1) Community Development – What initiatives would you develop to help Calling Lake
become a thriving community, & what opportunities do you want to happen so residents are
engaged in the community?
First off, one individual cannot make a community thrive, it takes many individuals and groups
(i.e. stakeholders, ratepayers, full time and part time residents) to have a thriving community. In
saying this, initiatives that are much needed are communication, cooperation and working
together. These three concepts can make any community thrive, but if there is no buy in from
individuals and groups it is a difficult endeavour, but is still possible. For residents to become
engaged in the community, the concepts of what is wanted, what is needed, what needs to be
done and above all, understanding one another is crucial.
2) Safety & Security – Residents must feel safe and secure in their homes and
neighborhoods. Please give some examples of how you would make that happen.
Here again one individual, on their own, cannot make people feel safe and secure in their homes,
its only through working together and coming up with ideas on how this can be achieved that is
important. Again, the community must come up with strategies and plans and put these ideas into
action, it’s possible to feel safe and secure in your home if people are willing to work together to
come up with solutions.
3) Life Long Learning – How would you facilitate Calling Lake residents’ access to grade
school and post-secondary adult education and other life-long educational opportunities, without
having to leave the community?
The concept of Life Long Learning where you don’t have to leave the community for
educational opportunities is a question that the Province of Alberta, the Government of Canada,
have been tackling for years in small rural communities. Individuals and groups must work very
closely with the Province of Alberta if one is to achieve educational opportunities without
leaving the community. The dollars for Education flow from the Province of Alberta, therefore
they are the key in any negotiations that take place. To achieve this one must work very hard to
convince the Provincial Government to put infrastructure and dollars into the community.
4) Economic Development – How would you encourage a thriving economy that includes a
diversity of small businesses and local industry?
As we all know the pandemic has put a strain on the world’s economy, but nonetheless there is
still a beautiful lake that we live by and a vast forest with many resources. One only has to look
at the amount of people that use and enjoy this lake year-round and this is an area that can be
tapped into for small business. The Oil Industry is also very active to the Northeast of Calling
Lake and there is a vast oil field being developed there. To encourage a thriving economy, Small
Business and Local Industry can tap into these sectors with support from local Government (i.e.
the MD of Opportunity).
5) Recreation, Arts and Sport What would you propose to do, to create opportunities for
recreation, arts and sports to all Calling lake residents?
The MD Council must be in support of Recreation, Arts and Sports in order to create recreational
opportunity for all residents of Calling Lake. By support, (i.e. user fees must be affordable,
access for everyone, programing for activities and events, and above all feeling safe and secure
in all facilities) one must have effectiveness at the council table, it’s only through working with
and cooperating with other council members that this can be achieved. Also, now is the time to
plan for the inevitable lifting of all restrictions in Alberta so that Recreation, Arts and Sports can
be fully enjoyed.
Gerald Johnson