The public engagement results from the first of three phases of Envision Cochrane 2050’s engagement plan were presented to Town council at the Committee of the Whole information meeting Nov. 6.
Mark Spence, Senior Planner to council, provided the update on the Town’s latest effort to improve community engagement.
Envision Cochrane 2050 commenced in March 2023 with the selection of the project's lead planning consultant and engagement specialist.
The public engagement campaign launched on September 5th, leveraging multiple outreach methods, including social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, and YouTube), newspaper ads, newspaper and radio interviews.
Some key engagement tactics included: creating a webpage link on Let's Talk Cochrane, where users could fill out surveys, engage interactive maps, and post their questions or comments; lobby displays, where users can fill out paper surveys and topic cards, and, live pop-up engagements with residents, attended by Town and consultant staff at the Farmer's Market, the Downtown Gazebo, and the Spray Lake Sawmills Centre.
In addition to engaging the public at large, the consultant, O2, also reached out to a number of local organizations to conduct focused one-on-one interviews.
The results and analysis of phase one include a brief statistical summary of the public engagement.
The engagement efforts focused on public outreach (which included the Cochrane community at large and local community organizations), as well as internal stakeholders with administration at the Town of Cochrane.
More than 1,800 people have actively engaged with Envision Cochrane 2050 through various modes of communication. This equates to over 5 per cent of Cochrane's population.
Spence’s report stated, “The number of respondents (those who gave feedback) was just under 600, which equates to 1.6 per cent of the population, which exceeds the standard benchmark rate of respondents for a public engagement (typically 1% of the population).”
The website recorded 2,000 visits; 840 people searched for more information; 329 provided feedback on the survey.
Lobby displays/sounding boards garnered 152 filled out response cards or paper surveys and 94 people provided feedback at the three pop-up events.
Direct interviews with seven community groups (Tourism Cochrane, Cochrane Integrated Arts Society, Cochrane Chamber of Commerce, Spray Lake Sawmills Centre, Calgary Regional Airshed Zone (CRAZ), Big Hill Haven (Women's Shelter), Developer's Liaison Forum) also took place.
In addition to public engagement, internal stakeholders within the Town of Cochrane have provided feedback and direction through focused workshops (usually organized by Town departments). Each department was given the opportunity to participate in Envision Cochrane 2050 to identify administrative needs related to their organizational goals and objectives and help inform draft policy scenarios for Council consideration. Some of those workshops are still ongoing and are planned to continue into future phases of engagement.
After outlining the methodology, Spence shared some of the initial findings in the feedback with council.
What Stands Out
Participants had the opportunity to comment on six topics or focus on the areas that they were most interested in or passionate about. These topics influence the organizational framework of the Envision document: Vision - Your vision for the future of Cochrane; Identity - Respecting our heritage, culture and values; Livability - Ensuring access to safe, affordable housing, green space and recreation; Open Space and Natural Areas - Protecting our natural environment for future generations; Vibrant Economy - Supporting our local economy; and, Connectivity - Improving how we move around the community.
The open spaces and natural areas have attracted new residents and is a sense of pride for long-time residents. Although many residents want improved infrastructure such as roads, pathways, and more recreation and commercial amenities, they do not want development and growth to occur at the expense of losing these natural features.
Much of the concern expressed over growth was overdevelopment and further expansion in natural areas and the loss of natural spaces for environmental needs and recreation purposes.
When asked “What is your priority for the new municipal development plan to address?” the top two responses were: “Protect our open spaces and natural areas” and “Improve how we move around Cochrane.”
A sampling of some of the responses to the question “Has anything surprised you about how Cochrane has grown over the past 25 years?” included the rate or acceleration of growth in general, as well as:
- Unsustainable growth that is expanding or sprawling without open space considerations
- Growth has been permitted without sufficient planning or foresight
- Services and infrastructure can’t keep up with growth
- Not enough alternative traffic routes
- Overcrowded schools
- Limited water licencing Cochrane is becoming a city and too big. It is losing its character
Note: these are merely the top seven, and are included here for brevity. To view the entire document, go to cochrane.ca, where it is posted under the ‘livestreaming of council meetings’ section, Nov. 6 Committee of the Whole.
