OUTLOOK - Kevin Trew isn't new to the administrative game when it comes to Saskatchewan communities, but he was new to Outlook when he came to town a year ago to accept the position of Chief Administrative Officer.
In his first year on the job, Trew says he's enjoyed getting to know the people and the neighborhoods of Outlook. While he initially had concerns over making the move from his home in Carrot River, it wasn't long before he was getting into the swing of things.
"It's been a lot of fun, and it's been a really good experience for me," said Kevin, on the phone with this reporter. "I found the people extremely welcoming, I've felt very welcomed here and I still do. That was something that I was originally concerned about, and not because I was concerned about Outlook, it was more myself. Here I was, uprooting from a place in the northeast of Saskatchewan, where I've lived and worked pretty much my whole life, and I was very concerned if I was going to feel a part of a new community and feel welcomed. It's been fun, it's been overwhelming, and it's been awesome."
For Kevin, there really wasn't much of a learning curve as it relates to the actual day-to-day work of 小蓝视频 a CAO as that was something he had prior experience with. It was more about getting to know Outlook's identity and learning what the community had to offer.
"There wasn't really a large learning curve as far as the municipal work," he said. "As far as the work is concerned, there are a lot of similarities, especially in my previous experience in a municipal setting in Carrot River. So, that part, there wasn't so much to learn and I was able to kind of hit the ground running in that regard. But there was a learning curve regarding the area and the community. I was hit with, 'Well, we're all in the province of Saskatchewan', and I've always known that, but when I got myself in the middle of Outlook, I'm now in the Irrigation Capital of Saskatchewan. It's now about how farms function, how the industry functions and how the industries in the area function around irrigation and agriculture; that's been a big learning curve for me. I think I'm up to the challenge because I have a background in agriculture and so much interest in it, which is really what brought me to Outlook. It was so much to learn, and it was something new. I'm always learning, and I'm always up for it."
With its emphasis on agriculture and irrigation, Outlook may stand out among other communities in the province, including Carrot River. But Trew says what most people will find when they get to know the inner workings of any village or town is that a lot of people have the same goals in the places where they live; making that village or town a better place for everybody.
"As far as Outlook 小蓝视频 different from Carrot River, the things I alluded to earlier with agriculture, that's very different," he said. "But other than that, and I'm very proud to say, it's so similar. The people in Outlook have this genuine love of the community. There are various aspects of various people with various thoughts and notions of how they feel the community should be, but deep down inside, everybody loves this place. You choose to be here and you want to make it better. When I talk to people, everybody has something at their core. They love this place for maybe different reasons, but they have something at their core. I think I've started to tap into that. There have just been so many facets where I've found similarities. There's also a thirst to grow with the development, and to grow the community to even better than what we are today. That attitude and that desire is here, and I love that. I came from that in Carrot River, and that community pride in what you're doing is here. There's also that thirst and that want to be proud. Honestly, that's why I don't necessarily have that 'learning curve' because I've talked to enough people who are champions of this community who want so much for here that I've just latched on to that."
Touching on the challenges that communities face, the biggest thing that Trew says Outlook is facing is rather simple: Father Time, who waits for no one. Great ideas and initiatives are awesome things to have, he says, but it's just about finding that time to get these things off the ground.
"The challenge is time; there's not enough time in the day to do all the things that we want to do," said Kevin. "Maybe this isn't just Outlook, maybe this is everywhere. For us with the Town, we want to prepare for 小蓝视频 inundated with more people, and yet we don't have enough time to prepare properly for how many people we're going to have in the future. We want to prepare for more industry, and yet it's like trying to get that all together so that we're prepared for that. One challenge that there isn't here is the 'want'. Ideas, too! Idea generation is not a problem in Outlook, I'll tell you that! None of that is a problem here. But again, it's time; time to even assemble our thoughts, wants and dreams. It's putting all of that together and going, 'OK, let's have a strategy and let's have a plan.' I think that's been a challenge in Outlook; finding a common ground for a plan. Let's not make time our enemy and not make ourselves enemies. I think we haven't had the time, the plan or the strategy to do that."
Trew says that the vision for Outlook as a growing, flourishing community may look daunting to some people, or even that of a pipe dream to others, but the fact is that the town needs to look at the hard questions 小蓝视频 asked: does Outlook want to grow and prosper, or does it want to be left behind like so many other communities?
"Our vision is to be an inclusive community that unites people, partnerships and sound planning, creating unlimited opportunities that continue to shape our progressive community," said Kevin, reading a bit from the Town's Official Strategic Plan. "So, our vision is to be inclusive and uniting; uniting people and partnerships to create opportunities, and to be progressive. That's the vision. While we do that, we want to serve the community with integrity, competency, be approachable, represent, and be respectful. Those are big words and I know that's a big answer, but that's the vision. I've had some people say, 'This is fluff!', but the vision isn't pie in the sky and it's what we want to do. Is the vision to grow our population by 500-1000 people in the next ten years? Yes. Is the vision to create opportunities and economic development for business in our community that supports that growth of population and also initiates it? Yes. Is the vision to create cultural and recreation opportunities in this community that celebrates our past like the museum and the Bounty Theatre, and looks at things like the rec grounds and the pool? Yes. I'll even put myself out there with this one, but we need to get that darn bridge (SkyTrail) opened up again. Is everybody scared of all that? Yes. Does everybody want it? Yes."
As for what Outlook could look like in the next five years, Trew says that with the dedication and leadership of town officials and other experts at the helm, the most predominant and hopeful result for the riverside community is growth.
"Well, five years takes us to 2027, and I hope that in five years that we have a new fire hall," he said. "We will have a new residential subdivision, at least one if not two, with houses 小蓝视频 built and people living in them. We'll have the railway subdivision and we'll have businesses thriving in it. The full 59 lots in the railyard subdivision will be available and for sale. We will have a commercial subdivision on the east end of town on the south side of Saskatchewan Avenue, where there will be something there that is highway commercial and supports tourism and is maybe even a 24-hour service. We'll see things like community events that are regular and others that just grow every year. I think in five years, we'll have events that will have attracted other organizations outside of Outlook to have an event in Outlook. I know most would say those are huge dreams to have in five years, but I think I'd just say, 'Hold on'. This isn't me saying this, this is a team. There's a team here that wants to do this, and I'm so excited to be a part of this team."
