Nearby municipalities have taken an interest in the Olds Institute for Community and Regional Development as a model for economic development.The City of Lacombe is one of them, with its Community Economic Development (CED) plan including the use of an organization similar to the institute.“We're thrilled that they see some of the things we're doing as positive and are looking to implement that in their community as well,” said Mitch Thompson, the institute's executive director.Thompson said he first started hearing from the city about three months ago through the institute's technology committee.Municipalities have been eyeing what he calls the institute's volunteer-based model.“In Olds, we believe if you take a passionate volunteer and you provide a mechanism or a framework that will enable them to move a project forward that they think is important, you get a lot more done,” he said.Other communities have also been interested in a couple of the institute's projects, including its fibre network, physician attraction committee and Mountain View Power, he continued.Additionally, neighbouring regions have looked to the Sustainable Olds Committee and the institute's way of gauging public satisfaction.The institute mobilizes 140 volunteers on 12 different committees, Thompson said, and the organization is happy to provide input for others.“So whether we get a call from the town of Sundre, Lacombe, Carstairs, out to Three Hills, any one of the municipalities there, we would definitely try to support.”[email protected]
