We’re proud of the work
we’re doing to make
Lesser Slave River even better
IN ADOPTING ITS
NEW ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
GROWTH POLICY,
LESSER SLAVE RIVER
IS EXPLORING
NEW BUSINESS
AND INDUSTRY
OPPORTUNITIES
WHILE BOLSTERING
COMMUNITY
SERVICES AND
ECONOMIC
INFRASTRUCTURE.
Hewing opportunity out of the
boreal landscape is second
nature to the people of Lesser
Slave River. The intrepid spirit of
those who founded farms, built
businesses and raised families in
generations gone by remains to
this day. With a renewed focus
on economic development, MD
Council and administration have
embarked upon a path to help
this spirit thrive.
The Economic Development
Growth Policy was adopted by
Council in late January, with the
twin goals of making it easier for
regional businesses to conduct
business and positioning the
region as an attractive work/
live/play destination. To achieve
the first goal the MD plans to
implement efficiencies wherever
possible, from minimizing red
tape and other administrative
roadblocks to maintaining low
development levies and fees to
developers. Additionally, the MD
will continue to do its utmost to
maintain low rates of taxation for
every sector of the community,
from the agricultural producer
or small business owner to the
average tax paying citizen.
Another tenet of the Economic
Development Growth Policy is
the move to introduce fees for
service. While incrementally
injecting capital back into the
MD, these types of fees will
encourage users of these
services to adapt their behaviour
in accordance with what they
actually consume.
MD administrators have already
begun to flesh out some of
the underpinnings of the new
policy, such as setting growth
priorities, formulating destination
marketing strategies, and setting
aside appropriate resources to
further differentiate this unique
boreal region apart from the rest
of northern Alberta.
As the MD lays down its economic
development groundwork, it
plans to communicate and
coordinate these activities with
its regional partners wherever it
makes sense to do so. This type
of intermunicipal collaboration
lends itself especially well to the
MD’s economic growth plans as
collective knowledge, resources
or political influence can be
leveraged to the net benefit of all
communities involved.
With this new framework, MD
administrators plan to create a
common vision to strengthen
Lesser Slave River’s business
community, enhance its tourism
opportunities, and ultimately
grow its economic base. The
overarching goal is to create new
assessment for taxation that
will sustain right-sized municipal
services and infrastructure, and
further support a quality of life
unrivalled in other rural regions.
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