The Alberta government is looking ahead with Alberta’s Recovery Plan, and to better engage with businesses in rural communities Associate Minister of Rural Economic Development Nate Horner is set to hold virtual meetings with rural businesses across various sectors.
It is anticipated over 900 industry leaders will attend over 20 sessions, and invitations to the Zoom and Teams meetings are expected to go out very soon.
“Rural areas can really be a driver of the economy,” Associate Minister Horner tells the Mail.
Although Horner says he wishes these virtual meetings could be conducted in-person, he says the listening tour will give him the opportunity to focus on economic recovery regionally. It will also allow him to get a view into what is working and where certain regions need support.
He adds, as a rural person, it will help him generate a better understanding of the current landscape and allow the provincial government to create “tangible actions” to ensure Alberta’s recovery is felt in every region and corner of the province.
An online survey will also run concurrently, giving those businesses and sectors which may not be part of the virtual meetings to also provide input.
The virtual listening tour will begin the week of October 25 and is anticipated to continue until the first week of December.
