The City of Spruce Grove has recently seen tremendous growth, resulting in an opportunity to connect as a community and focus on meaningful ways we can come together. A clear priority of Council is investing in our community to ensure a sustainable, long-term approach to creating and supporting these community connections. We are working towards building a thriving community where residents feel a sense of belonging, diversity is celebrated, and opportunities to connect are created.

Connected communities foster a sense of belonging. Together, we need to build connections and capacity so we can celebrate our diversity and work together on common issues and opportunities to cultivate a strong sense of community. An inclusive approach and reducing barriers are key components of community connection and belonging.

GOAL 1: The City has an inclusive approach to community development that values community knowledge, diversity, and wisdom.

Objectives within this goal: 

• Integrate a Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging (DIEB) lens into decision making, planning, and service
  delivery.
• Support community groups through advocacy, capacity building, and grant funding.
• Provide opportunities for residents to actively engage in the governance and future of their city.
• Honour diversity within the community to create a sense of belonging.

GOAL 2: Barriers are reduced, access is improved, and participation increases for City facilities, programs, and services.

Objectives within this goal:

• Determine the best approach to delivering social programming and services.
• Reduce accessibility and affordability barriers to housing, programming, and transportation services.
• Facilitate access to supports for residents who are unsheltered, homeless or at risk for homelessness.

Recreation opportunities are essential to the overall well‑being of individuals and the community. Whether it be formal programming or spontaneous events, living in a community that values these opportunities is key to building strong connections between residents. A community that connects through recreation and play is one that will thrive.

GOAL 3: Parks and recreation facilities are designed to achieve multiple benefits and accommodate a diversity of people and activities.

Objectives within this goal: 

• Offer recreation and leisure programming that best serves the community.
• Leverage existing infrastructure to support delivery of recreation programming.
• Invest in infrastructure to support recreation programming

Culture is the expression and celebration of the values and aspirations of a community or social group. This is expressed through all manner of human activities that characterise a community and its people and shape its unique sense of place. It includes the sharing of ideas; learning through expression in the fine, visual, literary, media, material and performing arts; heritage; and the shared experiences of history. To engage in culture planning requires knowing how people experience their local environment.

GOAL 4: Collaborative, creative, and innovative approaches and tools are used to leverage culture resources to enhance quality of life.

Objectives within this goal: 

• Leverage existing infrastructure spaces to incorporate culture experiences and artifacts.
• Enhance offerings in culture programming events offered to the community.

Communities designed to encourage healthy lifestyles and social interaction for people are ones that thrive and are sustainable. Investing in liveable communities promotes active living and allows for residents to connect with their community through nature. Generating communities that can meet their own food needs by providing opportunities for community gardens and orchards will also increase the overall health of our community. Leveraging opportunities to enjoy the natural beauty of our city, along with the benefits of our parks and trail system, will allow for residents to come together and build a thriving, healthy community.

GOAL 5: Urban agriculture is leveraged to develop more opportunities for residents to interact with the environment.

Objective within this goal: 

• Develop an urban agriculture strategy that balances land use opportunities with policy requirements.

GOAL 6: Safe, liveable, and sustainable neighbourhoods for all residents that contribute to a high quality of life.

Objectives within this goal: 

• Plan for neighbourhoods that offer a range of housing options, employment opportunities, art, culture and recreation facilities, and other amenities as part of the Municipal Development Plan (MDP) update.
• Continue supporting safe communities while ensuring the well-being of residents as a shared responsibility.

Environmental sustainability is about working together to conserve, protect, and enhance the environment not only for residents today, but also for future generations. As a City, we have a responsibility to both care for our environment and commit to fostering an environmentally sustainable community. Growing forward together in harmony with nature means that our natural areas are enhanced, the urban forest, park and trail system is healthy and growing, and the urban canopy is sustained. To do this, we need to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change by setting standards, developing policy, and providing opportunities to participate in climate focused programs.

Climate change mitigation consists of actions to limit global warming and its related effects. This involves reductions in human emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) as well as activities that reduce their concentration in the atmosphere.

Climate change adaptation addresses how the City can help prepare the community for the anticipated effects of climate change and ensure existing land is protected through land management practices and enhancing the urban greenscape.

GOAL 7: The City’s impact on the environment is reduced through targeted investment in environmental strategies, programs, systems, and infrastructure.

Objectives within this goal: 

• Incorporate environmental considerations into infrastructure investments and existing programs and services.
• Assess the recommendations in the Climate Change Action Plan.
• Enable residents and businesses to reduce their environmental impact.

