Year end is here and so much in Cochrane is changing!. I am excited about some new things. September 2019 we will see buses around town contracted through Southland Transportation. This is an amazing new service for our growing community. The change will help us meet demands around social, economic and environmental issues. The Tri-Site committee, which I had the honour of chairing, has given its recommendations to town council. This group of dedicated community members gave 800 volunteer hours as they listened to many groups and individuals express the needs for services and programs in downtown Cochrane. The group agreed on the uses and made recommendations for the three town properties. Administration will look at the information and suggest timelines and funding opportunities for the projects. Next year, council will determine the future of garbage pick-up for Cochrane. Discussion has been underway for many years about how to reduce the amount of garbage that ends up in the landfills. Efforts are underway to raise awareness in the community that recycling, composting and reusing items can sharply reduce how much gets trucked to the landfill. This proactive effort will help in reducing hefty fees that Calgary says it will bill us in future years. We have had both positive and negative responses to bi-weekly garbage pickup. Last week, the Grade 6 students from Mitford school participated in a mock council meeting, where they deliberated bi-weekly garbage pickup. Students did a great job of researching the issue, gauging community response and presenting the information to the mock council. With so much change, it is refreshing to know many things stay the same. The Cochrane Activettes are out there with Share Your Christmas, helping families who struggle during the holiday season. The Christmas Light Up and the Santa Claus Parade were huge successes again. Volunteerism continues to thrive in Cochrane. There is so much spirit in this community that no amount of change will take it away! To learn more about any of the topics I discussed view Let’s Talk Cochrane at www.letstalkcochrane.ca. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! I look forward to serving on Cochrane Town Council in 2019.
