Innisfail is dialing into a “one-time opportunity” to have access to a growing provincial information and referral phone service.
The United Way of Central Alberta recently offered the free 211 phone service to the town, which acts as a key community resource navigator and is currently only available in Innisfail through the Internet. It was brought to town council's consideration at its regular meeting on April 25. Council unanimously approved the recommendation to implement the service, which will cost about $6,000.
“I would like to stress that it is likely a one-time opportunity because we cannot bring 211 phone service to small areas,” said Robert J. Mitchell, the chief executive officer of United Way Central Alberta in his March 11 letter to Mayor Brian Spiller.
Council was told through Mitchell's letter the 211 phone service is being brought to Red Deer County, Penhold, Bowden, Delburne and Elnora this month due to recent Family and Community Support Services funding, making it possible for Innisfail to join in for the launch.
“Anyone can access this provincially through the Internet from anywhere but the 211 phone service is provincewide, but only in certain regions. It is on its way to come a full provincial service,” said Karen Bradbury, the town's community and social development coordinator, who presented the 211 phone service plan to council.
“The opportunity is there to partner with the other communities in the region. We don't have enough of a population base ourselves,” she added, noting the service's start date this month is currently unknown. “We weren't eligible previously, but when combined with the other communities in the region that makes us eligible to come on stream with that initiative.”
The confidential and multilingual 211 phone service was launched in Edmonton in 2004 and then in Calgary in 2005. It is described as an enhancement, not a replacement, of local information and referral services currently operating across the province. The 211 phone model is designed to help people find what they need, whether it is a social, government, health, employment, community or family service need. The phone service is available in more than 150 languages -- 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“We do have a lot of immigrants that come into Canada. Currently the people in our town can only access this information in English, only on the Internet,” said the mayor. “To get a verbal response in their own native language might help them a lot more and point them in the proper direction for any services that they require.”
Meanwhile, it is not known how much the service will cost the town beyond the council-approved start-up cost of $6,000. Bradbury said last week she is making additional inquiries to find out and will bring that figure to senior administration and council at a later date.
For more information on the new 211 phone service citizens can contact [email protected] or visit the website at http://www.ab.211.ca/why_211#1
Mayor Brian Spiller
"We do have a lot of immigrants that come into Canada. Currently the people in our town can only access this information in English only on the Internet."
