As you read through this edition of KNotice you will see a lot of information about a number of initiatives that are currently underway or are in the final planning stages for projects that will impact the BRAED Region and its members in the near future.

The Fall Forum will hopefully set the stage for increased focus and access to youth entrepreneurship programming in the Region; I look forward to the prospect of Junior Achievement and other like programming becoming more available in the Region as well as the exploring new options to introduce the values of the programming provided by the Canadian Youth Business Foundation.

The November 10th Meet N Greet will provide a great opportunity for our members to exchange ideas and meet representatives from other communities and organizations throughout the Region. The evening's guest speaker Jeff Schnieder from Marketing Ninjas will provide all of us with practical information about the use and benefits of social media. I am really looking forward to the evening and hope to see you there.

BRAED is also hosting the Attracting Foreign Direct Investment Seminar in Wainwright on November 2nd, this session will be of great value to our members that are interested in marketing their commercial and industrial lands and to be more effective in their efforts to attract foreign investment.

This is only a sampling of what's on the horizon, each of the projects and the various initiatives are indented to bring benefit to the BRAED Region as a whole and as importantly to the individual member communities.

"Stay tuned" for a lot more to come in the future.

 Bud. 

Business & Investment Task Team

Task Team Members have been busy working on a number of fronts including exploring:

• Ways BRAED can align with the efforts of the BRAED communities that are establishing "Ambassador Programs" and how BRAED may support these efforts to bring added value to the Region.
• How BRAED can support our business community in key sectors by identifying trade shows that have the greatest potential for businesses to participate in and examining the role BRAED could have in supporting these efforts.

Trade Corridor Development Task Team

 Members of the Task Team along with representatives from the other Task Teams met on October 4th, 2011 to develop a new marketing plan - the result of the day be will outlined in the forthcoming "Marketing and Communications 2011/2012 plan"  With the plan in place, the Task Team is confident the new plan will help guide all future marketing efforts and how they will support the marketing and communications needs of the other Task Teams.

The Task Team is asking for your help to identify potential invitees to the upcoming Fall Forum. The Forum is a major building block for the work of the Task Team and is inviting key decision makers from the region who have a real interest in advancing youth entrepreneurship in the BRAED Region.  If you know of someone that you believe should be part of this important event, please contact Rodger Cole at (780) 994-7459 or email him at colectbl@telusplanet.net

Camrose County ~

 A Place to Work and Play! 

Camrose County is host to a variety of economic and recreational activities. With more than 7500 residents, the County's parks, beaches, lakes, and campgrounds are bustling, especially on a hot summer day! Places such as Driedmeat Lake, Miquelon Lakes, Tillicum Park, and the Nature Conservation Centre attract residents and visitors to the natural beauty of Camrose County.

The economic activity in the City of Camrose, has a synergetic relationship with the surrounding rural community. Many County residents work and play in the City and many City residents work and play in the County. Because of this strong relationship, Camrose County has elected to remain agriculturally driven. However, economic activity in Camrose County still employs many residents and also provides value to the County in terms of assessment and tax revenue. The assessed value of the entire County in 2010 totalled $1,757,650,000.

With more than 1500 farm dwellings, according to the 2008 County Census, Camrose County boasts a thriving agriculture industry.  The 837,000 acres of land in the County consist of a wide array of soil types and terrain, providing for unique landscapes, different types of mineral deposits, and agricultural production ranging from commodity grains, to Alberta beef, to fresh produce and specialty meats. This type of economic activity is unique in that it is family orientated, employing all types of people from seniors to young children and showcasing the ability of multiple generations to work together.

On the other side of the spectrum, Camrose County hosts a handful of powerline and telecommunications enterprises along with a significant range of oil and gas activity. There are almost 100 companies which own industrial land in the County; their operations include mostly oil and gas wells, but also telecommunications towers, and grain elevators. In addition, pipelines, power lines, and telephone lines, crisscross the region; these companies offer critical services for County residents and industry.

Camrose County also provides infrastructure by maintaining more than 2500 kilometres of roads. Roads are not only the backbone for industrial activity, but they are also used by County residents daily. Whether it is for travel to and from work, for the school bus picking up students, or for hauling commodities and equipment, roads are integral to the economy of the County and thus one of the main priorities for County Council.

Camrose County understands the need to balance work and play in order to attract and retain people to live in this community. Many valuable resources are found in the County including productive agriculture land, oil and gas, and most importantly the hard working, dedicated, and proud people who call Camrose County home.

Who has the control?

The final in a series of articles provided by three panellists that participated in the Prosperity Panel at the BRAED AGM in Hardisty earlier this year. This one is writtten by Sarah Wray of FarmOn.com

 I was recently at a School Council meeting where I presented a Facebook page I had created for the Bashaw School to the parents, teachers and principal. My intention was to showcase the innovative and unique programs delivered in our school and community. Over the course of a week, this page received 4000 hits, and over 130 users (Bashaw School only has 252 students). The page was quite successful in its own right, but it was still met with objection. I did understand where their objections were coming from as the privacy issues and the 'what ifs' have been stated 1000 times by many organizations. It is my observation though, that it is the people's fear of change is what would halt this progression.

You see I had been at the school about 3 months earlier showing them all of the opportunities that were available to them online around promotion and communication. Like most institutions, the school needed to get permission from their authority. The School Division did not give the go-ahead because they had to develop policies and procedures around the use of Facebook in schools as they believed it was a safeguard against misuse. This is a very common response among organizations with respect to Facebook as they believe that as long as they don't get involved, they have control. Many believe it will be a trend that will end soon and if they dig in their heels and resist the change it will eventually pass. In truth, what organizations fail to realize is that they do not have control on whether they are involved or not. As an active school member, I started the Facebook page and I was now in control of spreading the school's message.

Technology is changing the scope of how people interact, do business and seek information. These social strategies are not leaving anytime soon. As rural communities face issues around retention of youth and attracting investment, the time to become involved has never been better. Our world has a global economy not one based on geographic proximity. A rural youth could become a clothing designer and still remain in their hometown. Ten years ago this would not have been possible. The question is - what is your community doing to create this opportunity? What environment are you creating to help seed these opportunities?

It is time to embrace the changes technology presents. While the changes may be viewed as good or bad, the reality is that they are here to stay. If you use them for your rural community's advantage, they could provide new opportunities that were not previously available. Ask yourself if you are going to take control and get in the driver's seat by supporting and encouraging your rural youth to stay by embracing social learning and new technologies, or are you going to let the urban centre's capture your youth and entice them to stay?