Okotoks town council is facing a turning point and the new councillors will be asked to make a significant decision — steer the community in a new direction or stay the course.
At the apex of this milestone is the Sustainable Okotoks concept. Is the concept a revolutionary document for municipal government or merely a pipedream? The foundation of the Sustainable Okotoks concept is to enable the community to live within the means of the Sheep River watershed. But the most controversial aspect is a cap on population at 30,000 residents.
However, it appears with each passing month the Sustainable Okotoks concept is more pipedream than revolutionary. A recent inventory completed by the town showed that once the land currently zoned residential is completely developed the community will be well past a population of 30,000.
Perhaps Okotoks municipal manager Will Pearce saw the writing on the wall. One of the major proponents of the Sustainable Okotoks concept and its main author, Pearce recently resigned from his post, effective the end of the month. In one respect, his resignation was a surprise in that Pearce will not be around to see his vision, and that of council, come to fruition. Pearce, arguably the driving force behind the Sustainable Okotoks movement, is leaving the project unfinished. Or, perhaps he realized it was not going to blossom as he envisioned.
Regardless, Pearce successfully helped guide Okotoks through an unprecedented commercial and residential development boom. Now, he will head to Cranbrook, where I would not be surprised if he implemented a similar concept in the B.C. community. Perhaps the sustainable community ideal will be more successful in Cranbrook.
That is not to say Sustainable Okotoks has been a failure. The project also included much-needed upgrades to the town’s infrastructure, water system, wastewater treatment plant and innovative environmental programs that garnered Okotoks international recognition.
However, if pressed, most Okotokians would admit that although they would like to maintain a small town atmosphere in the community, trying to put a hard cap on the population is as likely as Gary Bettman and Bob Goodenow participating in a love-in.
So, future council, where do we go from here?
Capping the population of Okotoks, a thriving community on Calgary’s backdoor step, is unrealistic. The people will come — young families, commuters, retirees. Whether we like it or not, Okotoks is an attractive place to live. I am in the process of moving here myself (I have lived in High River for 10 years — don’t judge me!) Council, the people are coming and we need to be ready. Therefore, during your election campaign these options need to be discussed — regional water systems, diverse housing, stemming the erosion of the downtown, construction of 32nd Street and surely Okotokians will come up with more.