WC Conversations: Recent Episodes
Wheatland County
Join the WC, Wheatland County's Community and Development Services department, in conversations related to living and investing in the Wheatland County region east of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Find out why the WC values its brand of Infinite Landscapes - Infinite Possibilities!
Carolyn Melnyk, a Workforce Consultant with Alberta Labour and Immigration, joins Patrick Earl, Jamie Kramble of Wheatland County and Wendy Gerbrandt of Community Futures. Carolyn talks about the Alberta Jobs Now Program, Canada-Alberta Jobs Grant, and Critical Worker Benefit on this WC Conversation.
For more information on the programs discussed, see the links below.
Alberta Jobs Now Program
https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-jobs-now-program.aspx
Email: jnp@gov.ab.ca
Phone: 1-833-838-9500
Canada-Alberta Job Grant
https://www.alberta.ca/canada-alberta-job-grant.aspx
Email: jobgrant@gov.ab.ca
Phone: 780-638-9424 (in Edmonton)
Toll free: 1-855-638-9424
Critical Worker Benefit
https://www.alberta.ca/critical-worker-benefit.aspx
Email: cwb@gov.ab.ca
Carolyn can be contacted at Carolyn.melnyk@gov.ab.ca.
Community Futures Wild Rose (CFWR), in response to the Business Retention and Expansion COVID-19 Survey in 2020, is pleased to launch marketing and wellness recovery programs and services for businesses and entrepreneurs in response to COVID-19.
The Mastering Your Recovery initiative is a two-part series that will provide businesses with access to specialized supports to identify challenges and develop actionable strategies in areas of marketing and wellness. Entrepreneurs who register into the program(s) will be assessed and provided a recommended path to assist them in overcoming challenges about marketing, business development and wellness.
CFWR recognizes that all businesses have been impacted at varying degrees, and therefore the Marketing Series will be offering a tiered approach to its program offerings. Businesses who have experienced challenges with their digital presence, marketing strategies, pivoting, customer base, sales and distribution channels, customer service, etc., will be eligible to receive support to assist in developing an actionable marketing strategy, access to training, and/or business counselling supports. We will customize the series to best suit the needs of the business.
The Wellness and Resiliency Series will provide entrepreneurs who are struggling with stress, fatigue, loss of sleep and other physical symptoms as well difficulties managing day-to-day activities will benefit from the group workshop. Entrepreneurs will learn to develop a self-care plan to build resiliency and have a renewed energy to lead their organization to success. The wellness series will provide access to a one-day workshop and to a coach to develop a wellness plan to assist entrepreneurs with their recovery.
Wendy Gerbrandt, Community Economic Development Officer, Community Futures Wild Rose, states, “Our marketing and wellness programs will assist entrepreneurs in their resiliency and recovery efforts. Businesses who have been struggling with marketing and wellness and are requiring supports to develop a clear vision and path forward will benefit from our series.”
The Mastering Your Recovery Series will be open for registration beginning June 1 through to July 5, 2021. We will begin the intake process immediately as entrepreneurs enroll so as not to delay the supports so desperately needed.
The Mastering Your Recovery project is available to businesses within the Community Futures Wild Rose region. The project will conclude on December 31, 2021. This project is supported by: Western Economic Diversification Canada, Community Futures Wild Rose, the Town of Strathmore, Kneehill County and the Village of Acme.
The project has been supported by: Village of Linden, Town of Three Hills, Three Hills District and Chamber of Commerce, Wheatland County and our media sponsor 104.5 More Country. Mastering Your Recovery has secured Strong Coffee Marketing and Excello as our program delivery agents. Community Futures Wild Rose will also offer business counselling services.
To register and for more information, please visit or contact:
Wendy Gerbrandt, Community Economic Development Officer Community Futures Wild Rose
403.934.8888 ext. 3
wendyg@albertacf.com
https://wildrose.albertacf.com/master-your-recovery-series
Wendy Gerbrandt, Community Economic Development Officer with Community Futures Wild Rose discusses the importance of succession planning for your business and ways to go about getting support for your business.
The Community Futures Wild Rose based in Strathmore, Alberta and serves a number of communities east of Calgary within Wheatland County, Kneehill County, Bassano and the eastern portion of Rocky View County. Community Futures Wild Rose is a community-driven, non-profit organization staffed by business professionals and guided by a volunteer Board of Directors. They provide a wide range of small business services and business management tools for people wanting to start, expand, franchise or sell a business. They also run a number of specialized business programs, organize exciting business events and actively work with community and business leaders to foster rural economic growth.
