Profile: Dean Ward

Crowsnest Pass residents will have a new way to share ideas with council when the municipality launches its first Think Tank town hall on June 16.

The in-person session will be held at Crowsnest Community Hall, beginning at 6 p.m. Residents will take part in small-group discussions with council members during a two-hour event designed to identify and prioritize community ideas.

The format was shaped by a January public survey that received 448 responses and highlighted concerns around long-term economic direction, housing, infrastructure, bylaw enforcement and municipal transparency.

The new engagement model follows a process that began in late 2025, when council approved holding regular town hall meetings starting in 2026 and directed administration to seek public input on how those sessions should be structured.

That direction stemmed from a notice of motion brought forward by Coun. Doreen Johnson at the Dec. 9 council meeting. She said the idea was rooted in repeated concerns she heard from residents who felt their voices were not being reflected in decision-making.

“I continually heard ‘Our voice isn’t heard, our opinion doesn’t count’ as an overwhelming concern of the residents,” she told Shootin’ the Breeze during an earlier discussion on the initiative.

Johnson said the goal is to create space for those voices to be heard, particularly for residents who may face barriers to participation.

Council amended the original proposal for quarterly meetings, opting for three town halls per year, with dates and locations to be determined. Members also supported conducting a public survey before finalizing the format.

At the time, councillors emphasized the importance of learning from past attempts at public meetings. Coun. Dean Ward said council needed to ensure the process was structured in a way that encouraged participation rather than repeating previous challenges.

The January survey was distributed through multiple channels, including the municipal website, social media platforms, the Municipal Loop app, digital displays and the monthly newsletter, and was open for the full month.

According to the municipal communications co-ordinator, Sasha Lassey, participation was higher than expected.

“We received 448 responses, which exceeded expectations and gave us a strong and representative picture of community priorities,” she says.

Survey respondents identified five consistent themes: long-term vision and economic development, transparency and public engagement, housing and development, bylaw enforcement and community standards, and infrastructure and municipal services.

Residents specifically called for clearer long-term planning beyond coal-related economic reliance and improved transparency before decisions are made.

They also wanted to see increased rental housing, clearer development processes, stronger enforcement of bylaws related to nuisance properties and community safety, and more visible planning for roads, snow removal, sidewalks and trails.

Those results are now shaping the first Think Tank session.

Instead of a microphone-driven public forum, residents will sit at tables with council members and neighbours.

“The small-group format was chosen deliberately,” Lassey says. “Traditional open-floor town halls tend to favour residents who are comfortable speaking in front of a crowd, which means quieter voices often go unheard.”

Each table will follow a guided process that includes brainstorming ideas, narrowing them to key priorities and voting on the most important issues identified.

“The Think Tank format puts everyone at a smaller table of people with a council member, so every participant has a real opportunity to contribute,” Lassey says.

“The structured rounds also help move the conversation toward specific, actionable priorities rather than open-ended discussion.”

Each table will have a designated recorder to document discussion. Staff will compile information after the event and a summary will be posted on the municipality’s website.

Residents who provided email addresses in the January survey will also receive the summary directly.

While council has supported holding three town halls per year, Lassey says future use of the Think Tank format will depend on how the first session goes and how residents respond.

Access remains a consideration, as the Think Tank format is currently limited to in-person participation.

Residents can still provide feedback through the municipal website or by contacting the municipal office at 403-562-8833.