OLDS — Town staff have presented a proposal to Olds council to create a space for a youth centre and for non-profit groups in and from out of the community to meet and run programming — all in one facility.
The town’s three community facilitators would move out of the town office into that centre as well, which they’re calling the Community Connections Centre. The Sunshine Bus would also operate out of that facility.
The plan is to locate the centre, expected to be in the 4,000 to 5,000 square foot range (roughly the size of Nu2U) in Uptowne Olds. Staff have already looked at a few places they say could fit the bill.
Lead facilitator Heather Dixon presented the idea in a 40-minute presentation to council during council’s March policies and priorities meeting.
She said several non-profit and community groups in the community, and those that travel into Olds to deliver services, are looking for boardroom space as well as space to meet clients and provide programming.
Dixon said the centre wouldn’t cost the town any more money, as the space would be paid for via FCSS (Family and Community Support Services) money which she said is provided via a grant from the province in partnership with the Town and Mountain View County.
Dixon was asked if any new staff would have to be hired to enable this centre to run. She said no.
She said in addition to the three facilitators, several people in the community have indicated interest in volunteering at the facility, some of whom have experience as administrators or in frontline reception.
Town councillors didn’t make an immediate decision on the request. They voted to accept the report as information with the understanding the idea will come back to council at a future date.
Chief administrative officer Brent Williams anticipates the idea could come be back to council as early as April 10.
Coun. Harvey Walsh asked if some of the non-profits would be paying for the space they would use.
"We have had some discussion with some of the groups that are looking for office space and yes, they have some budget to put toward this,” Dixon said.
Coun. Darren Wilson noted one of the suggestions is that the centre could house a boardroom. He asked if the Town couldn’t simply knock down a wall in the town office to provide that space.
"I’m not allowed to break down walls myself,” Dixon said jokingly. "That’s something that we would have to discuss.”
However, she noted that part of the concept is to locate a youth centre in the facility, and the town office doesn’t seem like an appropriate place for that use.
There’s another reason for locating the facility outside the town office, community services director Doug Wagstaff said.
“One of the things that we’ve identified both locally and in discussions with other FCSS models or other communities, is that there is a barrier for a lot of individuals in the community of coming to the town office – going to the government – compared to going to a facility or office space that’s embedded in the community,” he said.
“So this model is really a delivery model that is embedded in the community and that’s the difference from where we are today as compared to what we propose.”
Dixon said other communities in Mountain View County such as Carstairs and Cremona deliver their FCSS services outside their town offices.
She said Didsbury does something similar in that FCSS Mountain View Family Resource Network services are delivered in the town office, but they're accessed via a separate door.
“Thank you very much for your presentation today and all the great information that you put forward here,” said Deputy Mayor Dan Daley, the chair of the meeting.
“It gives us lots of food for thought and I do believe it is something our community needs.”
