By: James Tessier, Community Economic Development Coordinator, CFABSW

Community Futures Alberta Southwest (CFABSW) has recently completed its three-year business visitation program (BVP).

Over the three year period from July 2011 to April 2013 the program attempted contact with over 1040 businesses in the CFABSW region.  It arranged and completed 640 interviews with businesses owners and managers in the eight jurisdictions which make up the CFABSW region.

The interviews, conducted by BVP Coordinator James Tessier, invited businesses to provide feedback on a number of issues related to their business needs. Owners and managers were asked to address issues that ranged from basic business activities, to market conditions and the company’s primary market base, to labour force requirements, and the community’s strengths and weaknesses as a place to do business.

By: Frank McTighe – Editor, Fort Macleod Gazette

August 7, 2013

Fort Macleod Chamber of Commerce will offer more money management and investment courses at F.P. Walshe School.

Chamber members decided Thursday during the monthly meeting to expand its Junior Achievement offerings to three courses.  Chamber members on Thursday talked about the proposal and decided to offer the three courses at F.P. Walshe School beginning this fall.

Junior Achievement Southern Alberta was established in 1960 with a goal of inspiring and educating young people to succeed in the global economy.  Junior Achievement helps young people understand business and economics, and develop entrepreneurial and leadership skills.

By: Frank McTighe – Editor, Fort Macleod Gazette

July 10, 2013

Fort Macleod Chamber of Commerce will join a regional initiative to get people to shop locally.

Chamber president Terry Daniel and past president Srecko Ponjavic learned last month of the Pincher Creek’s “Think Local First” campaign.  The campaign is designed to promote local business to encourage people to shop locally instead of going to the city.  “We felt this was an initiative that could go right across the southwest,” Daniel said.

Daniel and Ponjavic provided an update on the program Thursday during the Chamber’s July luncheon meeting at the Rural Alberta Business Centre.  The two Fort Macleod representatives learned about the “Think Local First” campaign at a regional Chamber meeting in June.  “We thought maybe we could tie this in with Fort Macleod” Daniel said,  Ponjavic agreed.  “Immediately I thought this was very expandable,” Ponjavic said.

Pincher Creek Co-op Part of a Pilot Project to Highlight Locally Produced Products

Bryan Passifiume – Editor, Pincher Creek Echo

July 10, 2013

Shopping ‘local’ is more than just a trendy fad.

More and more people are making a concerted effort to spend their grocery money on locally grown or manufactured products -- even before Canadian bestsellers like The 100-Mile Diet made us take a closer look at where our food comes from.

The Localize Your Food project is an initiative to provide shoppers with information about where their food comes from, and rates each product with a score based on where it was produced, who owns the company and where the ingredients came from -- all based on the location of the store.

By: Frank McTighe – Editor, Fort Macleod Gazette

July 10, 2013

Sharon Lecocq received an education herself when she agreed to teach a Junior Achievement course to Grade 8 students at F. P. Walshe school.

Lecocq hsaid Thursdeay while the experience was enjoyable, she found out how challenging it can be at the head of the classroom.  “I have so much respect for teachers in that grade now,” Lecocq said with a laugh.“  It was very exciting.”

Lecocq provided an update at Thursday’s meeting [of the Fort Macleod & District] on the first Junior Achievement course offered at F.P. Walshe school.