Airdrie City council approved a request from the Airdrie and Area Health Co-operative (AAHC) at its Aug. 20 regular meeting, directing City staff to work jointly with the organization on a number of initiatives. Chair of the AAHC Stan Grad and Executive Director Mark Seland also provided council with information about its recent activities, including an update on the status of the Smart City Challenge grant. Airdrie became one of 10 finalists for a $10 million federal Smart Cities Challenge grant in June. The City has until March 2019 to submit a 75-page comprehensive proposal, according to Leona Esau, intergovernmental liaison. Airdrie’s initial application, focused on the digital infrastructure needed to bring the aims of the AAHC to fruition, was submitted April 24. “As part of this, we’re in discussions through a potential systems data provider to enable the creation of what’s known as an open data platform for health,” Seland said. “The team is also studying benchmarks and best practices from around the world.” According to Seland, the AAHC will work with City staff to determine the parameters for the project and to draft the final proposal. “We have great confidence in the team, and we believe that the City has a very real chance to receive this grant and to build platforms and technology to digitally enable cultural change and facilitate becoming Canada’s healthiest community,” he said. Grad said the AAHC continues to focus on two other areas; a proposed health park and helping Airdrie become a Blue Zones community. The AAHC received a request from the province in early June to draft a submission for capital funding to provide both an affordable and a supportive living community within the proposed health park, and to develop an approach to healthy aging practices. According to Seland, approximately 400 individuals could be supported through this initiative, which would be “person-centred.” “They can provide immediate access to affordable and independent housing and supportive living,” he said. AAHC worked with the Rocky View Foundation, Airdrie Housing Ltd. and the Brenda Stafford Foundation on the application. Seland said the AAHC should be informed of the success of the submission in September. “At that time, the government may request further information about aspects of the submission,” he said. “We’ll continue to work with City staff and other partners as information becomes available.” If successful, Airdrie would be the first community in Canada to embrace the Blue Zones Project concept, according to Seland. Blue Zones started as a research project, examining why residents of some communities lived longer, healthier lives than others. Blue Zones has applied its best practices to more than 40 locations in the United States. Representatives from Blue Zones Project were in Airdrie in May to outline the project and conduct a series of focus groups with residents, he said. Since visiting Airdrie in May, Seland said, Blue Zones staff has been analyzing the input received from Airdrie residents, and its early assessment is that Airdrie is well-positioned to become a Blue Zones community. More information will be provided to the AAHC board by Blue Zones within a month, he said, and then passed along to council.
