The Calgary Metropolitan Region Board has entered the final phase of public engagement for their regional growth plan.

From now until April 8th, several public workshops and other engagement events will take place, and will be focusing on the draft plan.

CMRB Chair Greg Clark was quoted in a release:

"This plan is about approaching growth and new development differently than we have in the past, so we want to be sure that people in our communities know what's being proposed and have the chance to tell us if they're comfortable with the direction we're heading."

Foothills County has been vocal in their opposition to the plan for some time now, and just recently released a "Call to Action" for residents to participate in the engagement events and activities, and to contact their local MLAs as well as Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver.

The release includes a message from Reeve Suzanne Oel outlining the issues the county has with the plan and its potential ramifications.

Oel says those ramifications are numerous.

"This growth plan shuts the door on rural opportunity, limits economic development for rural members, creates red tape and economic uncertainty, was developed with insufficient public engagement, is biased against rural municipalities, and will cost taxpayers money."

According to Oel, the County has been engaged with the process at every level but have been largely ignored.

She says residents should take a look at the policy for themselves, and that the detrimental aspects should be clear.

"When you dive into the policy on this and you look at the draft plan, you'll see that there are serious problems for the county's future. It's super limiting and the perspectives that are being shared just don't fit for our region and don't fit for our county."

With the plan having advanced as far as it has, Oel says it's important now more than ever to speak up.

"We're really encouraging our residents to support those concerns or to certainly become familiar with what we're dealing with so that they would be able to state their opinions, so we're very much encouraging their participation because their voice really does count."

The final phase of public engagement ends on April 8th.

The plan must be submitted for approval by Minister McIver by June 1st.

 

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