The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) brought its leadership team and board of directors to Cochrane this week, giving the town a rare opportunity to host municipal leaders from across the country.
The FCM, which represents municipalities from coast to coast, rotated its retreat to Cochrane for two days of meetings and regional tours, including visits to the Cochrane RancheHouse and nearby MD of Bighorn.
Mayor Jeff Genung, who is also chair of the Alberta Mid-Sized Cities Mayors' Caucus, was invited to address the group on Wednesday, where he highlighted Cochrane’s experience in building a public transit system and shared insights on managing rapid community growth.
“They wanted me to focus on transit and talk about Cochrane's journey,” said Genung. “I spoke about COLT and how we instituted a pilot project for five years, then transitioned to a hybrid system with fixed routes. I told them I hope to report back next year that it’s starting to fulfill the needs of our community.”
Genung said the visit was also a chance to talk about Cochrane’s history, including the acquisition of the RancheHouse, as well as the challenges fast-growing municipalities face. He noted that other municipal leaders were keen to compare approaches to similar issues in their own towns and cities.
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While FCM plays a critical role in advocating for communities at the federal level, Genung said much of the work still falls on municipalities themselves.
“We’re stronger together,” he explained. “There’s a place for FCM and ABMunis, but for the most part, we’ve got to do the heavy lifting on our own.”
Beyond policy discussions, Genung said delegates were impressed by Cochrane’s beauty and setting.
“They were just amazed at how beautiful our community is,” he said. “Some of them don’t get to experience the mountains like we do. It made me proud to represent Cochrane, like when you have visitors and get to see your community through their eyes.”
Genung gave them a tour of the RancheHouse, which drew praise from delegates who were “blown away” by the facility. He also shared the history of its once-controversial acquisition, noting how the facility has since become a vital hub.