Municipal Alberta
MEnet Scores Prestigious Award
EDMONTON -- The Alberta Municipal Excellence Network is the recipient of a Silver Award for the 2003 Premier's Award of Excellence. (MEnet release hosted exclusively on MuniMall)
Legal Invoices Fracture Council
COLD LAKE -- The unusual circumstances and "tremendous stress" of being allegedly threatened in her office is why Cold Lake Mayor Hansa Thaleshvar sought paid legal advice outside of the city's appointed solicitor. (Bonnyville Nouvelle)
Record-Breaking Commercial Growth
GRANDE PRAIRIE -- Commercial and industrial growth propelled Grande Prairie's growth in the first half of 2003 beyond what happened in the first half of 2002's record-breaking figures. (Grande Prairie Herald-Tribune)
Fire Services Score Quarter Mil
SANGUDO -- Lac Ste. Anne County will put nearly a quarter million toward fire services over the next three years. (Mayerthorpe Freelancer)
. . . And Town Gets New Truck
ST. PAUL -- St. Paul's firefighters will have a brand new truck next year after county council approved the purchase of a $250,000 truck. Second story down on left. (St. Paul Journal)
Weeding Out Problems
PEACE RIVER -- Northern Sunrise County's recently revised weed policy is hard at work as council reviewed numerous problem fields that have already cropped up. (Peace River Record Gazette)
Trashed By Residents, Garbage Policy Stays
MCLENNAN -- McLennan town council has officially put the trash can lid on the frontal solid waste collection debate. (Smoky River Express)
Flushed With Success
CAMROSE -- While it may appear as a waste of water, flushing the city's water mains is an important part of preventative maintenance. (Camrose Canadian)
Road To Riches
KITSCOTY -- The County of Vermilion River will receive $2.5M from the province's Resource Road program to pave a road used heavily by oil traffic. (Lloydminster Meridian Booster)
Ready For Boarding
HINTON -- With the last of the concrete settling into place last week, a dream of the skateboarders and freestyle bike riders of Hinton took a firm hold in reality. (Hinton Parklander)
City Explores County Merger
ST. ALBERT -- Despite an increasingly troubled relationship between St. Albert and its rural neighbour, city council has agreed to investigate combining the two municipalities into a single entity. Link expires Sat. Aug. 23. (St. Albert Gazette)
Watchdog Group Not Letting Up
SHERWOOD PARK -- The Strathcona Taxpayers Association remains focused on fiscal responsibility. (Sherwood Park News)
Fifteenth Disaster Area
DRAYTON VALLEY -- Brazeau County became the 15th municipality in Alberta to declare itself an economic disaster area. (Drayton Valley Western Review)
Census Proves Growth
BLACKFALDS -- The Town of Blackfalds is still growing, according to their most recent census, conducted over the summer. (Lacombe Globe)
Cumulative Effects Assessment Takes First Steps
SYLVAN LAKE -- Lacombe County planners have made their first, tentative contacts with companies that could prepare terms of reference for a study of the cumulative effects of development around Sylvan Lake. (Sylvan Lake News)
Tower Saved
AIRDRIE -- A recommendation to tear down the Airdrie water tower was met with unanimous opposition from Airdrie city council Monday night. (Airdrie Echo)
Alderman Puts Off Plea
LETHBRIDGE -- The lawyer for a Lethbridge alderman charged with public mischief says they're considering whether to go straight to trial on the charge. (CP on canada.com)
Fired Up Over Polygraph
CALGARY -- The union representing the city's firefighters says it's admirable the Calgary Fire Department wants to continue to hire good quality people of moral character, but using a polygraph test is not the way to achieve that goal. (Calgary Herald)
Railroaded?
CANMORE -- Canadian Pacific Railway appears to be fencing the Town of Canmore into subsidizing controlled pedestrian crossings over the railway tracks that pass through town. (Canmore Leader)
Taxes Frozen
PICTURE BUTTE -- In recognition of the severity of the BSE crisis, Town council approved a motion to freeze taxes and user fees at the 2003 level for 2004 budget. (Picture Butte press release hosted on MuniMall)
Bumpy Ride for Texas Gate Bylaw
PINCHER CREEK -- While future Texas Gates are now handled under a new bylaw, existing gates are still the topic of controversy around the Municipal District of Pincher Creek council table. (Pincher Creek Echo)
New Wrinkle For Waste Authority
VULCAN -- The Vulcan County Waste Authority (VCWA) is undergoing a facelift of sorts. (Vulcan Advocate)
Municipal Saskatchewan
Debt Load Debated
YORKTON -- Finances were up for discussion at the City monthly council meeting. (Yorkton This Week & Enterprise)
I'll Drink To That!