GOAL 8: The City, residents, and infrastructure are more resilient to the effects of climate change.

Objectives within this goal: 

• Provide educational resources to residents to help them prepare for the effects of climate change.
• Improve resilience of water management and natural infrastructure.
• Offer City services to build climate resilience for residents.

GOAL 9: Proactive policies, strategies, and practices ensure the environment is sustained and natural areas are enhanced.

Objectives within this goal: 

• Establish a sustainable urban greenscape.
• Leverage policy to sustain the environment and natural areas.

We will continue to support economic development strategies that will position the City for success in a rapidly changing global economy. Investing in our City Centre, supporting the small business community, and enabling businesses to succeed are all key priorities that will drive local investment and employment opportunities for residents. Ultimately, the goal is for Spruce Grove’s local economy to continue to grow and diversify, demonstrating long-term sustainability in a thriving community.

GOAL 10: Business attraction, investment, and retention is encouraged within an environment that enables businesses to succeed, attract new investment and talent, and create local employment opportunities for residents.

Objectives within this goal: 

• Support the small business community to succeed and grow by ensuring businesses and entrepreneurs have access to programs, services, tools, and infrastructure that encourage and facilitate business start-up, expansion, and job creation.
• Continue investing in industrial land.
• Attract emerging industries that will invest in Spruce Grove and increase local employment opportunities.

GOAL 11: Our City Centre is a vibrant hub for culture, commerce, and civic life.

Objectives within this goal: 

• Create opportunities for residents to experience a revitalized City Centre.
• Encourage greater City Centre investment and infill development.

Council as Community Builders

The City is the order of government closest to the people it serves and Council is at the centre of all policy, program, and service level decisions, providing strategic and policy direction to City Administration in service to the community. In order to best serve the community in a meaningful way, Council must ensure its governance processes represent the community and are effective and transparent. Council will also support regional strategies that will position the City for success.

GOAL 12: City Council demonstrates governance excellence through leadership and setting clear direction.

Objectives within this goal: 

• Actively engage with Indigenous Nations and peoples in a spirit of reconciliation.
• Recruitment of boards and committees to reflect the community and support governance.
• Ensure Council policies and bylaws are up to date and inclusive.
• Strengthen the City’s foundational systems and processes.

GOAL 13: City Council continues to support regional strategies, both within the Tri-Municipal Region and Edmonton Metro Region, which will position the City for success in a rapidly changing world.

Objectives within this goal:

• Support Tri‑Municipal Region strategies that will position the City for success in a rapidly changing global economy.
• Support Edmonton Metro Region strategies that will position the City for success in a rapidly changing global economy.

This plan is the roadmap Council has decided on for the current term (2021-2025). It will guide Administration in their work and sets the priorities and goals Council wishes to accomplish over the next four years. Some goals will extend beyond this term and will also contribute to the success of future Councils.

Council is committed to community; to ensuring all residents at all stages of life feel a sense of belonging and are encouraged to grow together. This will enable a dynamic city that provides opportunities to recreate, experience culture, grow a business and gather as a community.

The plan was developed over a series of strategic planning retreats attended by both Council and The City’s Corporate Leadership Team. Administration took the information that came from these discussions and worked with the Councillors individually and as a team to synthesize the information into the plan which was released in draft form to the community for feedback. After feedback was received, Council provided direction on changes to the draft plan which was then finalized and formally approved by Council on August 22, 2022. 

Residents and local businesses were invited to provide feedback through an online survey that closed July 4, 2022. This feedback was discussed by Council at the July 18, 2022 Council meeting and direction was provided to Administration on changes to the draft Plan. 

The plan includes four themes. Each theme has goals and objectives, ensuring tangible progress is made toward each goal, in each theme.

The themes are:

• Community Connections
• Environmental Sustainability
• Economic Prosperity
• Council Governance in Action

While this plan is intended to be a roadmap for realizing Council’s shared vision for the community, it is important to remember new challenges, opportunities and issues will emerge during this timeframe. Therefore, the strategic plan will be reviewed on an annual basis, with an extensive review and update every four years, after the election, to ensure it reflects any necessary changes or adjustments that may be required.

To deliver Council’s vision as described within the goals, objectives, and actions of the Strategic Plan, City Administration will outline in the 2023-2025 Corporate Plan the resources, projects, and initiatives tied to the Strategic Plan. The Recommended 2023-2025 Corporate and Fiscal Plan will be shared publicly prior to Council budget deliberations in November. 

Administration will share regular updates with Council and the public through Quarterly Reports and Annual Reports, highlighting the operational work done to achieve Council’s vision for our community.