Keeping you informed of the services, business and development that affect YOU!
#1 Kinosoo Ridge Snow Resort Opening – Council agreed to open Kinosoo Ridge for the 2020-2021 ski season, with updated operating rules for COVID-19. See www.kinosoo.ca for up-to-date information on how things will be working at the hill to maintain physical distancing requirements and follow Public Health Orders. Administration is looking into the possibility of grants from both the federal and provincial governments to help offset the expected $320,000 loss of revenue and expenses for the 2020-2021 season due to the global pandemic.
#2 Emergency Alert App Coming Soon – Voyent Alert, a municipal emergency alert app, will soon be available to all M.D. residents. The alert app will let residents know about local emergencies and service disruptions including car accidents where traffic flow is impacted, flooding alerts, wildfire alerts and more. Keep an eye on www.md.bonnyville.ab.ca or www.facebook.com/MDBonnyville for app release dates.
#3 La Corey Area Structure Plan Open House – The Planning and Development Department will be hosting an Open House on November 10, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Willow Prairie Hall to present the La Corey Area Structure Plan (ASP). The consultant, Stantec, will provide information on what an ASP is and how it affects residents of the hamlet.
#4 Parks and Recreation Updates – At its October 7 meeting, Council had the chance to look at a draft of the Outdoor Multi-Purpose Recreation Park concept plan and site assessment summary. The plan included a concept drawing showing three baseball diamonds, campground, two soccer fields, playground, and pickleball courts. Council accepted the document as information. At the October 14 meeting, Council directed Administration to place the Outdoor Multi-Purpose Recreation Park concept plan on hold until confirmation of provincial regional funding is received. At the October 7 meeting, Council awarded the contract for the first phase of the expansion of the Cold Lake M.D. Campground to Martushev Logging Ltd. For $1,199,408.40 (plus GST). The first phase includes clearing, stripping, rough grading and installation of the watermain. The building for the Cherry Grove covered outdoor ice rink is set to arrive by the end of October and be ready for skaters once the ice can be made. For the 2020-2021 winter season, the outdoor ice rink in Ardmore will be located at the community association site, with the covered rink project scheduled to go ahead in 2021.
#5 Ag and Waste Services Update – The beaver trapping season opened October 1. The M.D. will be working with local trappers again this year, with priority being placed on identified problem areas where flood waters can damage infrastructure. The brushing program is in full force, with the Flat Lake area now complete, and with crews working in Cherry Grove by mid-October. The last mowing of the season is taking place. Mowing has been completed in all subdivisions, while willow brushing work is still being worked on. Two canola fields in the M.D. were identified as having clubroot. Pest notices have been delivered to the producers, who must not grow canola in those fields for the next four years, as per M.D. policy. Over the last year, Ag Services collected over 7,000 lbs of chemical jugs for the Clean Farms program. The recycled material ends up being made into agricultural weeping tile. The bin sites at Flat Lake and Muriel Viewpoint have been paved.
#6 Public Safety Activity – August and September were busy months for the Public Safety Department. Officers responded to three motor vehicle accidents, an ATV rollover, four commercial vehicle complaints, four trespassing complaints, six complaints of loose livestock, 32 dog control complaints and dealt with 152 various complaint calls and be on the look out requests. Officers were also involved with four joint operations with the RCMP. As part of the Rural Crime Prevention program, officers did 50 vacant home checks, 846 general crime prevention patrols and 181 targeted crime prevention patrols. The school resource officers are back at it and are setting up meetings with principals and teachers on how to deliver their usual programs in the schools this year.
#7 Transportation and Utilities Updates – Council heard at its October 7 meeting that the fire station in Fort Kent and the combination fire station and grader shop in Ardmore are delayed, but are expected to be completed in January or February 2021. General Manager Abid Malik let Council know staff have been hard at work this construction season with about 15 kilometres of drainage being looked after and 120 culverts replaced, in addition to the construction, rip and relay, paving, repair work, dust control projects, and general road maintenance.
#8 Bridge Tender Awarded – Council awarded the $783,735.10 contract for Bridge File BF72190 Replacement on Range Road 485, north of Highway 660, to Prairie Erectors International Inc. of Nisku, to be funded from the 2020 Capital Budget. Council approved the unbudgeted expenditure for the project, in the amount of $451,608.61, to be funded from the Bridge Fund Reserve. The work will replace an aging bridge with a bridge-sized culvert.
#9 – Planning And Development News – First Reading was given to Bylaw No. 1750 to close, cancel, sell and consolidate a portion of laneway within Plan 152 1454, within the Hamlet of Fort Kent. The bylaw will now proceed to public hearing.
#10 Briefly October 7 – On October 7, Council heard from the Bonnyville and District Chamber of Commerce. The presentation covered the chamber’s t-shirt sale campaign “Our Resiliency Runs Deep”. Proceeds from the sales will be distributed to local businesses via a grant program. Visit www.bonnyvillechamber.com for more information. The expanded electronics recycling program is now in place at all seven M.D. landfill/transfer stations. Ward 2 Councillor, Darcy Skarsen has been chosen to fill the representative seat on the Bonnyville Library Board. The annual Organizational Meeting where councillors are appointed to a variety of boards and committees will be held October 28, 2020 at 9 a.m.
#11 – Briefly October 14 – Council proclaimed November 2020 as Family Violence Prevention Month within the M.D. Council approved the request by the RCMP Lakeland Crime Reduction Unit to use the M.D. logo in the design of a Challenge Coin. Council approved the Quality Management Plan for the Fire Discipline for the M.D. The Plan for the Joint Accredited Municipalities had not been updated since March 15, 1999. The plan was reviewed by the administrator of the Safety Codes Council and the Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority (BRFA) Board of Directors. Council agreed to provide administration with their concerns or questions pertaining to RCMP “K” Division for future delivery within the M.D. Any concerns will then be forwarded to the detachment commanders, and they can be addressed at the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) Convention later this fall.
For more information, contact Diane Jenkinson, Marketing and Communications Manager at 780-826-3171. Our website is a useful way to get the information you need. Visit: www.md.bonnyville.ab.ca Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @MDBville.