Sustainability brings opportunity

By Tamara Neely
Staff Reporter

Environmental concerns are bringing new business opportunities for Okotoks entrepreneurs, said the co-founder of Citizens for a Sustainable Okotoks (CFSO).
New markets and financial opportunities are opening up and CFSO co-founder Lyle McRae, is encouraging Okotoks business owners and the municipality to take advantage and continue to be a leader in environmental sustainability.
McRae, who works in data warehousing, presented a vision of a sustainable lifestyle full of economic benefits to the March general meeting at the Okotoks and District Chamber of Commerce last Wednesday.
Taking advantage of new markets requires identifying the opportunities and jumping in, he advised.
“If you don’t push the envelope the opportunities for change don’t happen,” said McRae, adding, “Old ideas equals old results.”
One idea McRae offered would strengthen local business, reduce environmental impact and reduce the stress of commuting to Calgary: implement a commuter train.
Given many Okotokians work in Calgary, a station in Okotoks could have a significant economic impact on local businesses; commuters would pick up their groceries and household needs at the stores
within a radius of the station.
In addition, buying locally has the social impact of connecting people in the community.
On the environmental front, a commuter train, he said, is more environmentally sustainable in that it’s taking cars off the road. Fewer cars commuting to Calgary also means less stressed-out drivers.
While developing a commuter train requires the involvement of government, there are other opportunities individual entrepreneurs can initiate.
Plastic bags, for example, are recognized globally as an environmental problem and with an interest in moving away from them a niche opens up.
McRae said an enterprising individual could begin distributing biodegradable corn-based bags. Landing distribution rights for a start in Okotoks, the market could spread across the Foothills, to Calgary, and to western Canada.
The key, he said, is to look at the shift toward environmental sustainability as bringing economic opportunities and to take the initiative to benefit from those opportunities.
The CFSO is interested in supporting the Town of Okotoks to implement new environmentally sustainable initiatives.
“We’ll bring the idea forward and help the (municipality) to get funding,” said McRae.
“Ultimately you need to have citizens’ support and the Town of Okotoks, they’ll need help to get the funding from the province and if we get enough citizens support we can get those ideas forward.”
The CFSO group’s goals are to promote sustainability, educate residents of Okotoks, advocate sustainability and encourage resident involvement in municipal policy.
Through sustainability, said McRae, comes a stronger connection within among neighbours and community pride in addition to minimizing environmental impact.