Strategic Plan

Through Strategic Planning and Brand Development, MD of Opportunity Reeve and Council have identified the following broad and ambitious strategic objectives:

  • To grow the population
  • To enable residents to be happier with, and more engaged in, their community (with a host of benefits from volunteerism to business start-ups/expansion)
  • To nurture entrepreneurship among existing residents
  • To attract more entrepreneurs and investment to the MD
  • To enhance infrastructure (health, education, recreation, housing)
  • To define and activate new economic pathways forward

These strategic objectives are reflected in Council’s Strategic Plan (2024-2025) that speaks to a desire to build a competitive economy that celebrates entrepreneurship, provides opportunity, creates jobs, and enhances community attractiveness.

MD-Strategic-Plan

Strategic Priority Areas and Goals

Residents
Goal: Support Treaty Land Entitlement negotiations for Peerless and Trout Lake First Nations and Bigstone Cree Nation
Strategy: To offer continued support of rate payers

Economy
Goal: Diversification of the economy
Strategy: To build working committees with industry, neighbours and agencies, and to solidify our industrial partnerships

Budget
Goal: Budget so that the goals of Council are achieved
Strategy: To submit more grant applications; lobby government to increase service provision in our region (healthcare, roads, education, grants); complete our existing projects; and to focus on community beautification

Marketing & Branding
Goal: Cultural acknowledgment and visual promotion of the MD
Strategy: To continue with strategic place, tourism/destination, and economic development branding and marketing initiatives

The MD of Opportunity has matters of distinction/value proposition that can be leveraged, including housing affordability, more youthful demographic/workforce, growing population, resident appreciation for the value of nature and community social connectivity, and the fact that the MD of Opportunity is the only predominantly Indigenous MD in Alberta. Anecdotally, the MD has considerable recreation facility amenity with a strong focus on youth development.

Matters of Fact

We are the only predominantly Indigenous MD in Alberta.
Indigenous Identity: MD of Opportunity – 81%; Alberta – 6.8%

Our income and housing affordability is a value proposition.
Household income 93% of Alberta. Stable ratio last 10 years
Housing costs are substantially lower than Alberta: Spending > 30% on shelter costs: MD of Opportunity 8.8%; Alberta 16%

We are young and our population is growing.
Median age 31.2, 7.2 years below Alberta median
Age 0-14, 28.1%, 9.1% proportionately greater than Alberta

The MD of Opportunity can make progress toward new ways forward and a new economic future. In the context of challenges, nurturing resident entrepreneurialism is a critical pathway forward in pursuit of economic diversification.

ECONOMICALLY…

WE are the answers we seek. We need to invest in ourselves. We are creative…and can produce craft. We are smart and only need a good Internet connection to make our services available to the world. We need to nurture the entrepreneurial in Us.

IN SPIRIT…

We are Independent and yet Together. We have to make it our own, and on our own. We are people who are resilient and self-sustaining. We are independent and hearty souls. We will self-empower ourselves – in self-determination and in entrepreneurship. From this foundation we will enable our future…the Story of Us.

Key Enablers (needed to achieve economic diversification and opportunity)

  • Entrepreneur access to programming and learning opportunities
  • Gigabit broadband
  • Housing choice, quality, and affordability
  • Self-empowerment, in the form of a self-sustaining and proud culture
  • Tourism distinctiveness (Indigenous land-based and “learn-to” experiences)
  • Planning policy initiatives
  • Business retention and expansion initiatives
  • Business growth programs

To realize entrepreneurial potential will require the MD to aggressively and holistically step into a set of business retention and expansion (BRE), business growth enablement, housing affordability, and planning policy initiatives. Pride in place and hope for the future is a necessary condition for resident business establishment and growth, which requires a bridge to be built to broader community development in the form of placemaking and asset management/amenity/services excellence.

Our Vision Statement represents a key foundation to guide and support strategic actions and marketing tactics:

Vision Statement

Every person has an Opportunity Up.

The Story of Us

Resilient and determined, self-sufficient and hearty… When facing the future, we are the answers we seek, and need only invest in ourselves. We are independent and we are together.

Our children and the generations to come whisper in the winds and across the seasons,“Rise to our full potential.” Nature and community is in our heart. Self-empowerment of an entrepreneurial future is in our soul…leveraging today’s energy and forestry industries while pursuing Indigenous tourism, entrepreneurialism, craft wood products manufacturing, and exploration of potential for critical minerals harvesting in a new energy future. Land is for the making – as sustenance, as economy, and in our role as caretakers of legacy. Investment in infrastructure, recreational facilities, entrepreneur development programming, and in our youth nurture the foundations of our new ways forward.

We are the only Indigenous-majority municipality in Alberta. Proudly. We are welcoming to all…and we are making our own way for ourselves, and for each other in our story to come.