The City of St. Albert, located near Edmonton, is committed to ensuring residents have access to a coordinated and connected network of social services that respond to the broad and dynamic needs of the community. In 2023 and 2024, Urban Matters partnered with the City of St. Albert to conduct a comprehensive Community Social Needs Assessment. This initiative sought to identify critical social issues, emerging trends, and unmet needs within the community. By integrating research findings, demographic analysis, and extensive public and stakeholder engagement, the project was designed to be inclusive and accessible, ensuring diverse voices informed the assessment. 

The project involved several key steps. Urban Matters began by forming a collaborative working team with the City to define objectives and success measures. A thorough review of existing plans and policies provided critical context, while demographic and community profile development offered insights into St. Albert’s unique characteristics. Engagement efforts included opportunities for residents to provide input online, in-person, and through written formats. Community outreach sessions and workshops with stakeholders further enriched the findings, enabling the identification of key themes and priorities. 

The engagement process was one of the most successful in St. Albert’s history, with over 1,500 residents participating in a survey about social issues and unmet needs. Over 700 conversations were held during pop-up outreach sessions, and 37 stakeholder surveys were completed. Additionally, five facilitated sessions brought together more than 60 representatives from social-serving organizations to refine findings. This success was supported by an extensive promotional campaign, which included distributing postcards through newspapers, publishing newspaper ads, displaying promotional posters, issuing a news release, updating the City’s webpage, and leveraging social media to ensure broad community awareness and participation. In phase two, 89 participants from community agencies, organizations, networks, City departments, and City Council attended a large-scale session to validate themes and explore potential solutions. 

This collaborative approach resulted in a robust, visualized dataset highlighting various aspects of social needs in St. Albert. Stakeholder sessions confirmed key issues and actionable strategies. By combining rigorous analysis with meaningful engagement, Urban Matters has equipped the City of St. Albert with the insights needed to create impactful and sustainable social strategies for the future.