Civil and Municipal - Mar 2023

127 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 3 OLDS , ALBERTA a real-world ag environment,” says Ormann. Olds College also hosts an event called AgSmart, bringing 3000 people representing both local and global companies and government officials into the community for demonstrations on current research findings. Attainable housing is also a priority for the town of Olds, which, as a college town with a strong manufacturing sector, has a high demand for rental accommodations. “Olds has had close to a 0% vacancy for a long time, and coming out of COVID it is significantly more,” reports Williams. “One of our key economic goals has been encouraging higher density residential development and we are making headway on that.” Springwood Developments, primarily a commercial development company, recently took on a geared to senior’s residential project in Olds, which company president Cindy Casemore- Craig says has been selling units before they are even completed. Springwood also has a shopping center in the town, which is home to over 25 tenants and is an example of the economic vibrancy of the community. She describes, “We have already been through a renewal cycle, and what that renewal cycle showed us is that it’s an excellent opportunity. Olds is one of the smallest markets we are in, and yet, on our renewals, we’re garnering rates that are similar to larger communities because the business is there. Because it’s a regional service area, these businesses can get the traffic that they need to do well here and stay long term and look to 25 years in business in the same location.” Attracting health care to the community is another area of focus, with an expansion planned for the Olds Hospital and Care Center, a satellite hospital for central Alberta. “Since COVID the capacity issues facing health care across the country, but particularly in Alberta have been growing. It seems that Red Deer now needs support hospitals and Olds has filled that need for a long time,” remarks Williams. “We do have surgeries, obstetrics, and orthopedics, they are in the process of finishing a surgical sterilization unit, and just finished an expansion to the parking area as well.” In conjunction with that the town is creating a community committee on healthcare professional attraction and retention. “We are trying to get doctors and nurses and other healthcare support staff, not just to stay in the community, but to attract those professionals here. It’s a complicated issue, and many people don’t directly make that link with economic development,” he says. On the environmental sustainability side, Olds has revitalized more than 30 acres of