“Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community.”
— Anthony J. D’Angelo
The numbers are in. As of the 2015 municipal census, our “wee little village on the Bow” is now 23,084. That’s an 11.5 per cent growth in population for our favorite town.
It’s an exciting time to be in Cochrane. People are moving here, new businesses are opening, schools are being built, pathways are being added and the new aquatic centre and curling facility will be open in 2017. Combined with the natural beauty of Cochrane, the Bow River, our hills, our closeness to both Calgary and the west country, it’s no wonder we’re getting more neighbours all the time.
Growth has many benefits. One of these is that the province uses population numbers for grant applications to help us fund the many projects we both need and want, making new roads, pools and RCMP stations financially possible. And it means that businesses want to be here. Between the recreation opportunities, the Community Health Centre, the music scene and more, Cochrane is a vibrant community. If we had a bookstore, I might never have to leave Cochrane.
Having passed the 10,000 population mark a long time ago, Cochrane could apply for city status. There’s no real benefit to it. Cochrane as a ‘town’ has all the authority we need to make decisions for our residents. For my part, it’s more a matter of self-image. So many of us moved here to be part of a ‘small town.’ And compared to Calgary we are, but in the provincial context we fit in with the mid-sized city crowd.
At over 23,000 residents, we’re facing the challenges of a small city, not a small town. This goes far beyond the need to upgrade our roads, address traffic concerns and lobby the province to upgrade the 22 and 1A intersection. The need for affordable housing and transit, that even during the last election seemed to be a problem for the future, youth homelessness, a looming school crunch and the need for more water and sewer services to serve our future population, are all challenges that Cochrane is facing today.
It can seem daunting, but I’m continually reassured that Cochrane has the resources, both people and financial, to deal with it. Cochrane is in a strong financial situation and is well served by our staff, but it’s the people of Cochrane who give me the greatest confidence.
We have such great community groups, from the Cochrane Society for Housing Options, to the Boys and Girls Club, Cochrane Environmental Action Committee, Lions, Rotary, Activettes and many more — our community takes great pride in serving Cochrane. We look after each other and when we see something that needs to be done, we do it.
As we’re running around in our bustling town, I ask you to look out for your neighbours. That’s what will keep us feeling like a ‘small town.’ No matter how big we get, Cochrane will always be a small town.
