On Feb. 19, approximately 50 community members from across the region gathered at the Walking Eagle Inn & Lodge for a public event hosted by Unstoppable Conversations. The initiative, which was launched in November 2024, aims to engage local business leaders and residents to collaboratively build a more vibrant and dynamic future for the region.

Michelle Meatheringham, executive director of the Rocky Chamber of Commerce, expressed her excitement about the growing enthusiasm surrounding the project. “One of the incredible things about this initiative is the realization that ‘you don’t know what you don’t know’— this initiative has a real sense of that. The potential [in the region] is incredible,” she said.

The evening’s presentation focused on four key impact projects that have been identified as the primary areas of focus: Business/Council Collaboration, Youth Engagement, Nonprofit Collaboration, and Housing. Meatheringham confirmed that the momentum is building, with committee groups already beginning to form and strategize.

These committees are now in the early stages of connecting and planning. Next steps include identify stakeholders, defining goals, and starting to make actionable plans.

During the event, the conversation shifted toward the long-term vision for the initiative, which is centered on transforming the community’s mindset. As Rocky Chamber Vice President Tim Hoven previously put it, the initiative aims to shift the mindset from “why bother?” to “what’s possible?”

The effort has been compared to a similar, previous initiative called Ignite Rocky that was met with initial enthusiasm, but eventually fizzled out. Hoven says Unstoppable Conversations is different.

“The Unstoppable Initiative has been built as a community movement, with people from all over the community, working together in big and small ways, to move the town and county toward a new vision,” says Hoven. “Previous work has paralleled this initiative with strong leaders. The difference is this one is building numerous leaders to create that vision.”

(Rocky Mountain House Chamber of Commerce)

Meatheringham says community members have been eager to contribute to this transformation, and with the support of local leaders and councils, the potential for growth in Rocky Mountain House and Clearwater County can be limitless.

She says the theme of the initiative can be encapsulated in the tagline: Together We Thrive.

Further information on the initiative will be presented during the upcoming Denim & Diamonds awards ceremony, as Unstoppable Conversations CEO Kevin Gangel is set to be emcee. The event goes March 7 at the Lou Soppit Community Centre.

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