MUNICIPAL DISTRICT BONNYVILLE NO. 87
COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS November 28, 2018
Keeping you informed of the services, business and development that affect YOU!
#1 Recreation Needs Assessment – Next Steps – M.D. of Bonnyville Council agreed to move on with the next steps now that the Recreation Needs Assessment is completed. Options for the development of a Recreation Master Plan will be brought forward in the 2019 budget deliberations. The master plan will look at trends relevant to the development of facilities and amenities in the M.D., how the municipality’s inventory compares with other communities, recreation priorities for development, recommendations and a suggested implementation plan. M.D. Council will also go ahead with a feasibility study on the Bonnyville Recreation Park, including the design, phasing and projected costs. Council will also set up a meeting with neighbouring urban municipalities to discuss a regional recreation master plan. The Recreation Needs Assessment is now on the website at www.md.bonnyville.ab.ca. Some highlights include: the M.D. received 675 coded responses and 407 non-coded. The coded responses were primarily used for the assessment.
Favourite Aspects of Recreation in the Area:
1. Natural beauty and access to outdoor space – 69%
2. Major facilities in the neighbouring urban areas – 31%
3. Recreational programming – 27%
Indoor Facility Priorities:
1. Aquatics facility – 69%
2. Youth centre – 33%
3. Performing arts facility – 30%
4. Indoor children’s play spaces – 30%
Outdoor Facility Priorities:
1. Boat launches/water access areas – 41%
2. Outdoor aquatic spaces (pools/splash parks) – 36%
3. Natural surface trails (not paved) – 35%
4. Community trails (paved) – 32%
5. Campgrounds – 30%
#2 Glendon Project Receives Funding – The Glendon Green and G.O.L.D. (Glendon Outdoor Leisure Development) Project Committee received up to a maximum of $500,000 funding contribution from M.D. Council, subject to approval of the land component and a satisfactory agreement with Northern Lights Public Schools that will include public use and access. The funding will come from the Industry Legacy Fund set up by Council. The G.O.L.D. Committee is proposing to construct an athletics field at Glendon School containing an eight-lane shale track, two baseball diamonds, long jump, triple jump, soccer/football field, beach volleyball, outdoor basketball, tennis, pickleball, shotput, discus, javelin, high jump and pole vault areas. The goal is to build a centralized facility for seasonal sports events that both the community and school can utilize. The project aligns with Council’s belief in recognizing recreation opportunities and building on them for the benefit of M.D. residents.
#3 Support For Alberta 55 Plus Winter Games – Council agreed to provide a $15,000 Platinum Sponsorship, and to allow the use of Kinosoo Ridge Snow Resort and C2 facilities at no cost, to the City of Cold Lake for the Alberta 55 Plus Winter Games being held from March 1 to 3, 2019. The Alpine Skiing competition will be held at the Ridge. Some components of the Pickleball competition will be held at the C2. This is the first time the games are being held in the Lakeland, drawing over 900 participants and supporters to the region over the three days.
#4 Crime Prevention Program – The Crime Prevention Officer has been doing one-on-one visits with residents and farmers who have requested Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) property surveys. He has increased the time that he allots when he returns to review his final report with the property owner because it can be a long visit with good one-on-one conversations taking place. There was a good turnout at the Open House in Goodridge. The main topic was prevention of vehicle theft. Many residents in attendance wanted the CPTED surveys done on their properties. There were also some residents of St. Paul County in attendance. Some attendees have also applied for membership in the Beaver River Rural Crime Watch.
#5 Snowmobile Access Through Cold Lake M.D. Park Approved – Council approved a snowmobile trail access through Cold Lake M.D. Park subject to the Cold Lake Snowmobile Club (CLSC) entering into a maintenance agreement with the M.D. Accessing the park will give the CLSC direct access to the lake and keep traffic out of residential areas. The club will assist with any brush clearing, groom the trail and install signs provided by the Alberta Snowmobile Association (ASA). A land agreement between the M.D. and CLSC will ensure the trail is registered with the ASA. The Club will also install a gate at the trail head coming off of 1st Avenue. The trail will connect the lake to the Iron Horse Trail in the south and the Trans-Canada Trail in the northeast.
#6 Clubroot Prevention – One canola field was identified with Clubroot in September, and two more fields were identified in October, bringing the total number of infected fields in the M.D. to seven. With all seven infected fields being located in the southwestern side of the municipality, the Agriculture Service Board (ASB) took a closer look at equipment rentals in the area. It was decided to remove the 30-foot land roller from the Therien rental location due to its high risk of spreading Clubroot if it is not properly sanitized prior to being rented out. The land roller will still be allowed to go to the area, but it will be serviced out of the Bonnyville ASB Shop.
#7 Waste Services News – The M.D. is encouraging farmers to reach out to the Ag and Waste Department to coordinate grain bag pick up as soon as possible after they are empty. A lot of grain bags were used this year because of the wet harvest, as it is easier to store tough grain in the bags, with less chance of heating. There is no charge for the service, and there should be less dirt contamination if they are collected quickly. Sea cans are being added to transfer sites that currently accept mattresses. This will allow less spoilage of the mattresses, as they are not exposed to the weather elements. The sea cans will enable less handling of the mattresses by staff, and reduce having to haul them all over the municipality. The four locations will be Hilda Lake, Fort Kent, Goodridge and Therien. There are already sea cans at Ardmore and La Corey. The M.D. will be shipping out its ninth sea can full of mattresses shortly.
