For more than three decades, the MD of Lesser Slave River has lobbied the Government of Alberta to prioritize the replacement of an aging covered bridge spanning the Athabasca River. Although at the end of its engineered lifespan, the Smith Bridge is heavily utilized by public motorists and industry traffic alike.

In addition to costing taxpayers needless millions in stopgap repairs, the  design and condition of the bridge have resulted in a bottleneck to the activities of multiple thriving industrial sectors from which the Government of Alberta directly benefits.

We were engaged to shine a spotlight on a critical infrastructure matter that had been overlooked and deprioritized for three decades (and that in recent months had an additional ten years tacked onto its estimated lifespan by a provincial inspector).

The twin goals were to maximize local support for the Smith Bridge rebuild project, and persuade the Province to earmark the funding needed to build a new bridge within the shortest possible timespan. To achieve these goals, we had to find ways to make this particular bridge stand out from the multitude of critical infrastructure projects vying for provincial funding.

We held focused strategy sessions with MD Council and senior leadership to discuss realistic near-term objectives and deputize key staff members to help us meet them. From these sessions evolved one central truth: this was not about rebuilding an old bridge; it was about safeguarding a transportation corridor for the most lucrative oil play in North America. Without grasping — and then exploiting — this key piece of logic, our undertaking was not likely to resonate with provincial decision makers.

We reserved the vanity URL SmithBridge.ca and developed a microsite where users could submit freeform or templated support letters; complete public opinion surveys; and explore detailed information about the undertaking.

To ramp up the sense of urgency, we crafter video vignettes where Councillors made their arguments for a new bridge and encouraged citizens to do their part prior to the deadline. Posted to MD social media channels and shared with other community partners, these videos helped convey the social hardships and industrial bottlenecks posed by the present bridge, and underscored the importance of public participation in the support campaign.

We heavily promoted awareness of SmithBridge.ca via road signage; community posters; print and digital advertising; and word-of-mouth. To interrupt well-worn patterns, we replaced the MD’s standard design system with a coarse, industrial, in-your-face aesthetic. Across all touchpoints, we employed straightforward messaging and one simple call-to-action: have your say at SmithBridge.ca.

This was not about rebuilding an old bridge; it was about safeguarding a transportation corridor for the most lucrative oil play in North America.

In parallel to our awareness blitz and engagement activities, Lesser Slave River’s councillors and senior leadership team were reaching out to their respective contacts in oil & gas, agriculture, forestry and local government. It was all hands on deck as we raced toward the February 22 finish line.