Bert Roach is hoping entrepreneurship will become synonymous with Provost, Alta.
The town, with a population of 2,000, wants to brand itself through a “dream to create the future” campaign and by cultivating innovation through programs such as youth entrepreneurship day camps.
“Like people who have their own personalities, it’s important to develop a brand,” said Roach, who is Provost’s economic development officer.
Complementing Provost’s campaign to promote itself is the town’s museum, the new home for artifacts from the History Channel’s Re Inventors television program, which rebuilds machines such as Leonardo DaVinci’s tank, Chinese war kites and earthquake detectors to test their viability.
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Roach hopes tourists will want to see these machines and explore a pre-contact buffalo kill site recently found in the region.
Roach was in Kipling, Sask., when a red paper clip exchange landed a young couple a house in town and led to a movie being filmed in the farming community.
He hopes to generate the same kind of excitement for Provost, situated in the midst of oil, gas and farming operations and offering an array of business, recreation and health services for those looking to move to rural Alberta.
He wants to capitalize on a growing trend toward closer connections to community, food and how it is grown.
He said people are looking for smaller communities where they know their neighbours, where workers can walk home for lunch and where kids have more chances to make the local sports team.
“It’s an ability to connect, and build relationships,” he said.
Modern telecommunications have changed the way business is conducted from small communities while allowing people to stay in touch with family living elsewhere in the world.
Speaking at the Local Living Economies conference in Saskatoon in March, business communications specialist Ray Penner said baby boomers are looking for simpler lifestyles and young families are rejecting the idea that bigger is better.
“It’s no longer about making money but making time,” he said.
“People are tired of living where they don’t know anyone.”
Penner said places like Saskatchewan, with its lower land values, quieter pace, green spaces and safe environment, represent more positives than ever.
He advised community leaders to listen to what visitors say about their towns and think about what people will experience when they are there.
“Leverage local advantages,” he said.
Penner said farmers’ markets, rejuvenated downtowns and walkable communities reflect an increased push to buy local and have closer connections to food and community.
“Get rid of the distance and anonymity,” he said. “Marketing in Saskatchewan is not about creating opportunities but taking advantage of opportunities coming our way.”
