Statement from Strathcona County Mayor Rod Frank:

Statement from Strathcona County Mayor Rod Frank:

“A recent media interview commented on Strathcona County’s response to the November 6 parkade explosion in the Community Centre. The County’s communications efforts and interaction on social media in particular are being questioned.

Following the explosions in the Community Centre parkade on November 6, Council directed administration to conduct an external review of the County’s response – from its emergency operations centre, business continuity management, recovery services and information and communication during all phases of the incident.

As part of the after-action report, we will take a good hard look at all of our interactions, with a lens of what we can do better. I fully expect this report to highlight areas for improvement. I am also confident the report will demonstrate areas of strength in our response.

This review will be completed by an impartial, external consultant and will examine what went well, what needs to be improved upon, and provide recommendations for Council consideration by the end of this year.

Our community weathered an intentional explosion. This was an unprecedented event and this community has shown great resiliency to this isolated act of violence. The loss of life was limited to one person, who took his own life, for reasons we may never know.

As we move forward, we have already adopted early learnings, including role clarity with the RCMP for public communication, as part of our emergency communication and response plans.

The incident has been difficult for our community – at all levels. On May 8, we commemorated a final step in our return to normalcy, by welcoming the library back to the Community Centre.

I remain confident in Strathcona County’s capabilities to take any learnings in stride, as part of its readiness to respond to emergent situations.”

Set in the centre of Alberta’s energy and agricultural heartland, Strathcona County is a thriving, successful and vibrant community of over 98,000 residents. Strathcona County is made up of the urban area of Sherwood Park and a large adjacent rural area of farms, acreages and smaller hamlets. It is home to 75 per cent of hydrocarbon processing in Western Canada. Strathcona County is a leader in environmental conservation, and 55 per cent of its land is within the UNESCO Beaver Hills Biosphere. With a focus on economic, governance, social, cultural and environmental sustainability, Strathcona County is committed to balancing the unique needs of its diverse community.

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Contact: Strathcona County Communications, 780-410-6595