Summarizing the Smart City mission statement in 50 words will be a challenge put out to the community by town council in its opening bid to seek up to $50 million in federal Smart Cities funding.

Last night, town council unanimously agreed to submit an application for the Smart Cities Challenge of Infrastructure Canada that is offering one prize of $50 million, two of $10 million and one of $5 million to winning municipalities.

Now, the town will begin a public engagement process that will seek feedback and input from town staff, the private sector and the public and have set a Mar. 14 as a target date for completion of the statement.

Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Dave Devana gave an extensive presentation that explored the potential of just how smart Cochrane can become and how it will not offer widespread benefit to town operations but assist in attracting more high tech companies, particularly start-up operations. If successful, these upstart companies tend to keep roots in the community where they nurture their innovations, it is believed.

The multi-layered contest begins with the constructing a 50-word statement envisioning the project. This summer, each municipality shortlisted will receive $250,000 to further flush out its ideas and create a business model. The final decision on who receives the funding will be announced in the spring of 2019.

Devana provided a sample statement as a starting point for discussion that did cause concern with a few councillors because of its reference to yet to be approved Greystone mixed-use development.

The sample wording is:

“Our Community will become the Wired West with a comprehensive municipally owned fibre optic utility network (FibreWest.ca) that will support an array of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in our downtown core and adjacent Greystone Mixed Use Development as we pilot our Smart Cities Strategies in Cochrane – How the West is Now.”

Both Councillor Morgan Nagel and Alex Reed were leery of including Greystone in the description because it has yet to be approved council. Nagel also believed specifically mentioning the Greystone development showed favoritism. Devana defended its inclusion by pointing out the proposed development runs adjacent to the town's fibre optic system and should it be approved presents one the greatest opportunities to create a smart city model.

Still, much discussion will occur before the statement is finalized and Devana said he recognized it may be a modification of what he sampled or something completely different when put forward for council's approval in the spring.

Devana believes the town is well positioned to be in the running for one of these prizes because of the high-tech industries already situated in the community and the existing optic fibre network, now branded FibreWest.ca, can be readily expanded. Few Canadian municipalities own a fibre optic network, he pointed out, and it will be a big plus.