Funded in Western Canada by Western Economic Diversification Canada, Community Futures has been supporting small business and rural economic diversification since 1986. There are 27 Community Futures offices in rural communities throughout Alberta and a total of 269 across the country.
wendyg@albertacf.com
http://wildrose.albertacf.com/
403-934-8888
Learn more about what the WC brand is all about and why we use it within Wheatland County! Patrick Earl, Economic Development Officer has a conversation with Matt Boscariol, General Manager of Community & Development Services. The discussion ranges from topics on all the high-level activities within the department and how the team works to provide services to the County and drive investment attraction to Wheatland.
Tam Andersen, owner of Prairie Gardens near Bon Accord, Alberta discusses how she grew her agritourism business from a straw u-pick to one of Alberta's largest agritourism experiences. She talks about her CSA program, greenhouses and her creative adapting during the pandemic. www.prairiegardens.org
Jamie Kramble, Investment Attraction Specialist and Patrick Earl, Economic Development Officer with Wheatland County talk with Heather about land opportunities around the west side of Wheatland County related to residential and industrial opportunities.
Jamie Kramble, Investment Attraction Specialist and Patrick Earl, Economic Development Officer with Wheatland County discuss the aspects of what investors are looking for in projects and business development with Markus Lehmann of Navigatio Capital.
Markus Lehmann, Navigatio Capital
https://www.navigatio360.net/
Investment Attraction Specialist with Wheatland County, Jamie Kramble, talks with Origin Business Park broker Steve Grande. They discuss the Origin Business Park's value for development opportunities.
For more information about Origin Business Park contact Steve Grande at steve@originpark.ca or 587-600-1090.
To find out more about Wheatland County and the WC visit www.infinitewc.ca or contact Jamie Kramble at jamie.kramble@wheatlandcounty.ca.
Economic Development Officer, Patrick Earl, talks with Jamie Kramble, Wheatland County's new Investment Attraction Specialist about investment opportunities and the strategy is working on to present the County as open for business. Jamie discusses how the WC brand will assist in showcasing the County and getting it even more investment-ready.
WC Conversations is focusing on Carseland. To view this conversation visit https://youtu.be/3z7G5dLjSdg and to see more of our videos visit our WC media page at www.infinitewc.ca/media. Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified of new content.
Economic Development Officer Patrick Earl of Wheatland County welcomes Chris Page of Nutrien, Mark Simon owner of Mark's Parts, Georgina Nicolls president of the Carseland Agricultural Society and Jennifer Alce who is involved in the Carseland Aggie Days and Bull-a-Rama. All of these guests live in Carseland.
Carseland is a community within Wheatland County located on Highway 24 southeast of Calgary that offers a great quality of life, amenities, businesses and charm to its residents and visitors. This WC Conversation highlights what makes Carseland a gem only minutes from Calgary and a highlight within the region with its proximity to industry, open spaces, and the Bow River.
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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WFCSS
Lynn Walker Chief Administrative Officer
Wheatland Family & Community Support Services
Hwy 1, RR 1, Strathmore AB, T1P 1J6
Phone: 403-934-5335
Cellular: 403-901-4438
Fax: 403-934-2457
Email: lwalker@wfcss.org
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Wheatland Crisis Society (Strathmore Shelter)
If you would like to speak with one of their Crisis Workers (available 24 hours/day) or for general inquiries, please call us at 403-934-6634 or 1-877-934-6634. For general inquiries, email them at wcs.general@wcsab.ca.
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Strathmore & Area Adult Inclusive Learning
learn@strathmorelibrary.ca
www.strathmorelibrary.ca/learn
403-934-5440 SAIL is for Alberta residents. To volunteer: https://www.strathmorelibrary.ca/Adul...
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Wheatland County Food Bank
Lynette Aschenbrenner, Executive Director
Ph: 403-324-4335 (Hours: Monday - Thursday 12-4 pm)
Email: wheatlandfoodbank@gmail.com
Website: www.wheatlandfoodbank.com
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Prospect Human Services – Rocky View and Wheatland Employment Services
C: 825-509-4660
www.prospectnow.ca
www.rwemploymentservices.com
Kelly.Yorston@prospectnow.ca
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/
info@ruraldevelopment.ca
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
REALTOR® Royal LePage Benchmark
403-807-8538
hd@heatherdougall.com
heatherdougall.com
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.
He’s also the author of three books. His latest, “Spiders in Space: Successfully Adapting to Unwanted Change,” was released in 2017. Todd is a strong advocate in the arts and culture community. He is the board chair of the Calgary Arts Academy, and is on the boards of the Glenbow Museum and the Alberta Ballet.
We have a discussion with Shae Bird, Executive Director at Indigenous Tourism Alberta about indigenous tourism development and marketing happening in Alberta.
Patrick Earl, Economic Development Officer with Wheatland County, Alberta talks with Mark Shields, Small Business Strategist with Business Link and Wendy Gerbrandt, Community Economic Development Lead with Community Futures Wild Rose region about small business challenges and opportunities around the COVID-19 pandemic.