Rocky View County (RVC) will be opening the doors of its headquarters to the public on July 20 from 9 a.m. till noon, inviting all residents of the county to mingle with elected officials, various staff departments, and to enjoy a free pancake breakfast.
The upcoming RVC public open house will be the first of its kind since 2019, as the COVID-19 pandemic caused the event to be cancelled in the previous two years.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to interact with the community,” said RVC mayor Don Kochan. “I think this is a good time to get a fresh start and see their new council.”
According to Kochan, who was elected to council for the first time in October 2021, many of RVC’s council members are newly elected and due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, have not had the opportunity to meet some of the community members that make up Rocky View County.
In fact, this will be Kochan’s first time hosting the open house.
“It will be nice to see the friendly person on the other end of the phone,” he said.
Kochan said many RVC residents may not know what services are available to them, and he is hoping the open house will provide an opportunity for citizens to explore the many service options in RVC and ask questions to the appropriate department.
Some County departments whose personnel will be making an appearance at the open house are members of Rocky View Fire Service, law enforcement, transportation, and the waste and recycling department.
Accompanying the differing staff members and councillors will be some of the equipment and machines that each County department uses, highlighting the new technological advancements as well as safety precautions around heavy-duty machinery.
“I think it would be nice for the community to see what changes in technology [there are] and the different pieces of equipment,” Kochan said.
Members of the Canada Task Force Emergency Command Unit will also be at the open house, discussing the types of equipment that residents can expect to see around RVC and how they should interact with these vehicles.
According to Kochan, the task force will be explaining what signage on these machines means and what citizens should do if they see the signs. Additionally, the force will discuss proper safety procedures when residents come across an emergency vehicle.
“And hopefully the kids will be able to climb in some fire trucks and other equipment that may be on display because they will certainly enjoy that,” Kochan added.
To further make the open house a family-fun event, there will also be face-painting and a petting zoo, giving children a hands-on experience with the animals and agriculture that can be spotted around RVC.
Adding to the entertainment, the open house will feature live music performances and family games.
While the event is planned to take place outside, (largely due to the size of the machinery that will be on display), Kochan said that should rain fall, the plan is to move some of the events, like the face painting, inside county hall.
“We’re hoping a lot of people will be able to come out and see us,” Kochan said.
Rocky View County Hall is located in Balzac at 262075 Rocky View Drive, just north of Township Road 262 and east of CrossIron Mills shopping mall.
