Upcoming workshops aim to bring goals to fruition

The Jasper Community Sustainability Plan Working Group goes back to the public next week with the next phase in ongoing community plan consultations. 

“With the Feb. 11 and 12 goal-setting meetings completed, the next Jasper Community Sustainability Plan engagement events are workshops to be held March 25 and 26 to consider strategies and actions to implement the goals,” said Working Group chair Ron Hooper.

Director of Corporate and Legislative Services Verne Balding, said after identifying where the community wants to go in the future, working on the strategies and actions determines the things Jasper will do to get there. “So I think it will be one of the more informative and one of the more interesting things for people to participate in,” Balding said.

For the first of the two events on March 25, participants will be asked to develop strategies through specialized mapping exercises and facilitated discussions during a day-long interactive workshop. The day workshop will take place at the Sawridge Inn from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the evening session runs from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Participants will be divided into four groups, each with a different focus to integrate concepts from all eight identified planning themes. Copies of the draft community goals will be distributed to each of the four groups and each group will be asked to suggest strategies and action plans for the goals. 

Each group will be given a set of primary goals relating to their group’s topics as well as supporting information and fundamental goals which are the same for all groups.

Workshop participants will be given an information package to help them prepare for the discussions. The packages will contain copies of the draft goals and indicators and will describe some of the discussion questions. Participants are also encouraged to review the theme-based background reports for additional information. 

Participants are asked to register in advance to help organizers prepare for the workshop and to provide for distribution of the advance information package. To register, contact communications manager Janet Cooper at 780-852-1560 or email jcooper@town.jasper.ab.ca by 4 p.m. on March 20.

The second of the two workshops will take place the evening of March 26 in the Activity Centre’s Upper Curling Lounge. The results of the first workshop will be presented to the broader community that evening, and community members will have the opportunity to share their own ideas and strategies.

Beginning at 7 p.m., the consulting team, the Working Group and participants of the previous day’s workshop will present the strategies and ideas developed. Following the presentation, there will be an opportunity for meeting participants to discuss and review the strategies. The consulting team will also prepare a presentation to outline and highlight emerging plan issues and strategies. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and pre-registration for the second workshop, on March 26, is not necessary.