Notes from Council, February 2025
Dear Residents & Ratepayers,
As many of you know, 2025 is a year for municipal elections in Alberta. It has been a honour representing the residents of Division 6 since 2021, having the additional opportunity to serve on the board of the Oldman River Regional Services Commission, the Twin Valley Regional Water Commission, the Vulcan District Recreation Board and the Champion Recreation Board. In addition to ordinary Council business, there are conference and networking opportunities that allow elected officials to learn what is happening in other jurisdictions, as well as connect with other municipal leaders who are moving their communities forward. On the volunteer side, I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of the District-20 (Champion) Fire Protection Association, as well as working with Councillor Laurie Lyckman on the MITACS Missing Graves Cemetery Project for eight cemeteries in the communities of Arrowwood, Carmangay, Lomond and Milo.
Division 6 is the geographic centre of Vulcan County and there are unique challenges to representing an area with three fire districts and three recreation boards. Also, Division 6 has members of the Berrywater, Champion, Lomond, Milo, and Vulcan Communities, including residents at Lake McGregor Country Estates who themselves have distinctive community interests. While I am planning to run for second term on Council, I personally enjoy elections. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to have more of them in Vulcan County! A municipal election provides an important opportunity for residents and ratepayers to consider municipal business and voice their opinions. As such, if you are considering a run for County Council, feel free to have a look at my expense reports and the councillor reports on my website. This will give you some insight into what the role entails and how compensation works. If you have any questions or are just thinking about running, please give me a call or email. Win, lose or draw, running for elected office can be a good experience, one that enhances the political culture of our local municipalities. The vitality and future of rural Alberta depends on it!
On March 27th, from 5 PM to 8 PM, there will be an Open House at the County Office for those interested in the proposed update to Vulcan County’s Municipal Development Plan. This draft document can be found on the County’s website. It sets out the overarching planning principles for Vulcan County’s land use framework. In the hierarchy of planning documents, the Municipal Development Plan is considered a higher-level document to the Land Use Bylaw. While a great deal of committee work was undertaken to produce a draft, public consultation is one of the most important parts of this process. Different municipalities have gone further in how they address certain types of development, and provincial approval authorities have stated that they will consider what is stipulated in a municipal development plan when granting their approvals. I look forward to receiving some public comment.
The second council meeting in February received delegations from the villages of Lomond and Milo. While discussion was held in closed session, the purpose of the meeting was to allow the three municipalities to discuss the “Community Growth Initiative” that Lomond and Milo submitted back in December regarding local post office access. It is yet to be determined if Vulcan County will collaborate on this initiative. I believe that we need to do something on a trial basis, or until Canada Post is less dysfunctional. These communities have a unique service-level need and the villages need a willing partner.
Sincerely,
Christopher Northcott