FACTSnet

In 1999, David Ibsen of Collaborative Information Networks, Dan Saunders and a host of others were involved in the TriSmart project, a proposal to create a technologically-smart community in the municipalities of Spruce Grove, Stony Plain and Parkland County. When funding was not approved, we were joined by David’s wife Carole and continued on to work with MLA Doug Horner on Uniting for Children and Youth Network. In 2003, we were joined by others to form FACTS, (the Family and Community Twining Society). FACTS is a non-profit society whose primary purpose is to provide a structure for semi-autonomous networks which share information and resources on topics of common interest. In 2007, we began hiring summer students, in partnership with other organizations. We continued to work with these organizations on an ad hoc basis until 2009, when FACTSnet was created in conjunction with the Centralta Tourism Society. Since 2009, we have hired summer students through Government of Canada programs such as Canada Summer Jobs, and in 2014 we received additional funding from Young Canada Works. In 2015, we also had the opportunity to take on student interns through SCiP (Serving Communities Internship Program) run by Volunteer Alberta and funded by the Government of Alberta.