GROWTH Alberta hosted a wildly successful Regional Socio-economic Workshop at the Eagle River Casino on February 5 - 6, just outside of the town of Whitecourt. The event drew a diverse collection of regional stakeholders, including representatives from 33 municipalities, counties, Indigenous communities, Metis Settlements, industry stakeholders, government offices, and school divisions from as far as Driftpile Cree Nation, Hinton, and Drayton Valley. The gathering highlighted the importance of regional collaboration and community partnerships in establishing shared socio-economic principles and working together to identify and achieve collective goals to further these foundations.

One of nine Regional Economic Development Alliances (REDAs) in Alberta, GROWTH supports a broad swath of the province’s north central corridor. REDAs are non-profit organizations consisting of member community representatives and regional stakeholders who work together with the Government of Alberta to cultivate business, growth, and prosperity within a defined geographic area. 

Perry Phillips and Keleigh Cormier of Clearthink Group facilitated the workshop, guiding the group through a series of exercises to identify the shared priorities of the assembled participants, working through the first steps of creating a dynamic strategic plan for the region, able to respond and adapt to an ever-changing social and economic environment.

Early on in the process, impactful contributions from Indigenous members of the group highlighted the need to rethink some of the ways in which smaller communities have been approached in the past. These insights helped the larger group thoughtfully reflect on messages of true inclusivity, setting a positive and optimistic tone for the rest of the workshop. In the spirit of inclusivity, it was also brought to the larger group’s attention that words like municipalities and counties are not inclusive for smaller communities that do not fit into either of these categories. On considering this insight further, the group landed on the idea of reframing the language of describing organizations as communities instead of traditional descriptors (municipalities, counties, industries, etc.) and the REDA as a “community of communities.”

“The dialogue took us down some very important paths, and a number of paradigms were challenged. People were very honest about their assessment of ‘where we are’ in terms of ‘where we need to be’ – they didn’t sugar coat anything, yet seemed undaunted about the work that lies ahead. It was great to see that optimism, considering what we hear these days about how the past few years have hit rural communities so hard.

It was clear that participants understand and appreciate that economic development (and growth) cannot be sustainable without commitment to sociological values and priorities. For example, a lot more attention needs to be paid to understanding and appreciating the diversity we have and start thinking more about a community of communities,” said Phillips.

Brad Hestbak, a Regional Economic Development Specialist with the Ministry of Jobs, Economy, and Trade, had this to say about the proceedings, “I’m very impressed with the turnout. I think there is a wide range of communities represented. It was great to see participation from our Indigenous partners, both First Nations and Metis settlements.”

GROWTH Alberta hosted this workshop as a first step toward engaging with the region’s many stakeholders to assess their specific needs and create a new framework to guide collaborative efforts to support social and economic benefits for the region for years to come. With more engagement sessions planned for the near future, GROWTH hopes to bring more stakeholders to the table and, hopefully, increase the REDA’s membership.

Janet Jabush, Chair of GROWTH Alberta, summed up the board’s excitement over the event’s success, saying, “I couldn’t be happier with the attendance, conversations and outcome of our two-day workshop. We managed to gather a very diverse group of stakeholders, including industry, school board representatives, Indigenous communities, Metis Settlements, and municipalities. They were open, honest and collaborative. Growth Alberta will build on this momentum with further opportunities for dialogue and an updated strategic direction for its members.”

The success of GROWTH Alberta’s Regional Socio-economic Workshop was underscored by honest, meaningful dialogue and open discussions across diverse perspectives as attendees rolled up their sleeves and started the hard work of forging a path toward sustainable economic growth while also prioritizing shared sociological values and improving the quality of life for the region’s residents. Looking ahead, GROWTH Alberta is poised to build on this momentum, with plans for further engagement sessions and a renewed strategic direction that reflects the needs and aspirations of its diverse membership.