Good Afternoon Everyone,

Thank you to everyone who attended last night’s community meeting on the Municipal Development Plan. The dialogue and sharing of ideas, concerns, and aspirations of Thorhild County was extremely valuable in everyone getting informed, engaged, and prepared for next week’s Open Houses.

To all of those in attendance, please remember to share the feedback and insights discussed last night with as many people as possible so that we are all ready to provide meaningful contributions to the future of Thorhild County.

Attached is the slideshow presented last night that will provide an overview of what was covered. Here are some of the key topics that were collectively debated and determined to be very important factors in the Municipal Development Plan rewrite.

• • Prior designation of future industrial land use in the Southwest corner of the County, where boreal forest currently resides
  • Subdivision rules including size and number of parcels, and allowance for multi-generational housing (the number of dwellings permitted on each parcel)
  • Carbon capture sites including the benefits and risks of allowing such activities to take place in the County
  • Planning for seniors including housing options and required infrastructure to promote Thorhild County as a destination for those seeking seniors’ care jobs
  • Easier subdivision and development permissions for smaller acreages and homesteading operations

There was also a valuable discussion on the “Priority Setting” workshop that forms part of the interactive sessions at the Open Houses. As the exercise will involve choosing theme words that resonate with each participant from a predetermined list of 50, it was widely discussed the buzzwords that we should be watchful and wary of. Some of these words included: Smart, Green, and Sustainable. Though they may sound impactful and representative on the surface, the true meanings of these words may not accurately reflect the values of residents. Care must be taken to ensure that the words chosen are truly one’s vision from the core.

Lastly, thank you to all those who volunteered to be part of the upcoming Planning Committee to work alongside the consultant. There is a diverse background of individuals to represent a cross-section of the population.

For the rest of the community, keep an eye on future community meetings throughout the coming months. The newly formed Planning Committee will be presenting the progress of the MDP rewrite and will be the liaison between the community and the consultant. We will help facilitate those meetings for the committee.

We hope that everyone will attend an Open House next week. If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback, please contact us.