Notes from Council, September 2025
Dear Residents & Ratepayers,
Nomination Day for all candidates in the 2025 Alberta Municipal Elections was on September 22nd. In the County, all divisions but one were elected by acclamation, meaning that there was only one candidate and therefore no contest. While I believe electoral contests are important and I tried to connect with a lot of residents leading up to Nomination Day, I am humbled that the residents of Division 6 were comfortable enough with me to acclaim my re-election. Please reach out if you believe that I can be of service, or if you have questions or concerns. It is an honour to serve as your councillor for the next four years.
Congratulations to Alex Horkhoff as he will soon take over in Division 2 from Shane Cockwill. I want to thank Councillor Cockwill for his many years of dedicated service, both to the residents of Division 2 and our entire County. Your willingness to listen, your perspective, and your humour will be missed.
Best wishes to the other council members elected by acclamation in their divisions for your commitment to your communities over the next term. I appreciate your integrity, intelligence, and capacity to make better rather than worse arguments. Similarly, to those elected by acclamation in the Villages of Arrowwood and Champion, as well as the Town of Vulcan, congratulations and thank you for your service.
To the candidates campaigning to represent Division 4, as well as those contesting election in the Villages of Carmangay, Lomond, and Milo, whatever your inspiration, may it be for the betterment of your communities in the spirit of collaboration.
September proved to be a very busy month for me, especially with my appointment to the Board of the Oldman River Regional Services Commission. In this capacity, I have served on the Executive Committee for nearly four years. Since December of last year, I have served as the Chair of the Board as we navigate some significant budgetary challenges, as well as hiring a new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to replace Lenze Kuiper who is retiring. The month began with a meeting of the whole 40-member board to provide an update on the 2026 budget forecast, as well as recognize the long-serving members who were not returning after the municipal election. This was the first of nine meetings for the Commission this past month, most of which were for the CAO Hiring Committee as we interviewed candidates for the job. Fortunately, this process has concluded successfully.
While the agenda for the September 17th regular meeting was rather lite, focussing largely on administrative matters, we did award the work for the completion of the Water Distribution Station in the Vulcan County Industrial Park. This will ensure that there is potable water flowing through our distribution system to service the lots that are otherwise ready for development. The water comes up from the south off the line for the Twin Valley Regional Water Commission and will fill a “clear well” near the distribution hub. This in-ground reservoir of potable water will ensure adequate capacity for ordinary consumption and fire protection, as well as a bulk water supply that is slated to relocate out of the Town of Vulcan. Officials from both the Town and the County are eager to see this service in operation and no longer in a residential district.
Finally, I want to extend my congratulations to the Vulcan Elks Lodge on their 100th Anniversary. Thank you for your ongoing service to the Vulcan Community and our region.
Sincerely,
Christopher Northcott