Big news more is here! The Crowsnest Centre Site is sold.

Last night CAO Myron Thompson in his report to council stated that there should be an announcement this week on the old Crowsnest Centre site.

I am told that some time in just a matter of days we will be receiving another rousing issue of the Mayor's corner, gloating about all the good things they have done or going to do for our community.

Keep in mind this is an election year, the local politicians at least the one's seeking re-election will be spending the next seven months convincing us that they are critical to maintaining the "momentum" moving forward. Come September/October we are going to hear again and again how important it will be that there  be continuity within the council ranks. To keep the confidence of the Coal miners, Hotel developers, Quebec manufacturers, and to conclude the Annexation process in our community.

I believe that the people in the Crowsnest Pass are too smart to buy this very old political game. At the end of the day is any company that's serious about spending ten's of millions up to $5-600 million to develop mines, hotels, or manufacturing plants in the Crowsnest Pass, going to back out because the make up of council changes? I don't think so.

If local council's were that important to this process wouldn't the Riversdale group have the MD of Ranchlands council on board?

Note: Latest Update on the Crowsnest Centre Site From the Pass Promoter's very own Joni MacFarlane

A large construction company has just been awarded the sale and contract of the former Crowsnest Centre site.

Council voted unanimously on Jan. 22 to enter into a sale and construction agreement with Medican General Contractors.

Started in Medicine Hat as a concrete company, Medican began building single-family homes and condominiums and was one of the first builders to introduce luxury condos for homeowners aged 40 and up.

They’ve now expanded across the country with completed condo developments in Quebec, Saskatchewan, B.C. and Alberta.

The municipality said details of the sale would be released to the public shortly.



http://www.crowsnestpasspromoter.com/2013/01/23/crowsnest-centre-site-sold

Alberta is booming, 2011 Census results released today.

Well almost all of Alberta is booming with a population growth of 10.8% or in real number’s almost 355,000 new residents came to our province during the last five years.


The province is growing in leaps and bounds with the exception of this little corner down here in the South West the Crowsnest Pass actually was one of only four municipalities in Alberta with a population of greater than 5000 that actually shrank, yes our population dropped by 184 people (3.2%).

How will this affect the community?

Right in the pocket book most provincial or federal grants are based on population. My last year on council we were getting roughly $1400 in grants for each resident a drop of 184 based on that same amount would impact the community to the tune of $258,000 per year.

The other problem with this information is that you are stuck with these numbers for five years until the next census.

How did we compare to our neighbours?

Pincher Creek grew by 60 residents or 1.7%

Fort Macleod grew by 45 residents or 1.5%

Cowley grew by 17 residents or 7.8%

Sparwood grew by 49 residents or 1.4%

Elkford grew by 60 residents or 2.4%

Fernie grew by 231 residents or 5.5%

We must keep in mind that this census was conducted last spring so these numbers are very current and would reflect a lot of the hiring that the mines have done over the last two years.

Interesting Population Stats on the Crowsnest Pass and surrounding area

The following stats reflect the population decline in the Crowsnest Pass and surrounding area from 1981 to present.

----------------1981---1986---1991---1996---2001---2006---2006 vs 81

Crowsnest Pass--7340---7577---6680---6356---6262---5749-----78%

Elkford BC-------3126---3187---2846---2729---2589---2463-----79%

Sparwood BC----4157---4540---4211---3982---3812---3618-----87%

Fernie BC-------5444---5188---5012---4877---4611---4217------77%

Pincher Creek---3825---3800--3660---3659---3666---3625-----95%

Total----------23892--24292--22409--21603--20940--19672----82%

Why the analysis? well first of all I know we have a problem with population decline in the Crowsnest Pass, and we all know that there are obvious reasons for that.
I also have a theory that the population decline is directed related to the work practices of our largest employer (BC coal mines). I have long taken the position that the implementation of the four on four off schedule at the mines had a huge impact on our community. These numbers I believe support that, if you look above the four on four off schedule was implemented in 1983-84 the numbers peak in 1986. The work schedule was relatively new at that point and only a few people were living outside the area, as time marched on more and more mine employees realized the mobility that schedule provides them.
Prior to that time nobody had more than two days a week off, much more difficult to live outside the area.
If you examine the numbers CNP, Elkford and Fernie suffered relatively the same decline in population, 21 to 23%. Where Sparwood dropped 13% still significant but not as bad as the others, I would argue that Sparwood did not suffer to the same degree due to it being blessed with logistics, being right in the middle of all the mines.
Then to further prove my theory I provided the numbers for the Town of Pincher Creek close to our area but not very dependent on the mines for employment, its population only dropped 5% over that same time frame, which I'm sure you would find is consistent with rural Alberta outside of the energy sector.
You may ask why is this information relevant?
Well barring the mines going back to eight shifts, (which will never happen the employees like the four days off and it is more efficient for the employer)
Our resident population is going to keep declining in the overall area, even with the mines hiring people are finding that they can live in Lethbridge and work here.
The competition between local communties to attract people moving here is going to become more and more fierce. People that do choice to live here are going to look at the individual communities, and determine which best suits their needs we will never be able to compete with the towns in the Elk Valley as far as proximity but we have to compete with them in other ways. Appearance is a prime example.