When a challenge affects everyone, who needs to be part of the conversation?

Communities across Alberta are facing increasingly complex challenges that cannot be solved by a single organization, program, sector, or level of government. Issues such as transportation, social isolation, housing, poverty, access to services, and community well-being are deeply interconnected and require new ways of working together.

Through Alberta's Community Complexity Lab initiative, the Community Development Unit (CDU) has partnered with communities across the province to bring together diverse stakeholders to explore complex challenges, strengthen relationships, and uncover opportunities for collective action.

This session will share insights from Community Complexity Labs across Alberta, with a particular focus on partnerships with FCSS organizations in Wetaskiwin and Bonnyville. Participants will hear the story of the Bonnyville Community Complexity Lab, where FCSS Bonnyville, CDU, and community partners convened residents, service providers, and community leaders to explore transportation and access challenges in the Bonnyville and Cold Lake region.

Together, we will explore the role FCSS can play as a trusted convener, relationship-builder, and catalyst for collective action and system change. Participants will leave with new perspectives and practical ideas for engaging partners, expanding conversations, and creating the conditions for lasting change.