Author: Christopher Northcott

Dear Residents & Ratepayers,

              Harvest is underway while the County’s road crews have been working steadily to improve road conditions. After an extraordinary amount of moisture this summer, road maintenance fell behind in some areas and additional gravel is required in others. While we appreciate those who have exercised a great deal of patience waiting for road maintenance, please continue to reach out to me with specific issues that require resolution. This will allow me the opportunity to follow up as we go forward.

              There was one regular meeting of Council in August where preliminary consideration was given to a highway parking bylaw. This was brought forward after it was realized that signs had been placed along a Mossleigh service road instructing trucks not to park overnight. After concerns were raised by certain stakeholders, Council is now looking at specific bylaw parameters for parking restrictions that can be applied on a case-by-case basis, suiting the specific needs of different areas in the County. Like most small communities, residential areas often abut higher traffic commercial districts. Navigating the concerns of residents as they are impacted by commercial vehicles is not always easy, especially when certain businesses are impacted by rules that could be overly restrictive. I am hopeful that consultation with residents and businesses will result in a more conciliatory outcome for all stakeholders in Mossleigh, allowing administration to follow clearly established guidelines when restricting longer-term parking for commercial vehicles. That said, there is a need for identifiable rest stops in Vulcan County and this could require some forward thinking on behalf of the municipality.

Read More about Notes from Council, August 2025

Dear Residents & Ratepayers,

              After all the wet weather this July, road conditions in Vulcan County have proved challenging for drivers and for maintainers. I have been following up on road complaints from residents, and I can certainly appreciate that grader operators are working hard to stay on top of their assigned roads. Please do not hesitate to call me should you be aware of a problem area and would like to see it addressed. Councillor divisions cover a large tract of land and often a councillor will not know about a problem area unless someone communicates with them about it. The other advantage of reaching out to your councillor is that they usually get some idea from operations on when and how a road issue will be addressed. They can then follow up on it and keep you updated. My contact information is above.

              For those wondering about the ditches along provincial highways, I did receive one inquiry about the high growth of grass and weeds. As we all know, this can be a significant road hazard. While high growth makes it harder to spot wildlife in certain areas, it also creates something of a fence for drifting snow in winter when it is not cut down. Administration has been in communication with Alberta Transportation and Volker Stevin, the contract operator who maintains their highways. As the roadside haying program is now concluded for the season, Volker Stevin will commence their mowing of highway ditches.

Read More about Notes from Council, July 2025

Dear Residents & Ratepayers,

              Kelly Nelson and I once again rode in the Vulcan Spock days Parade on June 14^th. Weather was perfect and many came out to watch along the streets of Vulcan. Like other parades in our region, this is a fun opportunity to represent Vulcan County at a community event and Councillor Nelson ensured that we were well-stocked with candy for paradegoers. The Town of Vulcan does a fine job of keeping it all organized.

              At the June 4^th council meeting there was a delegation that spoke in opposition to the Land Use Bylaw restriction that prohibits manufactured homes older than 1985. While the intention behind this restriction is to raise the overall standard of development in Vulcan County, there is concern that affordable and majorly renovated homes are being unnecessarily denied an approval for a development permit. I am interested to know what people think of this restriction and hear how it impacts their situation.            

Read More about Notes from Council, June 2025

Dear Residents & Ratepayers,

              On May 1^st I attended an in-person consultation on groundwater provided by the Oldman Regional Watershed Council and Living Lakes Canada. The Alberta Groundwater Water Program is a pilot project whereby a framework will be developed to identify priority groundwater aquifers. In addition to public consultation, individuals can register their own wells to be monitored as part of the project. There are a lot of unknowns with groundwater and this type of extensive investigation develops a better understanding of how aquifers are connected, as well as how recovery of water capacity occurs across the region. For more information, visit: https://livinglakescanada.ca/project/alberta-groundwater-program/ 

              At the first council meeting in May we gave First Reading to the draft Municipal Development Plan that will receive Public Hearing on June 4^th. The draft document can be found on my website as well as the Vulcan County website. Please contact myself or any other councillor, as well as Administration, if you wish to discuss. Please attend if you wish to speak at the Public Hearing.

Read More about Notes from Council, May 2025

Dear Residents & Ratepayers,

              At out first meeting in April we had a presentation from Paul Bohnert of CTS Academy. Mr. Bohnert has been providing rural municipalities an overview of their career and technology studies program, how it works in a rural context, and how it can help solve work force challenges in Alberta. As he pursues funding from Alberta Education, he is seeking letters of support from municipal stakeholders on the value of such a program.

              While support for the CTS Academy has yet to be determined, County Council did express support for a pilot project in Foothills County whereby local Community Peace Officers can have access to Canadian Police Information Centre data through the Alberta RCMP. This data will provide necessary perspective that could better ensure officer safety, as well as promote better cooperation between agencies of law enforcement. As many of us are aware, rural crime is a significant problem. These incidents are usually tied in some fashion to drug abuse and dependency. Officer safety is critical in circumstances where a routine traffic stop could lead to something much worse.

Read More about Notes from Council, April 2025