SUNDRE – Endeavouring to further enhance local events and festivals, the municipality has approved an allocation of $50,000 for a temporary contract position to help facilitate the efforts of local groups that want to organize activities that not only entice visitors but at the same time also provide recreational opportunities for the community.
Linda Nelson, chief administrative officer, told council during a recent regular meeting that Sundre has been identified by Travel Alberta as being among one of the 10 destination development zones with a high potential for tourism growth throughout the next decade.
Nelson said year-round events, tourism, supporting existing businesses, growth as well as culture are all part of the municipality’s strategic priorities.
With a reported 9.5 million vehicles driving through Sundre every year, administration was tasked with finding ways to draw travellers in to stop in the community, she said.
Offering additional insight, she said Alberta’s tourism industry represented roughly $10.1 billion in expenditures in 2019. So, the municipality is exploring a strategy to encourage more visitors to the community through collaboration with local artisans, businesses, tourism operators as well as other stakeholders who share a commitment to the common goal of preserving and enhancing the community.
“The plan is to work with volunteers, as well as a temporary paid position, with a focus on attracting and enhancing festivals and events into the community, partnering with local groups on existing events, and endeavouring to create a sense of community by ensuring all tourism efforts also provide a benefit to our residents while supporting local businesses,” she said.
To that end, administration sought council’s support in allocating an amount not to exceed $50,000 from the community services stabilization restricted surplus account to the community services operating budget to support enhanced festivals and events in town.
So moving the recommended action, Coun. Todd Dalke expressed support for the motion not only from a perspective of growing tourism but also for providing residents with more recreational opportunities as well as offering help to existing local organizations that might benefit from an additional event-planning resource to facilitate their efforts.
“This is to assist them; this is to try to get more events in our area,” said Dalke, adding he hopes local groups put it to good use.
Also speaking in favour of the motion, Coun. Owen Petersen said, “I feel that tourism is a benefit to having a good, strong community – and vibrant. Festivals are one of the things that can help that.”
Calling the move a win-win scenario, Coun. Paul Isaac also said he appreciates the idea that the initiative will not only help grow tourism but also support more activities for families in the community to participate in.
Mayor Richard Warnock said events that bring people to town by extension supports the wider local business community. But he added the many groups dedicated to organizing a wide variety of events sometimes struggle to find enough volunteers.
“I am hoping that this position will bring the volunteerism back by being out there, grabbing the people in Sundre and really getting them interested in coming forward and helping us put on these events,” he said just prior to calling a vote on the motion, which council carried.
In response to a follow-up question for clarification about whether the allocated funds were intended to provide an additional grant program dedicated specifically to events and festivals or if the approved amount not to exceed $50,000 was to pay for a facilitator that could help groups to organize events, Warnock told the Albertan, “It’s going to be a contract position.”
Should the initiative work out, he added that council will decide at a later date whether to make the position permanent.