TOBIN LAKE -- The Resort Village of Tobin Lake officially opened its new water treatment plant and distribution system during its 30th anniversary celebration. (Nipawin Journal)
Cop Costs Climb 15%
WEYBURN -- Councillors with the RM of Weyburn agreed to pay another $3.05 per capita for RCMP service, reflecting the 15% increase imposed by the province. (Weyburn Review)
RM Celebrates 30 Years
WHITEWOOD -- The Rural Municipality of Willowdale is celebrating 90 years of operation as it prepares for its anniversary celebrations in Whitewood. (Whitewood Herald)
RMs Demand BSE Cash
REGINA -- Organizations representing Rural Municipalities across the prairies are putting pressure on provincial and federal governments to provide a cash advance for ranchers affected by so-called mad cow. (CBC Saskatchewan)
Municipal Manitoba
New Rec Director
OAKBANK -- Only one week into his new job, Tony Zerucha is just learning the ropes -- and the swings and the slides and everything else that keeps Springfield residents busy. (Beausejour Review)
Grappling With Gravel
CARMAN -- It's all about gravel, especially at the Aug.12 council meeting of the RM of Dufferin when councillors debated the 2003 gravel budget for more than two hours. (Carman Valley Leader)
Rezoning Passes First Reading
MORDEN -- A large apartment project received the approval of Morden town council, but it still may have a few hurdles to clear. (Morden Times)
Land Offer Rejected
LORETTE -- "To say I was insulted by your offer is an understatement," said landowner Glenn Lohr at the most recent RM of Tache council meeting. Seventh story down. (The Carillon)
Flood Of Concern
STEINBACH -- Residents of the Sarto area hope the RM of Hanover and the provincial government will soon take action to resolve frequent flooding. Fourth story down. (The Carillon)
Sewage Spill Fallout
WINNIPEG -- Manitoba's environmental watchdog is calling for tougher measures from the city of Winnipeg to protect provincial waterways from the city's sewage. (CP)
Municipal North
North Scores Big
WHITEHORSE, YK -- The Yukon is a big winner in Ottawa's latest funding announcement for infrastructure projects, as 80% of the Liberals' new infrastructure fund is reserved exclusively for rural and northern communities with fewer than 250,000 residents. (CBC North)
Big Box Is Tough To Beat
WHITEHORSE, YK -- The city of Whitehorse has been told it will have to get territorial legislation changed if it wants to stop RVs from parking overnight in the local Wal-Mart lot. (CBC North)
Crucial Ratepayers' Referendum
IQALUIT, NU -- Iqaluit city officials will stress the need for better and cleaner water in a major pitch to ratepayers that culminates in a crucial ratepayers-only vote on Sept. 11. (Nunatsiaq News)
Labour Peace
IQALUIT, NU -- City of Iqaluit employees have a new collective agreement. (CBC North)
Mayor Tosses Hat In Ring
YELLOWKNIFE, NT -- Yellowknife mayor Gord Van Tighem says he likes what's been accomplished during this term and he doesn't feel that his work is done. (CBC North)
Municipal Ontario: Blackout Special
Blackout Brings Boil Order
BLYTH -- A boil water advisory remained in effect for 15 communal wells in Central Huron, Morris-Turnberry, Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh, Bluewater and North Huron, as well as for the municipal residents of Blyth. Third story down. (North Huron Info)
. . .And Possible Contamination
WALLACEBURG -- There may be no way to tell if thousands of Wallaceburg residents have been drinking water tainted with a known carcinogen. (Chatham Daily News)
. . .Plus Reduced Office Hours
NIAGARA FALLS -- The heat is on. And the City of Niagara Falls is doing everything possible to keep the hydro on, too. (Niagara Falls Review)
. . . All Over
PORT COLBORNE -- Municipalities in Southern Niagara are continuing to cut back on their hydro consumption to prepare for an increased strain on power supplies over the next two days. (Welland Tribune)
Mayors Preach Conservation
BRANTFORD -- The mayors of Brantford and the counties of Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk are still preaching conservation as the area enters the second of a three-day heatwave that is testing the recovery of the Ontario electricity grid. (Brantford Expositor)
Emergency Plan Tested
STRATHROY -- Strathroy-Caradoc's emergency plan was implemented for the first time during last week's power blackout. (The Age Dispatch)
Complaints Pour In Over Power Pigs
WINDSOR -- Enwin Utilities and the City of Windsor have been fielding 10 to 15 calls an hour from people complaining about neighbours and businesses they consider electricity hogs. (Windsor - canada.com network)
Region Bans Unnecessary Water Use
OAKVILLE -- Halton residents were asked to refrain from watering their lawn or washing their car, driveway or sidewalk. (haltonsearch.com)
Blackout Triggers Sewage Spill
AURORA -- Residents are being warned not to come in contact with or drink water from Tannery Creek and five Lake Simcoe beaches contaminated with raw sewage after an Aurora pumping station malfunctioned during the blackout. (Yorkregion.com)
Nuke Host Well-Prepared
CLARINGTON -- With a nuclear power station in its boundaries, Clarington was well-prepared for an emergency situation like the massive blackout last week. (www.durhamregion.com)
Water Police Are Watching
KINGSTON -- A warning to those turning on their sprinklers this afternoon: The City of Kingston is watching you. (Kingston Whig-Standard)
Lessons Will Be Learned
KAWARTHA LAKES -- Downed phone lines, people trapped in elevators, and a hospital evacuation are only a few of the issues which will be brought up when the city's emergency control group (EMG) meets for its post-emergency analysis. (Lindsay Daily Post)
Emergency Plan Ran Smoothly
ELLIOT LAKE -- Elliot Lake's emergency plan, established in 1999 in anticipation of the Y2K bug, went smoothly and the city's department heads had the situation "under control", according to city CAO Troy Speck. (Elliot Lake Standard)
Municipal Ontario: Other News
