OLDS — A new plan to stimulate and coordinate economic development in Olds and area likely won’t be implemented for about three years, the town’s new economic development officer suggested in a presentation.
Sandra Blyth started in her new position in late July.
Late last year, she outlined her plans and strategy to town council.
Blyth told council she has been in economic development for more than 23 years, including 17 running her own consulting company.
During her career, Blyth developed economic and industry growth strategies for governments, including the province of Saskatchewan and some municipalities. Most recently, she promoted economic development in Medicine Hat.
“It typically takes a year to two years to get all the data, information, strategy developed. Implementation typically doesn’t happen ‘til the third year,” she said.
So far, Blyth has determined that economic development needs to be regional, rather than purely Olds-focused in order to be successful.
“What I’m proposing is that we implement a broad-based regional economic strategy that’s developed, implemented and supported through collaboration of our regional stakeholders, including industry, government, institutions, organizations, economic and business development agencies -- getting everybody on the same page,” she said.
She said an action plan to stimulate economic development needs to not only outline how economic development will occur but also a way to measure progress achieved.
Her first task though, she said, was figuring out how the area is governed.
“We have a maze of boundaries,” she said. “We have numerous economic development agencies, numerous business development agencies, a number of which are working at cross-purposes. There’s overlap in some of these services as well.”
She has also begun the data compilation phase of her plan by meeting with representatives of major employers and businesses such as Olds College.
Blyth said she wants to learn how Olds College fits into the economy and region. She also plans to meet with representatives of local businesses to find out what they do, where they get their supplies from.
“In 25 years, I’ve walked into many communities where I’ve met the economic development officer who doesn’t even know who the owner of that leading company in their community is,” Blyth said.
“They don’t know who those business owners are. That’s tragic. How can you help build a community if you don’t know who those players are?”
Mayor Judy Dahl said much of what Blyth talked about has already been done in previous years.
“A lot of that – the past sustainability work that was done in this community that won awards was very much built on the dialogue you just shared at this table,” Dahl said.
“The information is there, the businesses have been talked to. A lot of it was done through the Municipal Area Partnership and I’m hoping that some time you can … come and listen to some of that information around the table.
“It is available and you’re on a good path of recovery, but we don’t have to build it from scratch.”
Blyth said she had reviewed that material “and there’s some great things, right? Wonderful things, and huge collaboration, but we’ve got to keep that going.”
