Town pledges funds for SASCI analysis

The Town of Pincher Creek recently agreed to help fund the first phase of our project to plan a sustainable economic future for Pincher Creek.   The first phase, which is now starting, is an analysis of the socio-economic impacts of the closure of the Waterton Complex.

 

Read the article in the Pincher Creek Echo here.

 

You can read more about the project on our website, www.sasci.ca, under the Projects tab.

 

This project is also generously financially supported by Shell Canada and the Alberta Real Estate Foundation.

We've moved!

SASCI has moved into new space in Pincher Creek; we're now in Suite 222 of the Lebel Mansion (696 Kettles Street).  Our phone, fax, email, and social media channels all remain the same, however.  Our Manager, David, is usually in the SASCI office Thursdays and Fridays, and our Board Chair, Celesa, has an office in Suite 220 of the Lebel, and is there most days between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm.  Feel free to drop in for a chat or call us at 403.627.1750 to make an appointment.

SASCI to Undertake Community Values Assessment

The Southwest Alberta Sustainable Community Initiative (SASCI), in collaboration with the Municipal District of Pincher Creek No. 9, is undertaking a Community Values Assessment intended to help the MD consider community values more effectively in decision-making and develop better practices for land use and land management. 

The Assessment will engage a broad spectrum of the public within the MD of Pincher Creek. The goal is to identify community values related to the natural, social, and economic environment.  The study will also consider the relative priority of those values, and identify factors contributing to convergence and divergence in values across the MD.  The findings of the Community Values Assessment, which will be made available to the public, will assist the MD and all stakeholders to assess the compatibility of proposed developments in relation to the community’s values.

The Assessment will employ a range of methods to engage a representative cross-section of the community.  The Assessment will begin with a telephone survey of MD residents in May.  A series of small group discussions with representatives of key economic and socio-cultural sectors and stakeholder groups will occur in June.  The preliminary results of the Assessment will be presented to the MD and the community in a series of workshops planned for the fall.  Input from these workshops will be used to finalize the Assessment report.

SASCI has engaged The Praxis Group™ to assist in conducting the Assessment.  Praxis is an Alberta-based and Alberta-owned firm with considerable experience in public and stakeholder consultation, survey research, facilitation, and focus group design and implementation.  Praxis has undertaken a wide range of stakeholder engagement projects and assignments within Alberta and across western Canada, and was selected following a competitive bidding process.  SASCI will play a coordinating role in the Assessment, framing survey and focus group questions, identifying community resources, and providing local support.  Praxis will conduct the survey, facilitate the focus group and workshop discussions, and prepare and present the Assessment findings.

The MD of Pincher Creek and the provincial Rural Community Adaptation Program are funding this process. 

For further information contact:

David Green:  403-627-1750 or dgreen@sasci.ca

Celesa Horvath:  chorvath@sasci.ca

SASCI offers governance education opportunity

This fall, the Southwest Alberta Sustainable Community Initiative (SASCI) is starting a new program focused on building the capacity of community service organizations in key areas like governance, fundraising, volunteer program design and management, conflict resolution, and facilitation.

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