OLDS — In the wake of the current buy Canadian trend, a Town of Olds' company has been getting some additional focus.
Mountain View Power, Olds' municipally-controlled corporation, markets electricity, natural gas and green-generated power.
“We've been hitting the marketing arm pretty hard with the local-first,” Town of Olds' chief administrative officer Brent Williams said during a town council meeting last month.
Williams said although Mountain View Power is partnered with UTILITYNet, it is “all Alberta-based, with profit, staying in the community.”
He contrasted that with competing power companies that he said are “American-based, or at least American partly-owned.”
The message seems to be getting through, Williams indicated, noting that Mountain View Power's revenue was trending upward in March and April after a flat period.
Coun. Heather Ryan liked the idea of pushing the fact that Mountain View Power is locally-owned.
“I guess I was wondering about doing advertising that would, you know, have a Canada flag on it, or have a shop locally kind of theme to it, because that seems to be sweeping the nation, and we should hop on board,” she said.
“When I talk to people, that's one of the first things I say to them is, ‘hey, it's local. The money stays here.’ And they go, ‘Oh, didn't know that.’
“So I think that's really important to get that word out there and just continue to hammer at home that that money stays here, that we're giving a lot of that profit back into the community.”
Williams agreed.
“Certainly we are trying to hop on that latest wave of patriotism, bandwagon, if you will,” he said.
“But it is sincere, it's not facetious, that it is pretty remarkable program that actually came about through OI (Olds Institute) and O-NET.”
Williams said not only is Mountain View Power locally-owned, but its profits stay in the community, and a good portion of them are reinvested in the community to fund events like Canada Day celebrations and Mountain View Power grants.
Mayor Judy Dahl said the fact that it is local impresses some people who are considering whether to move to Olds or stay in the community long term.
In regard to the grants, Williams said the pool of money available in the latest intake is about $50,000. He said the committee overseeing the grants received 14 applications for funds totalling just over $100,000.
He said the pool of funds available in the fall intake is expected to be $70,000.
