Town of Cochrane Strategic Plan – Final Report October 2014
Foreword
In early 2013, the Town of Cochrane determined a need to develop a five-year community
strategic plan. The municipality wanted to identify strategies that will improve the community’s
economic outlook and quality of life. The Steering Committee sought a coordinated, communitycentred strategic plan to help the municipality and its partners capitalize on emerging
opportunities and competitive advantages.
As with many small communities with commodities-based economies, Cochrane faces increasing
challenges in economic diversification, population retention, and infrastructure development. The
municipality acknowledges the difficulty of balancing quality of life with the realities of a
diminishing tax base. They also recognize that strategic planning can help focus limited resources
on priority issues by guiding decisions on “what’s in” and “what’s out.” The strategic planning
process itself is extremely valuable, as it can help stakeholders understand the need to prioritize,
and the risks attached to trying to be all things to all people. When key stakeholders are engaged
to the extent that they have opportunities to buy into the plan, chances of successful
implementation are much higher.
The purpose of this strategic plan is to identify realistic short-, medium- and long-term economic
and community development opportunities that address the Town’s vision and mission. This
document contains eight major sections:
1. Executive Summary
2. Vision and Mission
3. Community Engagement Process
4. Environmental Scan
5. SWOT Analysis
6. Proposed Strategic Directions and Opportunities
7. Opportunity Feasibility and Alignment
8. Implementation Plan
Acknowledgements
The consulting team would like to thank the Cochrane Strategic Planning Committee for its
guidance, commitment and assistance throughout the process.
Economic Development Committee Members
Peter Politis
Drew Anwyll
Stephen Depow
Maryjane Archibald
Anne-Marie Law
Julia Martin
Dennis Draves
Victoria Barrington
Laura Labelle
Donald Narbone
Dan Cook
Resource Members
Joel Richard
Marlene Lamarche
Stephane Gallant
Denis Berube
JP Ouellette
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