As Schollie Research and Consulting was requesting feedback from the Municipal District of Taber council to help deliver a draft strategy for economic development, council decided to draft some of their own.
The initial request from strategic planning session back in December spurred on more discussion in council chambers at its regular meeting earlier this month.
“Everyone thinks economic development is bringing in another Lamb Weston or  a Hostess or something, which is good, but you can look even deeper than that,” said Tom Machacek, a councillor for the M.D. who sits on the regional economic development committee.
Coun. Dwight Tolton noted with the land the M.D., Vauxhall and Taber has, there is an opportunity for expansion in some industrial areas.
“Between Bassano and Calgary, the industrial parks that are built out there. That could be something we could definitely look at not only ourselves, but the towns around us. We’re missing out,” said Tolton. “This is the oilpatch, they are racing up and down the road from Taber every single morning and they are being restricted between Taber and Vauxhall.”
Councillors noted all the land it possesses for economic development where possibilities could abound like the Vauxhall Airport, and acres by the Vauxhall Cemetery and Enchant School.
But as councillors warned, it all starts at the base and greater co-operation is needed among varying municipalities so grander-scale projects can be undertaken. Council voiced its frustration over repeated attempts to join in a regional water initiative with the Town of Taber along with the attempts on further development in Johnson’s Addition.
“I think one of the situations that is bad here is our relationship with the town, that’s one of the things we struggle with as far as I’m concerned,” said Duff Dunsmore, M.D. councillor.
“You had the things like the rural water line we have from Bow Island. If we would have had that here going both ways (east-west) it would have opened up another rare where we have access to potable water. I’m just saying if you got a perspective company coming in here to invest and all the sudden they find that municipal governments can’t work together, that’s a red flag right there.”
Reeve Brian Brewin added while there are opportunities for further development in five mile pockets around Taber, focus should also be given to the outlying rural areas.
“There is more than just around the town for economic development. We have to look at the municipality as a whole around Vauxhall, around, Enchant, around Hays and Grassy. We have a lot of land to expand on,” said Brewin. “You can’t have the narrow sightedness of saying Taber is the only economic development around here in the whole municipality. The biggest thing is access to water and moving on from there.”
Schollie Research and Consulting’s documentation from its strategic plan session summary from December showed M.D.. strengths as being located by major north-south and east-west corridors, major rail, agricultural food processing and manufacturing, an energy sector with renewable wind energy, a young and growing population, lots of available land, and broadband internet access across the majority of the M.D. and IDPs with Taber and Vauxhall.
Challenges outlined were regional co-operation and relationships, providing services and facilities for growing residential base, rail improvements, perception of limited water resources and a supply of an affordable and stable work force. It also outlined opportunities ad a 40-year vision theme in hopes the M.D. can grow to 20,000 people.
Council passed a motion for Derrick Krizsan, municipal administrator for the M.D. to identify some key areas for economic development and accepted Schollie’s report as accurate with the perception of the M.D. and proceed with draft strategy for February.