Crowsnest Pass council has accepted the results of the municipality’s first structured public engagement session, in which residents called for a clearer long-term plan for how their community grows — the priority that drew the strongest support.

Council received the results as information at its July 7 meeting. The session itself, held June 16, brought 48 residents together in small groups to name what they value about Crowsnest Pass and what they want changed.

The findings showed strong support for protecting outdoor recreation and health care alongside concerns about growth, the economy and bylaw enforcement.

Residents worked in six groups, each including a council member, brainstorming ideas, narrowing them into actionable priorities and ranking which mattered most.

The clearest message was a call for direction on growth. Residents called on council to follow existing bylaws and the Municipal Government Act, enforce land-sale terms and update the municipal development plan to reflect a community-wide vision.

Economic development was the second-highest priority. Residents said they want barriers to business growth removed, more light-industrial opportunities, and better co-ordination between tourism and the arts.

Bylaw enforcement and nuisance properties, attracting a second grocery store and calls for tighter fiscal management — including suggestions of a third-party or forensic financial review — rounded out the top concerns.

Residents also raised operational concerns outside the formal priorities. Among them were recycling bins being emptied into the river, road maintenance in Blairmore, snow removal that blocks business access, and parking enforcement in downtown Coleman. Those items will be forwarded to the relevant municipal departments for followup.

While raising concerns about the community’s future, participants also highlighted what they believe makes Crowsnest Pass a strong place to live and what they feel needs protection.

Outdoor recreation topped that list, with residents pointing to trail systems, alpine and Nordic skiing, hiking, fly fishing and off-highway vehicle access. This was followed closely by health care, including the hospital, dental care, pharmacies and home care. Access to Crown land and backcountry wilderness, community events and culture, and volunteer opportunities followed.

Some offered suggestions for future sessions, including a chance to address the full room, combining similar ideas before voting so support isn’t split, and a later start time.

The session grew out of a motion brought forward last December by Coun. Doreen Johnson in response to residents who felt their voices were not reflected in council decisions.

Council directed administration to develop a structured public-engagement process, rather than a traditional open-microphone forum. That work was also shaped by a January municipal survey that received 448 responses and flagged many of the same themes — economic direction, housing, infrastructure, bylaw enforcement and municipal transparency — that resurfaced in June.

A summary of the town hall is posted on the municipality’s website at bit.ly/4wAbRYf.

“I think it was very successful and residents seemed quite happy,” says Sasha Lassey, the municipal communications co-ordinator. “We were happy with the turnout and we’re looking forward to the next one.”

A date for the second session hasn’t been set, but she says the municipality hopes to hold it in the fall, possibly October.