Town of Cochrane Strategic Plan – Final Report October 2014
original, to ensure the land continues to offer future generation’s equivalent potential for use and
development.170
Clay masonry units are usually and generally understood as a sustainable product. The
environmental impact of the production process is mostly due to the consumption of energy for
the firing of the bricks and quarrying of raw materials.171
Implementation
There are a number of ways implementation of such a project could be undertaken with a number
of phases from inception to completion. Outlined below is a three-phase approach that could be
suitable for such a large-scale project. More research would need to be completed in this area,
prior to implementation, to ensure all necessary steps and potential obstacles have been
addressed.
Promotion: If the community finds this project feasible, given the critical assessment and support
of the Vision and Mission, a promotion phase could be carried out from the onset of the project to
generate interest and momentum to carry the project forward to completion. This phase could
include securing industry partners and funding, garnering public interest, marketing and promoting
the community as a place to relocate while beginning the hiring process for ski lled labour,
contractors and other businesses needed during the construction phase, such as neighbouring
plants in creating a sustainability plan via use of by-products.
Construction: Construction of the plant would require a skilled labour force, as well as resources
and support from industry suppliers. Aggregate companies and other industry specific businesses
would be involved in the construction phase. The community would also be impacted from an
increase in workers and would need to be prepared for a rise in housing demand and other livingrelated resources. Neighbouring lumber plants would need to be consulted on using by-products
as a heat source for firing clay brick in kilns.
Production: Upon completion of the successful promotion and construction of the brick making
plant, full-time production could get underway with quarries extracting raw materials and
partnerships with local rail and transport freight companies.
Feasibility
Given the Vision, Mission and scoring criteria for potential projects, this project could be feasible
based on a number of factors; however the moderate availability of resources and potential for
funding sources such as government grants and/or partners could become a barrier.
170
Patrick Kelly. Masonry Works. “The Sustainability of Masonry in Construction Today.” Available at:
http://masonryworx.com/home/the-sustainability-of-masonry-in-construction-today/
171
Fritz Moedinger. (2005). “Sustainable Clay Brick Production.” Available at: http://www.tbeeuro.com/downloads/SustainableBuildingConference-Italy.pdf
113