsch about the current state and on potential possibilities of the Alberta economy. He holds degrees in economics from the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary. For over 20 years, he’s worked as an economist at numerous organizations including the Canada West Foundation and the Bank of Canada.