During tonight’s Regular Meeting, Stony Plain Council accepted an update on the Town’s Advocacy Strategy. Advocacy with regional partners and other levels of government is one of the tools used to manage external factors with the potential to impact the Town’s ability to achieve strategic priorities. Advocacy can also refer to the use of public support to bring change to policies and practices.

“Advocacy can go far beyond simply aiming to change policies,” says Manager of Strategic Services Brenda Otto. “It can also mean the ability to influence decision-making processes. Most importantly, it means representing the interests, priorities, and positions of Council and the residents of Stony Plain to other governments and stakeholders.”

The Advocacy Strategy is updated each year in order to ensure tactics for achieving specific goals are up-to-date and in line with the Town’s Strategic and Corporate Plans. With the anticipated provincial election slated for spring 2019, it is crucial for Stony Plain Council to outline its key strategic priorities for advocacy with the Government of Alberta. These include:

  • Honouring the commitment to the replacement of Stony Plain Central School with an opening in the fall of 2021;
  • Receiving funding from the provincial Community, Culture, and Recreation Infrastructure program for a new regional recreation facility;
  • Establishing a new Municipal Sustainability Initiative agreement to ensure predictable and stable funding to the municipality; and
  • Working collaboratively to transfer authority over Provincial Highways 779 and 628 to the Town of Stony Plain.

“Advocacy is absolutely vital to achieving our vision of a strong, vibrant community representative of what makes us uniquely Stony Plain,” says Mayor William Choy. “We are dedicated to working together with the province in order to establish mutually beneficial relationships and lasting agreements to help Stony Plain continue to grow and thrive.”

You can read more about the Town’s advocacy strategy in the attachment titled “2019 Provincial Election Key Priorities for the Town of Stony Plain” on page 39 of the February 11 agenda package at www.stonyplain.com/agenda.

Advocacy