Picture "Anytown, Alberta". With the province's enormous capacity for growth in a time of 'boom', "Anytown Alberta" struggles with 'applying yesterday's solutions to today's problems'. Businesses and individuals often focus primarily on their own immediate needs. This siloing effect is a waste - a needless expenditure of resources - a significant obstacle to the attainment of any community's goals.

The Olds Institute for Community and Regional Development is financed, in part, by six 'pillar' organizations. There are seven committees, some of which have two or three sub-committees under them; most of these have overlapping responsibilities. In any community, making this 'flow chart' flow, can be a considerable challenge.

The beauty of the Olds Institute is that the volunteers have an uncanny ability to work together, to listen to each other, to take an overall coordinated approach to the development, growth, and sustainability of their community. Somehow they have managed to stand back and consider the implications of any suggestion from a 'big picture' point of view, each contributing to the objectives of the organization as a whole.

Those involved in the Olds Institute have turned weaknesses into strengths, and challenges into opportunities. As a result, we are creating the town we want, the community we desire, and the 'family' we crave. We do what others dream about.

We are not "Anytown Alberta". We are OLDS!