The City of St. Albert has been a leader on this front. At the onset of the pandemic, St. Albert’s Council saw the need to be proactive in planning for their community’s recovery and established a COVID-19 Recovery Task Force. The Task Force brought together members of Council, along with representatives from across St. Albert including residents, business, government, and nonprofits.
The Task Force started off by completing an environmental scan and hosting community conversations. They then began identifying strategies and solutions that could help the City recover from the adverse economic and social impacts of the pandemic. The Task Force recognized that efforts to build community connection should be an essential part of any recovery effort.
They reflected on some “how might we” questions, including:
Some of the strategies that were identified included:
St. Albert’s COVID-19 Recovery Task Force is a great example of how community connection and inclusion can be incorporated into a broader recovery agenda. As more communities begin to shift from response to recovery, it will be interesting to see how many communities include social well-being in their recovery plans.
What is your community doing to address the negative social impacts of the pandemic? Does your municipality have a COVID-19 recovery task force? Find out what they are focusing on and if you can get involved. Share St. Albert’s example with your elected officials as a source of inspiration for them to prioritize social well-being.
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