Creating Community by 13 Ways
by 13 Ways
Building community is the most important job. This podcast leaves no stone unturned, no myth unchallenged, and let's no one get away with B.S.in our pursuit of making communities better. If you are ready to find ways to make your community, your organization, or your team stronger and ready for a quickly changing future, then this is the podcast for you. Whether you are in government, business, a community volunteer, or just concerned about the future of where you live and work, join us as we pursue a future full of better communities.
Episodes
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#28 Crazy Things Municipalities Say
We aren't talking about people who believe the Earth is flat, or that windmills cause cancer, but that doesn't mean there aren't some crazy things that municipal and community leaders don't say and believe that sounds pretty crazy. After so many years of working with communities we talk about…
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#27 Let's Talk Downtowns
Are we asking the right question when it comes to the recovery of downtowns and main streets? Join Heather and guests, Puneeta McBryan (Executive Director of the Edmonton Downtown Business Association) and Alex Hryciw (Chair of the Edmonton Downtown Recovery Coalition) for a conversation about…
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#26 Community Marketing with Craig Hemingway and Jim Puffalt Master
Marketing is easy, right? Just buy a billboard or a magazine ad and people will flock to your community. Or at least that's how it works in theory. In reality, you need to know who your community really is and what it is selling, then identify who would be interested (businesses and people) in…
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#25 Collaboration The Portages - Leading the Way Master
We have long argued that the lack of collaboration and cooperation between, and within, communities is the plague of the 21st century. Communities that work together thrive, and those that fight and compete die. Even when we want to work together, we don't know how, and we don't know what to do....
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#24 The Future of Childcare with Special Guest KPSquared
This episode is about childcare; how it is evolving, what parents need these days, how important it is to the community, and how important it is to the economy. We ignored that last point until the pandemic confirmed when childcare was suddenly shut down and half the workforce couldn't come to...
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#23 Kalen Anderson and Julian Faid
Ever think about what a suburb can do to your community? Kalen Anderson and Julian Faid joined Heather Thomson and Doug Griffiths to discuss the future of housing and communities.
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#22 Rewarding Remote: Rethinking Resident & Business Attraction
The world is changing, and so too must the way in which we attract residents and businesses to our communities. Tulsa Remote is an innovative recruitment initiative that's embracing creative ways to attract new people and professionals while at the same time building vibrancy in the community.…
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#21 Bridging Arts, Culture & Community
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, artists including musicians lost the ability to present their work and perform in a live setting. But it also created new digital opportunities for them to get their music out to a much larger audience. Find out how one community builder is using innovative ways of...
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#20 Diversity, Inclusion & Long-Term Planning
The City of Wetaskiwin in Alberta, Canada, is leading by example when it comes to defining and working toward long-term prosperity and success. In the first Community Revival episode of 2022, members of the municipality’s leadership team discuss a recent communitywide effort to establish a…
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#19 Opportunity in Disruption: The Role of Robotics & Automation in the Future of our Communities
On the Community Revival podcast, we regularly talk about community building, innovation, and some of the actions and initiatives communities are undertaking to adjust and adapt to a quickly changing world. In this episode, however, instead of speaking with a particular community and its solution...
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#18 Change & Opportunity: Embracing a Proactive Approach to Community Economic Development
If a community isn't willing to invest in itself, then who will? That's the question posed by Mark Nikota, an Alberta-based economic developer and passionate community builder, in this week's podcast episode. Mark discusses with Doug the importance of leading by example and investing in your...
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#17 Supporting Success: Building Culture Through Empowerment & Innovation
Working at the City of Beaumont in Alberta, Canada is more than just a job; it's a lifestyle. To its Chief Administrative Officer Mike Schwirtz, building an authentic, supportive culture in which staff are mobilized and engaged is the most important task a municipal leader can undertake. But in...
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#16 Start with Twinkly Lights: The Economics of Ambiance
A recent urban revitalization initiative in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) has seen the dramatic transformation of a large underutilized space in the city's downtown core into a bustling outdoor public gathering area. In today’s episode, Puneeta McBryan, Executive Director of the city's Downtown...
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#15 Embracing Challenge as a Catalyst for Change
A community's ability to grow and succeed lies not in its size or its past, but in the spirit of those who understand what it truly can become. In community building, attitude is everything, and as Steve Langston — a passionate community builder from Manitoba, Canada — explains, anything is...
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#14 Stability & Sustainability: Succession Planning for Community Success
Small towns and main streets are doing all they can to reinvigorate themselves, and are dedicating considerable time and resources to enhancing socialization, walkability, aesthetics, and other aspects of a healthy and vibrant local commercial environment. Equally as important to community...
