Red Deer County’s Community Well-being survey

Red Deer County has outlined its next steps following the Community Well-being Survey.

Conducted throughout 2016, the survey asked for resident feedback on areas such as recreation, culture, and family support services available to county residents, It was mailed to approx. 8,900 households, with over 1,900 households responding.

According to Mayor Jim Wood, “We were delighted with the response rate on this project. Having roughly 23% of households complete the survey gives us a very good insight into this diverse County. We have seen tremendous change in our population over the last ten years, and this survey reflects the changing needs of our ratepayers.”

Following the survey, discussion groups were also conducted to allow for more detailed information to be gathered.

The population of Red Deer County has recently grown by 7% after experiencing no change for approximately two decades.

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There is a growing seniors’ population, over the past five years it has has increased by 21%. Many of these seniors live in rural areas of the community and higher density population areas are developing in such areas as Springbrook and Gasoline Alley. Those regions typically attract young adults and families that are seeking affordable housing and lifestyle choices.

There is an increasing desire among residents for more locally based opportunities to engage in recreation activities such as fitness training and exercising, as well as outdoor pursuits that enable interaction with nature and experiences to enjoy the benefits of the rural setting and environment. 

Many older residents expect to live in their homes as long as possible and have not considered other options for housing as they age.

While the vast majority of residents have access to personal vehicles for their transportation needs, many expect they will need access to public transportation as they grow older.

Changes in the community have fostered apprehensiveness among some residents within the community.

Recent residential transition in rural areas and urban outgrowth development has resulted in neighours being less likely to know and engage with each other. Some older residents living in rural areas have experienced challenges accessing support services (e.g. home support, specialized transportation services, etc.) because of where they live.

Residents increasingly expect the County to initiate, develop, and invest in programs, services, and facilities so that they can be physically, socially and intellectually active.

Volunteering activities typically focus around current interests and needs such as community helping programs (health organizations, preventative and social support services, seniors organizations, etc.), places of worship, sport or recreation organizations, and schools/education programs. The raising of children and other factors impact the availability of volunteer resources, especially among younger adults with families.

The Community Needs Assessment Study identifies a list of next steps and priorities for implementation of recommendations include the following:

– Review and update Community Services Strategic Plan, to ensure that the department is organized to address changes that are occurring in the County.
– Develop an accountability framework to gauge short and long-term objectives established in the Updated Strategic Plan.
– Emphasize community priorities that have been identified within the Community Needs Assessment Study in service planning and implementation.
– Expand involvement in service delivery to address the increasing diversity of the population within the County.
– Expand Red Deer County grant programs to support the development, enhancement, maintenance and operation of the community facilities and amenities in the County.
– Develop additional staffing resources to support program, service and facility opportunities.
– Develop a Partnership and Collaboration Policy to guide relationships established with community-based organization , partners and alliances.
– Identify and develop opportunities to provide group and volunteer supports. 

For more on the Community Needs Assessment Study visit www.rdcounty.ca or go to our Twitter and Facebook pages. 

(Gary McKinnon – Red Deer County)