Great first day of meetings. I learned much more about Edson, and the post-secondary aspirations of its leaders. Some of the comments I heard in Edson mirror those I hear in Grande Prairie and Fairview. They would like us to deliver post-secondary education that allows youth to remain in their community. They also believe it is important that programs align with their economy – they view post-secondary education as central to building prosperity.
What did they think about GPRC? They know we had a physical presence in Edson but recently withdrew from their community – understandably, this was not perceived well. But mostly their perceptions were neither good nor bad. I am not sure most understood much about our stewardship role, our programs, and our institution. This is perhaps not surprising. I was happy to discuss our institution, where we are going, and how we can work together. This included thoughts about our emerging polytechnic status. Overall, there was significant good will and we had great discussions to build upon.
In the late afternoon we left Edson heading to Hinton. There is a different feeling driving into Hinton. The scenery shifted subtly. While the forest continued unabated, the mountains gradually emerged in the distance. The feel of the town is quite different from Edson. Hinton exists along the highway, but in chunks. It starts and stops and starts again.
Unfortunately, we did not have an opportunity to walk around Hinton. I like to believe that this is largely a reflection of the weather, which is bad. But laziness may have also crept in. And the weather is getting worse – I understand that there are snowstorms approaching Jasper. Perhaps we did not pick the best time to go RVing in the mountains.
Let me close with another brief “get to know” segment, this time about Hinton. The town has a little over 10,000 people. Like Grande Prairie, the town is young – the median age is 36.4. Much like Edson, Hinton has significant forestry and natural resource industries. Coal, once an economic driver, has diminished over time.
We are learning and having fun.
Your friend,
Glenn
