The Little Town that Could

Any tiny community tempted to think a mountain is too big to climb need only consider Longview for an infusion of optimism. In little more than a year, the community has gone from bemoaning its dilapidated playground and dearth of active living alternatives to raising more than $400,000 for a playground revamp, a green gym, park amenities, a veterans’ memorial surrounded by a Serenity Garden, a concrete slab for the hockey rink, skate park equipment, basketball hoops and tennis nets.

“Almost every group in the village banded together to give Longview an ‘Xtreme Makeover,’” says Michele Geistlinger, local ChooseWell Champion and (with husband Tony) a key player on the society that is leading the charge. “It’s almost unbelievable, what we’ve accomplished.”

Longview’s journey may sound familiar to other small towns within commuting distance of urban centres. A member of Longview Council in the early 2000s, Michele realized that new residents drawn to the village by its rural setting and foothill views tended to have a different take on taxation and service levels and community involvement than those with deeper roots. What’s more, various boards were working in isolation, despite overlaps in members. Like its playground, Longview was splintering and in need of a makeover.

Just before leaving council to care for an aging mother, Michele took advantage of ChooseWell resources to do some community building – and encourage healthy eating. ARPA also put her in touch with Wayne Page, who helped build a Community Services Advisory Board that successfully applied to be among the third wave of partners in ACE (Active Creative Engaged) Communities. With the mentorship of ACE coaches, the board has morphed into ARC (Art, Recreation and Community) Society.

It’s a point of pride that the ARC Society is one of a few ACE initiatives fully driven by volunteers. Its five-member board has a distribution list of more than 90, on alert to pitch in as needed. The society began by asking people to imagine what they wanted to see happen in two years, recalls Michele, who has devoted nearly fulltime to the society since her mom died in 2009.

At an AGM in February 2012, community members compared their original wish list to the new reality. Contrary to what a few naysayers predicted, every part of the plan is on track for completion. “It blows me away, actually,” Michele says. “I still can’t believe it all came to be.”

This is a classic case of full-out collaboration underwritten by targeted grant writing. On the team: the ARC Society, Village Council, Longview Stampede Association, Longview Recreation Board (operator of an outdoor rink) and a group dedicated to the Serenity Park/Veteran's Memorial. Thanks to their fundraising and generosity, a full 80% of the money came through grants and awards – and not a penny from the tax base.

With seed funding from SOGO Active and ARPA, donations rolled in from Foothills Lions Club and corporations with a local presence, such as Legacy Oil and Gas, Suncor Energy Inc., Fortis, ATCO Gas and Costco. A Community Facility Enhancement Program grant helped pay for a concrete pad that will allow multi-season use of Longview’s outdoor rink for basketball, tennis and skateboarding. Fundraisers included a Night of Foolishness dinner and silent auction celebrating local talent. A Let them be Kids award, one of just 30 across Canada that year, not only matched every dollar the community raised for playground , fitness and skate park equipment, but provided coaching every step of the way.

“Look to big corporations, because they really do want to give back. But really research their motive in giving. If you don’t qualify, there’s no sense writing up a big grant.”
Michele Geistlinger
Longview

Amid all of that, Longview learned that the Wild Pink Yonder Ride for Breast Cancer Research was stopping overnight August 18. The town not only hosted the riders but raised $3,000 to support the cause. Cyclists camped at the rodeo grounds, enjoyed supper, entertainment and breakfast – and rode off with healthy bag lunches courtesy of the Longview Bible Fellowship.

The people powering Longview’s Xtreme Makeover also found ways to raise awareness of the initiative and its goal of enhancing health and wellbeing through exercise, fresh air and social gatherings. They entered a float featuring ARC, ACE and ChooseWell in the Little New York Daze parade. (Did you know Longview was originally called Little New York?) They sparked a July 3 Flashmob to the tune of Michael Jackson’s Heal the World – and shot a video during the wind-blown happening that won a ChooseWell draw. The prize? A $6,800 Super Nova from Playworks, a tilted and spinnable disc that is proving popular with kids – and a challenge for adults.

Both the new playground and the veteran’s memorial began to take shape Oct. 15 during a massive work bee that attracted nearly 100 volunteers. Located at the village office, the memorial will feature a life-size statue of a First World War veteran as well as benches, trees and a garden. By 2014, the 50th anniversary of its incorporation as a village, the community also hopes to have an interpretive centre celebrating the area’s rich ranching, First Nations, oil and gas heritage. “Nobody’s even going to recognize Longview,” Michele predicts.

“How could a 57-year-old woman know how to choose what kids would want to play on?”
Michele Geistlinger
Longview

Everything in the playground was chosen by children through “dotmocracy.” Invited to a choosing party (with healthy treats), each kid received nine coloured dots: three to vote for their favourite playground pieces, three for fitness equipment and three for skate park equipment. Curious adults came too – and received dots to vote for exercise equipment. By mid-2012, 13 exercise machines will be in place at the edges of the playground, inviting parents to be active while their children play.

The green gym will help make up for the fact that the nearest exercise classes are 35 km away in High River, Michele says. “I decided to bring the exercise equipment to me.” Next step: snagging a grant to hire a trainer to teach all ages how to use the equipment and maximize their exercise time.

As that comment indicates, Michele is focused on programming now that the capital decisions are made. As in the past, Longview School was key to promoting ChooseWell in 2011, sending a My Amazing Little Cookbook home with every elementary student as summer began – and a Sobey’s 21 Days to Healthy Eating calendar to every family in September. Perhaps another SOGO Active grant would entice the physical education teacher to set up an attainable exercise regimen at school that could spread to the community. Maybe the school would cohost a year-end party at the park, complete with a rented climbing wall and money for the parents’ association to serve healthy food. The popular admission-by-donation music festival hosted in recent years by Longview native Eva Levesque of the Travelling Mabels (with funds going to a local charity) also opens opportunities to build on what’s happening here.

Michele can see the renewed park out her kitchen window and has taken to recording who’s there in what sorts of weather. “I’ll see kids over there in minus 20, and I never did before,” she says. “More adults spend time there now, and people from the surrounding district bring their kids. It’s wonderful to see increased use of the park – and even new faces.”

“The province is going in the right direction with ACE and ChooseWell. ACE sure opened the door for me to think big; it’s like a support system – a huge family. I like ChooseWell’s newsletters and ideas and contest – and just the visibility, getting out there.”
Michele Geistlinger
Longview

Longview in Brief
Population: 350
Location: 64 km south of Calgary in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies
ChooseWell Team: Longview ARC Society
Recognition: Providing Health Education
Top Tip: You can do it! Don’t let the naysayers hold you back
Contact: Janet Naclia at jnaclia@aceleaders.ca

Written by Cheryl Mahaffey for Communities ChooseWell