For the next 11 months, the town of Brooks’ municipal intern Travais Anderson will be learning all he can in hopes of entering the fields of municipal administration.
Anderson is a part of the Province of Alberta’s Municipal Affairs & Housing Internship program, which is intended to equip recent post secondary graduates with administration experience and a solid overview of Municipal Affairs & Housing and inner workings.
Anderson is one month into his 12 month practicum with the town of Brooks. He will be learning and working with all departments of the town, including engineering, parks and recreation, public works, finance and a variety of other activities that municipalities provide that have a direct impact on taxpayers.
“The idea is to get a comprehensive, overall understanding of what it takes to run a municipality, in this case, the town of Brooks,” says Anderson.
The provincial program was originally created in 1980 and was run successfully until 1993. After a ten year break, the program was relaunched with a more structured plan and guide to help interns and host municipalities to get as much out of the partnership as possible.
Anderson did not have to look very far to find a host municipality in Brooks, living in Brooks for all but two years of his life. Anderson graduated from Brooks Composite High School in 2001 and attended the University of Calgary. Anderson chose Economics with an applied energy focus as his major.
“It fit my personal goals and personality best,” he says.
During the summer of 2004, Anderson worked for the County of Newell as their planning and development summer student.
Upon graduation from the U of C in April of this year, Anderson originally thought he would work for an oil and gas company in some sort of pricing or project position, however, he came across the opportunity to take part in the government of Alberta municipal internship program.
“Thanks to the enjoyable experience with the County of Newell the year before, I decided to apply for the position,” he says.
“After a bit of an interview blitz, I decided to take the offer from the town of Brooks.”
Anderson’s current task with the town is going through all of Brooks’ bylaws and seeing ones that are still valid and legal and making sure the town’s bylaws are inclusive and mesh well with each other.
“I really hope to continue to expand my skill set and exposure to what municipal administration has to offer,” he says.
Anderson has recently joined the Brooks Fire Department and plans to officiate minor hockey in the winter.
“I intend to use this great opportunity I have been given with the town of Brooks.”