WHEREAS the global COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many aspects of civic society for more than two years, and continues to reverberate across rural communities, including volunteer organizations; and

WHEREAS small and medium community halls and facilities form a bedrock of the fabric of our rural communities; and

WHEREAS small and medium community halls and facilities serve as gathering places, cultural centers, youth and family hubs, evacuee reception and emergency operations centers; and

WHEREAS small and medium community halls and facilities are confronted with an existential challenge as they seek to rebuild and return to sustainability in a post-COVID world; and

WHEREAS many rural municipalities lack the capacity to single-handedly shoulder the burden of supporting these facilities and groups;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Rural Municipalities of Alberta advocate to the Government of Alberta to enhance its capacity-building efforts and financial investments to ensure that small and medium community facilities and agricultural societies remain viable as they recover from the impacts of COVID-19.

Many rural municipalities have experienced a significant uptick in the number of operational support requests, as volunteer organizations struggle to return to sustainability in a post-COVID environment.

The Province of Alberta has a critically important bridging role to play in ensuring that the vibrant cultural fabric of our rural communities remains intact and can flourish into the next decades.

RMA has no active resolutions directly related to this issue.