DIDSBURY - The new year is shaping up to be a busy time in Didsbury, with numerous projects and other plans in the works, including ongoing efforts to enhance the downtown core, says mayor Rhonda Hunter.
In a year-end interview, Hunter says the newly-elected council is happy to see important infrastructure projects on the table.
For example, the town has applied for a Canada Community Revitalization Fund grant for one such project.
“It’s a federal grant that they will match up to $750,000,” said Hunter. “We’ve applied for that to complete a $1 million enhancement of 19th Avenue between 20th Street and 21st Street. That’s a big grant that we are hoping to see some success from for the downtown core.”
The town has also applied for a provincial grant in support of the proposed library expansion project, with officials hoping to hear back in January on whether the grant has been approved.
“We are eagerly anticipating an announcement on that,” she said. “Once we hear about that grant we will start to make plans one way or another about the library expansion.”
The multi-year capital plan includes continuing work on the 15th Avenue stormwater mains project in 2022.
Expanded heritage lighting in town is also in the works, she said.
“We want to continue to beautify our downtown with those projects and keep a focus on the downtown core and our streets,” she said.
The Town of Didsbury will continue to promote the community as a filming location in 2022, she said.
“We have had such success with that and that is always on our minds,” she said, noting the economic development department will be spearheading efforts to bring additional filming projects to the town.
At the council level, work on the new four-year strategic plan will be one of the early 2022 priorities, she said.
“As a new council we will be sitting down and setting out our strategic plan for the next four years” she said. “With the new council we need to get that strategic plan done to start the vision and include the community and businesses in setting that vision. So that is certainly one of our priorities.”