Christopher Northcott – Christopher Northcott

Notes from Council, October 2026

Christopher Northcott on October 29, 2026

Dear Residents & Ratepayers,

The month of October has seen the completion of a lot of recreation board budgets for 2027. These budgets need to be submitted to the County by the end of October so that preliminary costing and estimates can be incorporated into the 2027 Interim Operating Budget. This year is the second year where the County is working with its municipal partners to ascertain how much the urban municipalities can contribute to recreational priorities. How villages contribute to recreation varies from one community to the next and their contribution has, in some instances, not been properly recognized or understood. This is something that the County is hoping to clarify for the coming year, working with its municipal partners to review Intermunicipal Collaborative Frameworks. It is important for all stakeholders to understand the level of service being provided, how it is supported financially and, ultimately, the value to all ratepayers across municipal borders.

Notes from Council, September 2026

Christopher Northcott on October 1, 2026

Dear Residents & Ratepayers,

Community development in rural areas, especially areas with a relatively small population, can be severely handicapped by conflict between entrenched factions. All associations or corporate bodies can be vulnerable, from time to time, to over-indulging in too much drama. When this occurs, common objectives get lost, agreement is seemingly impossible, and hard feelings prevent reconciliation. It is in such times when it helps to remember what first motivated us to get involved with our community, or what inspired us to take on an initiative that we try to advance collectively. Different people get involved for their own reasons, and in community development we learn to associate and work collectively with people whom we might not otherwise have much in common.

Notes from Council, August 2026

Christopher Northcott on September 29, 2026

Dear Residents & Ratepayers,

Deputy Reeve Laurie Lyckman and I began the month by participating in the Carmangay parade on August 1^st. We were joined by the County operations crew who washed, shined, and decked out some of their equipment for the occasion. As mentioned previously, 2026 marks the 75^th Anniversary of Vulcan County, and this was the fourth and final parade of the year. Laurie and I got our exercise in hiking the parade route and handing out candy. There was a great turnout by the community. The Carmangay Agricultural Society had their annual fair, the local fire department had an open house and bake sale, there was an open-air market beside the library (which was also open), and the Carmangay Historical Society opened the doors to their historic community church and museum. There were games for the kids near the drop-in, as well as a car show and adult games—or maybe deep and serious conversation to solve world hunger and other problems!—at the beer garden.

Notes from Council, July 2026

Christopher Northcott on July 29, 2026

Dear Residents & Ratepayers,

Recreation Boards in our region are currently receiving applications for funding in 2027. While some recreation boards may still receive applications into August, please submit applications to your local recreation board by August 1^st(or ASAP). Once applications are received, each board must have a meeting to review the applications from their district, propose a budget for 2027, and then submit everything to Vulcan County by October 31^st. This timeline is predictable year-over-year for applicants, gives enough time for recreation boards to meet, and allows municipal administration and councils enough time to review recreation budgets prior to the end of the year. Division 6 has three recreation districts: Champion, Milo, and Vulcan. The County is working with its municipal partners to ensure fair and transparent sharing of costs as we go forward.

Notes from Council, June 2026

Christopher Northcott on July 2, 2026

Dear Residents & Ratepayers,

At the June 3^rd Regular Meeting of Council, the Privacy Management Program of Vulcan County was brought forward for decision. This program is mandatory under new provincial legislation regarding access to information and protection of privacy. All public bodies in Alberta must have one and privacy impact assessments are required prior to disclosure of information.

On June 10^th, 2026, a Public Hearing was held in the Champion Community Hall to receive information on a proposed Land Use Bylaw Amendment (Bylaw 2026-007). This bylaw proposed redesignating approximately 865 acres from Rural General to Rural Industrial, being located northeast of Travers Reservoir and on the north side of HWY 529. The hearing was well attended with overflow seating being used in the lower level of the hall, a facility that has enough seating for 400 people. At the hearing, apart from the applicant for the redesignation, the manager for the Bow River Irrigation District spoke about the impacts on the irrigation system of the proposed project. Over the course of the hearing, excluding those two speakers, twenty-six people spoke in opposition while two spoke in favour.

Remarks Regarding Bylaw 2026-007

Christopher Northcott on June 19, 2026

(The following was delivered during the discussion of Bylaw 2026-007 at the Regular Meeting of Vulcan County Council on June 17, 2026.)

If this rezone proceeds, it will be the largest single contiguous tract of land designated as Rural Industrial in Vulcan County. This is a substantial re-consideration of our zoning that will be precedent setting for Vulcan County as a whole and for this specific area. As we learned from our Public Hearing on June 10^th, an overwhelming majority of participants in the Public Hearing are opposed. While there may well be others out there who are favourable to the proposed redesignation, their silence suggests indifference or lack of vested interest. That is not the case for a significant number of residents and property owners from Little Bow Resort who have been contributing ratepayers of Vulcan County for many years. They rightly point out that our own bylaws require us to ensure that the impacts of any re-zoning and development permit applications that could negatively harm them are mitigated. Given the scale of the proposed redesignation, these impacts are not sufficiently understood to warrant redesignation.