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#13 Preparing for the Modern Economy: A Discussion with Todd Hirsch
The Canadian government has announced a plan to offer $10/day childcare for parents nationwide within five years. This will have significant effects on parents and our economy as a whole. Recently, Doug and Heather caught up with Todd Hirsch, Vice President and Chief Economist of ATB Financial…
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#12 Innisfail Solar: Leveraging Creative Collaboration to Build Capacity Within the Community
In the midst of an ongoing global pandemic, an array of solar panels — 25 megawatts' worth, to be exact — appeared on 100 acres of municipally owned land in the community of Innisfail, Alberta, Canada. And as new economic realities continued to force municipalities to discover innovative…
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#11 Community Building Recipe: Don't Forget to Add Companies
When we talk about community building, it's often assumed that it's up to elected officials, administration, and active citizens to get the job done. However, we often forget about the shared responsibility of companies to develop and grow the community they are apart of. In this episode, we are...
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#10 Free Range Communities: Why Everyone Loves The Town of Raymond
Whenever we feel like the challenges in our communities are insurmountable, we need a good success story to keep us going. And one of our favourites of all time is the success story of Raymond, AB. As a rural town with rich pioneer history and traditional values, Raymond isn't exactly your…
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#9 Rethink the Chamber of Commerce Model
Chambers of Commerce are the epitome of outdated municipal processes from the '80s and '90s that desperately need to be revamped. Luckily for us, the Town of Stettler in Alberta, Canada is doing away with this old model in favour of one that benefits business owners and the community instead of...
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#8 Digital Main Street: A guide to community economic development
Among the many things COVID-19 has disrupted, none may be as public as the shift in consumer behaviour and the ripple effects on small businesses in our communities. Despite a rise in demand for local products and services, there has been a lack of coordinated support for business owners…
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#7 Rural Reimagined: The Orbit
What would it be like to build a community from scratch? Our guests today from Innisfil, Ontario are doing exactly that. The Orbit is a vision for the future of municipalities, one where the benefits of rural and urban living can co-exist together. The foundation of this project is centered…
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#6 Harriston Rising: Beauty is economic development
In a world where everything is Instagramable, it pays dividends to put beautification at the forefront of your community's economic development plans. Unfortunately, many communities across North America have yet to successfully adopt this strategy. That's why we have turned to Belinda and Taylor...
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#5 Connectivity: The future for rural municipalities
Embracing technology is essential for rural municipalities to level the playing field with large urban centres. But many fall victim to the roadblocks along the way to digital transformation such as lack of infrastructure, education, and acceptance by the public. Our very own Ashley Szakal…
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#4 Your Small Business: The New Normal
They say the only constant in life is change - that couldn't be more true as a small business today. But you don't have to fear change and you don't have to go through it alone. Our guest today, Heather Thomson, is here to provide actionable support and guidance whether you are a local retailer,...
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#3 Don’t Panic: Leadership in Times of Crisis
In light of the dramatic escalation of COVID-19 across the globe and in our own communities, we decided to offer some support and guidance in a time where there is little. So in this episode, Doug records from self-isolation to share his insights in dealing with emergency situations as a trusted...
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#2 Faster Horses: Innovation Among Municipalities
The pace of innovation has never been faster and the need for communities to adapt has never been greater. Yet, the majority of communities never embrace innovation because they don't know how to get started. That's why in this episode, Doug is joined by Shawn Kanungo, a renowned keynote speaker...
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#1 Beer & Burgers: A Discussion on Regional Collaboration
Developing solid relationships is often the barrier holding municipalities back from working together and reaping the benefits of this collaboration. In our very first episode of Community Revival, Doug Griffiths is joined by Barry Morishita (Mayor of the City of Brooks and President of AUMA).…
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Community Revival Trailer
Well, the secret is out... we are officially launching our podcast called Community Revival! What's it all about you ask? It's about everything community. Your town. Your organization. Your neighborhood. Because strong communities ensure leadership is successful, businesses are profitable, and...
About this show
Building community is the most important job. This podcast leaves no stone unturned, no myth unchallenged, and let's no one get away with B.S.in our pursuit of making communities better. If you are ready to find ways to make your community, your organization, or your team stronger and ready for a quickly changing future, then this is the podcast for you. Whether you are in government, business, a community volunteer, or just concerned about the future of where you live and work, join us as we pursue a future full of better communities.
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13 Ways