The Olds Institute For Community and Regional Development has been approved for $118,500 in funding under the provincial government's Rural Community Adaptation Program. The funds will be used to draft an eco-industrial feasibility plan for the town ($82,500) and a public market concept study for the town ($36,000).
The study of the eco-industrial plan includes developing an appropriate size of an industrial park including costs; detailing community demand and/or interest in such a park; and assessing the availability and fitness of suitable locations. The study of a potential public market includes guiding, supporting and encouraging the revitalization of the uptown core through the development of a public market and assisting the community in attracting and retaining more businesses in the core.
Gail Scott, economic development officer with the OICRD, said the approved funding means that more businesses and more jobs could potentially result if both the industrial park and public market come to fruition.
“They're both very much business development type projects but they also carry components of sustainability in them being that we're looking for green, clean industry as far as establishing an eco-industrial park,” she said, adding that such a park would target jobs to keep younger people in Olds.
Scott said the public market study is about creating more vibrancy and resiliency in the uptown core.
“It also has the opportunity to extend additional tourism stay-over nights because you'll have a very active uptown core with lots going on and interesting things to do,” she said, adding that the market could be a real gathering place to celebrate the culture of Olds.
“It's a great opportunity to say to ourselves, ‘Olds is great place. We're doing great things; we're growing very quickly.' But we also need to be thinking outside of the box — what do we need to be bringing into our town … that will create diversification,” Scott said.
Asked how many jobs could be created if both projects came to fruition, Scott said that's part of the reason for conducting the studies. As an example, once the study has determined how large a parcel of land the park would encompass, that would determine how many businesses could go there and how many jobs could be created. The same would be true for the public market, she added.
“The province has specifically indicated that they would like to create vibrancy and resiliency in our uptown/downtown cores. The focus is to build on our culture … so I would think … the focus would be on what's available in that kind of uptown area … but it might come back and say, ‘that's not viable, we have to look at something else,” she said.
The OICRD should receive the money by the end of this month. The studies must be completed by March 31, 2012.
Leon Durand, chair of the Uptowne Olds committee, said both the eco-industrial park and public market are great ideas.
“We are all about sustainability in Olds and we'd certainly encourage more development of more businesses coming to town in an industrial park, particularly when they are eco-friendly businesses,” he said.
Durand said with the Fibre To the Premise project in Olds, he would hope to see more high-tech businesses come to town.
One possibility for a public market — if the Olds Agricultural Society moves out to the junction of the Queen Elizabeth II Highway and Highway 27 — would be the land that the current Cow Palace sits on, Durand said.
“The idea of a public market in Olds is definitely a boon for (tourism). I really would be nice to have a public market.” he said, noting that finding locations for the two ideas are key components of the studies.
"The idea of a public market in Olds is definitely a boon for (tourism)."Leon Durand, chair, Uptowne Olds