#8 Transportation and Utilities Update – Council approved the submission of a grant application to the Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program’s (STIP) Local Road Bridge Program for the BF72190 - Bridge over Columbine Creek Project. Road equipment has been switched over to winter operations and the night shift monitoring is continuing to inspect roadways for condition issues. Construction crews have started on the waterline from Cold Lake to Bonnyville in the approved areas. Land agents will be updating the committee at the next meeting as to the status of remaining land deals. Crews are continuing to work on the Country Lane/Countryside Estates ditching work as utility crews relocate Telus lines. Crews have completed the installation of two new culverts in the roadways to facilitate the new Birch Grove drainage ditch. The decommissioning and reclamation of the existing drainage ditch has been completed, and staff will be reviewing the work with Alberta Environment shortly. M.D. crews are still waiting on approvals from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the approval for a borrow source on Crown land for the Wolf Lake Road project. Culvert materials have been ordered and are in the yard for the project. JMB has increased the number of trucks hauling gravel into the T&U yard in an effort to complete the contract this year. Knelsen Sand and Gravel has started their haul of 75,000 tonnes of gravel into the yard as well.
#9 Ag and Safety Update – Beaver dam removal is continuing in flooded agricultural areas until freeze up. The removal of dams will wrap up as winter and more permanent frost is right around the corner. The M.D. had good success with contracted beaver trappers this fall. Staff are optimistic going into the winter months. There are still funds available for landowners to take advantage of the Roadside Brushing Program. In 2018, one mile was completed. The M.D. pays between $500 to $3,500 per half mile, for cleaning the M.D. portion of the road right-of-way. Landowners have to receive approval of the project before work can start. Electrical services are nearing completion on the renovations for the Bonnyville Seed Cleaning Plant. Construction on the office has ceased while staff wait for engineered drawings for the cement foundation and the tall wall in the attached storage shed. Installation of equipment has started on the seed cleaning portion of the plant. The safety team completed the internal audit this past month with a score of 77 percent. The audit ensures the M.D. is following the Alberta Occupational Health & Safety Act and Regulations.
#10 Parks, Rec. and Culture News – Kinosoo Ridge Snow Resort opened December 1. Parks staff continue to clear paved trails. A sand spreader has been added to the mini-truck to deal with icy patches. To increase camping traffic to all M.D. campgrounds, a Campground Stamp Card has been produced for the 2019/2020 season. Campers acquiring all eight stamps will receive one free night and can enter in a contest for a week of free camping. Evaluation reports from Community Action Grants given to the Cold Lake Entertainment Society/Grande Parlour for the Verge Festival and the Lakeland Multicultural Association movie festival were received. Over 370 people attended the two events. Green Plan consultancy completed the Biophysical Impact Assessment and the Wetlands Assessment Impact Report for Cold Lake M.D. Park. The reports will provide support for provincial and federal grant applications that may be required for future expansion. They offer guidelines to sensitive areas and the best times for clearing and/or construction. A vehicle incident in mid-November resulted in damage to the guardrail on the west side of the Highway 28 trail underpass. Parks is coordinating the replacement through an insurance claim.
#11 Public Safety Update – Officers conducted a number of commercial vehicle inspections. Most took place at Public Works in conjunction with the gravel haul, while others were done randomly on tanker trucks operating on M.D. roads. Some written warnings were issued. Officers attended four motor vehicle collisions in the past two weeks, three on the La Corey North Resource Road and one on Highway 660. Officers assisted the public at six different motor vehicle collisions with wildlife. In these situations, the collisions occurred either just before the officer drove along the road or actually happened right in front of the officer on patrol. Officers are taking action on two quad complaints in the Birch Grove area, monitoring for the quads’ return. School Resource Officers are ensuring their in-progress programs are completed before the Christmas break. The Right Choices program is wrapping up, as well as CSI. The SROs have been doing lots of one-off sessions on Internet Safety, Cyberbullying and concerns over sexting. They are also instructing girls’ self-defense classes. Officers responded to a number of dog complaints including: dogs hanging out on a residential subdivision road, a dog on a leash being attacked by another off-leash, a dog not being cared for and a group of six-week old puppies being dropped off at a residence. The puppies were taken to the Bonnyville SPCA.
#12 Funding Support – Council approved the 2018 library funding of $71,264 and $153,697 for the Cold Lake and Bonnyville libraries respectively, based on the 2016 Municipal Affairs M.D. population of 13,233. Council directed administration to investigate alternative approaches to library funding for future years. Land of the Lakes Recreation Association received its annual $25,000 Operating Grant for the Iron River Community Hall. Council agreed to contribute $1,000 each to the food banks located at the Bonnyville Friendship Centre and the Cold Lake Community Baptist Church.
#13 Briefly – Jay Melvin was appointed as the Director of Emergency Management for the M.D. of Bonnyville No. 87 effective December 1, 2018. Council approved a letter of support written to the Minister of Education supporting Lakeland Catholic Schools in their proposal for construction of a new high school to be located at the Cold Lake Energy Centre. Council agreed to send a letter to the Federal government requesting that Bill C-69 be reviewed and that the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) proposed changes be applied to the Bill.
For more information, contact Diane Jenkinson, Marketing and Communications Manager at 780-826-3171. Follow us at facebook.com/MDBonnyville and Twitter @MDBville.