ELK POINT — The Town of Elk Point has talked for years about marketing itself to potential investors. Now, council is looking to put some money behind those conversations, although not everyone is convinced spending ,000 on a plan is the best way to get there.

At its November 9 regular meeting, council approved moving forward with a provincial grant application for a strategic marketing project to help the Town identify investment opportunities, attract businesses, and develop a long-term plan to promote Elk Point.

The proposed project carries an estimated $60,000 price tag, with the Town responsible for $30,000 if its application to Alberta’s Economic Development in Rural Alberta Plan (EDRAP) grant program is successful.

The municipal contribution would potentially come from reserves in 2027.

But before council gave the green light, there was some discussion about whether the investment would deliver results or simply become another expensive report.

$30,000 is a lot of money for a small town

One councillor questioned the value of spending that much money on developing a strategy, particularly when the cost doesn’t include actually putting the marketing plan into action.

“My personal position is that, you know, it seems like municipalities regularly do stuff like this, but $30,000 of our own money plus another $30,000 taxpayer money to get a direction without any implementation included seems pretty steep to me,” the councillor said.

“We’re a small municipality. $30,000 is a big chunk of change.”

There was also concern about previous studies that haven’t necessarily translated into meaningful action.

The Town’s housing study was raised as an example, with the councillor questioning whether its findings had made much difference in guiding local decisions.

“My fear is that that could be what this ends up being. If they come back with advice that we don’t like, well, then it’s just some cost and we move on.”

The concern wasn’t necessarily that Elk Point doesn’t need a marketing strategy. It was whether hiring a consultant was the most effective way to develop one.

Elk Point has been talking about marketing for years

Mayor Wanda Cochrane acknowledged the cost but supported moving forward.

“It is a big chunk of change, but it’s less than 60,” she said, drawing some laughter around the council table.

“I personally would be in support of this because we have talked about marketing year after year.”

Other members of council agreed that Elk Point needs a clearer direction when it comes to attracting investment and promoting the community.

One councillor pointed to the number of organizations already working on economic development and community initiatives, suggesting there could be opportunities to better coordinate those efforts.

“I think there is a need for alignment,” the councillor said, noting that organizations are often working independently, sometimes with overlapping goals.

The hope is that a strategic marketing plan could give the Town and its partners a common direction rather than having everyone working separately.

More than another study collecting dust

Chief Administrative Officer Jaye Parrent explained that the project is intended to go beyond simply identifying opportunities.

The proposed work would build on information already collected by local economic development organizations, including existing studies on land development and utility capacity.

The goal would be to turn that information into an actionable marketing strategy, including materials that could be presented to prospective investors.

For example, if a business is interested in establishing itself in Elk Point, the Town could provide information about available development opportunities, infrastructure capacity and the types of investment the community is looking to attract.

Parrent also emphasized that community engagement would be an important part of the process.

That could mean going directly to residents and businesses to ask what they value about Elk Point and what they believe the community needs.

“I have a vision of us at the Co-op just asking people what they love about their community, what they want to see, and if they could share one thing, what would it be?” Parrent explained.

Those conversations would help shape the strategy and the marketing materials developed through the project.

The idea is to build a plan that reflects Elk Point, rather than simply producing a generic marketing campaign.

What happens next?

The $60,000 estimate is based on an initial quote obtained to establish the project’s potential cost.

If the grant application is successful, the Town intends to issue a Request for Proposals, allowing other firms to submit bids.

That means the final cost could be lower than $60,000, with both the provincial and municipal contributions reduced accordingly.

Administration also clarified that the Town’s $30,000 contribution is conditional on receiving the provincial funding.

If the application is unsuccessful, the matter would return to council to determine whether to pursue a smaller project or abandon the initiative.

Council ultimately approved supporting the application and committing up to $30,000 toward the project, although the vote was not unanimous.

For Elk Point, the challenge now is turning years of conversations about economic development into something businesses and investors can actually use.

And as council’s discussion made clear, the expectation isn’t simply to have another plan sitting on a shelf.

It’s to give Elk Point a better chance at attracting the businesses, investment and opportunities the community has been looking for.