The local Regional Economic Development Alliance (REDA) has received a one-time injection to enable it to adapt to the lower core funding amount.
GROWTH Alberta applied for the $50,000 transition grant in February. This grant was a part of the memorandum of understanding when funding was slashed across the province for REDAs. It was the understanding that the one-time funding would be available only for this year, said GROWTH manager Troy Grainger, and that REDAs would have to look at alternative sources of funding to maintain the value each adds to its own respective region.
The province advised REDAs in February that the province is restructuring its support, which involved major changes to funding. Cuts to that funding were implemented in April. Core funding was dropped to $75,000 from $100,000; administration funding dropped to zero from $65,000; and the overall impact on the administration budget was a cut to $69,537 from the previous $124,537, which resulted in REDAs having to lay off staff and increase reliance on fee for service contracts.
Grainger said 25 per cent of the grant will go toward staffing, while the remainder will be put toward operations and the strategic initiatives on which GROWTH will be concentrating for this fiscal year. The board, he added, recently approved its operational plan.
“We have great partnerships with our membership,” Grainger said. “For instance, the County of Barrhead that has donated office space. We are always looking for ways to access revenue streams that would sustain the value we add to the region.”
GROWTH Alberta staff and its board members are all keeping a close eye on the leadership race. Grainger said it is well understood that with a new leader, there will be changes in the cabinet, and there will be inherent shifts in priorities as a result.
“We don’t know where we are on the radar, and we just have to wait and see,” he said.
For now, Grainger said the plan is to maintain business as usual and add value to the region. Business has been going well since taking over the reins, he added, although the tourist season suffered somewhat as a result of the wet weather.
Promoting tourism in the area is a significant focus for GROWTH, he said. The organization will act as a support mechanism when Barrhead and Westlock host the Alberta 55 Plus Games in 2013, because this will provide a great venue through which to promote the region across the entire province. The athletes competing at the games are the ones who generally do a lot of travelling, he said, and GROWTH wants to ensure they come back.
Grainger said staff are continuing with plans for several events that have become very popular around the region. The annual Business Awards luncheon in October, scheduled to coincide with Small Business Week, is where GROWTH will formally announce the winners of the various awards. They will be handed out at the gala in January.
GROWTH’s School Expo is scheduled for November, and one of the primary objectives of this event is to demonstrate to area youth that there are many employment opportunities in the region, whether or not they pursue post secondary education or go into a trade, Grainger said.
“We want them to know that they are able to come back to the area and live and work here,” he said.
GROWTH is also looking at forming task forces to attract older adults to the area. Access to health care and shorter wait times at hospitals are all something about which areas like Barrhead can boast, and residents of rural Alberta are much better off than their counterparts in more urban areas.
“The broad umbrella is attracting more residents, and it’s not just about focusing on youth,” he said.
Anyone wanting more information about GROWTH Alberta is asked to contact Grainger at 780-674-3140 or visit the website at www.growthalberta.com
