The Hamlet of Mirror is governed by Lacombe County, which is located in Central Alberta. Lacombe County supplies water to the Hamlet, takes care of infrastructure maintenance, and general governance. As the community of Mirror established the Mirror Community Network, it was apparent that a partnership needed to be established with Lacombe County, as many of the facilities are owned by the County and operated by local organizations.

One key connector was a Councillor with Lacombe County who had a vision to elevate Mirror’s status within the County. She believed this could be done at a community level, driven by the assets and interests of Mirror residents.

The first step toward solidifying a partnership was meeting with Lacombe County leadership to provide information on the changes and opportunities that were arising. Arrangements were made by the Network Chair, and a meeting took place with the County CAO, Corporate Manager and FCSS Manager. An overview of the Mirror Community Network was provided along with a detailed work plan and timeline for upcoming community initiatives. No request for help was put forward, it was simply an opporuntity to provide information to ensure that Lacombe County was aware of the efforts and energy that existed at the local level.

The next step was to invite County leaders to attend the Mirror Community Network meetings and to provide intermittent updates on plans and progress. As the line of communication opened up, other funding opportunities also started surfacing. A seed grant was received and plans to enhance the outdoor parks began to roll forward. As Lacombe County leadership became more aware of the work and community spirit advancing, trust began to build and within a short time, the Mirror Community Network was asked to apply for a County grant. The team received additional funds to further enhance the park project.

Some key learnings from developing a municipal government partnership:

• Look for connected people who are already engaged with government, or have a connection that can be tapped in to
• Find a community champion who is passionate about comprehensive community wellness and can speak on behalf of the community whenever the opportunities arise
• Know the language of leaders. For example, take note of the benefits these small but mighty intiatives have on the community at large 
• Remember that Municipal leaders always have the interests of communities at heart

Hamlet of Mirror looking to increase to increase health and wellness - Article