In an effort to foster connections between its residents, Rocky View County (RVC) will host a free pancake breakfast and open house at County Hall in Balzac July 18.
“There are many terrific events throughout our communities each year, but none that celebrate the County as a whole,” said Grant Kaiser, executive director of Community and Business Connections. “RVC is an amazing municipality, with much to be proud of. [The event] looks to bring all Rocky Viewers together to celebrate everything that makes us special.”
According to Kaiser, the event will run from 8 to 11 a.m., with pancakes served until 10 a.m. – while supplies last.
“Since this is the first time we’ve held the event, we have no idea how many people to expect,” he said. “We’ll serve as many breakfasts as we can.”
The event will feature live entertainment and several displays from County departments such as Waste and Recycling, Agricultural Services and others. RVC’s councillors will also be in attendance to meet their constituents, and Kaiser added firetrucks and road equipment will be on site for attendees’ enjoyment.
“But it’s just as important that we’ll have magic and face painting for the kids, a petting zoo, fun give-aways and live music,” he said.
A STARS Air Ambulance will also land during the event, and Kaiser teased a special presentation. While he wouldn’t provide additional details, he said the County is a strong supporter of STARS, which provides a critical service to the municipality, and RVC is looking forward to celebrating that partnership during the open house.
More than anything, Kaiser emphasized, the event is meant to offer an opportunity for residents to have fun with their family, friends and neighbours from around the County.
“The most important things are to build relationships and celebrate RVC as a whole,” he said. “We’re not looking to explain or educate – we’re looking to engage. We want to talk with residents, get to know them, hear their questions and share a smile and a pancake with them. We want to keep our municipal government approachable and tied in to the community.”
The County hopes the open house will serve as a way to highlight the common bonds residents share, Kaiser said – regardless of where they live in a municipality as diverse as RVC.
“It’s easy to think the residents of a remote rural farm have nothing in common with someone from Langdon or Springbank,” he said. “But when Rocky Viewers get together, you can see that we have a lot more in common than we have things that separate us. Getting together makes us stronger as a community and helps us better work together to thrive as a municipality.”
Depending on the success of this event, Kaiser left open the possibility that RVC could incorporate it into its annual calendar.
“This is the first time we’re holding the event, and it’s a bit of a test,” he said. “Council wants to see if this is something that Rocky Viewers enjoy. If it is, we may make it a bigger annual event, and even move it around to different locations in the County in coming years.”
