Municipal Alberta
Free Regional Workshops Will Be Winners
EDMONTON -- As a manager in an Alberta municipality you're constantly under pressure! Do things differently, do them better, do more with less, do it all! Alberta's Municipal Excellence Network is offering free one-day workshops to give you some practical, proven techniques for identifying and qualifying the right new ideas for your municipality . . . the ideas that can be real opportunities for improvement. (Municipal Excellence Network)
Mayors Make Hay
LETHBRIDGE -- Medicine Hat mayor Garth Vallely, Lethbridge mayor Bob Tarleck and Brooks mayor Don Weisbeck have received a warm reception from Washington politicians as they lobby their municipal counterparts on re-opening borders to live Canadian cattle. (40 Mile County Commentator)
GST Jubilation
PINCHER CREEK -- A federal government decision to refund the GST that municipalities pay is getting the thumbs up locally. (Pincher Creek Echo)
Workin' On The Railroad
VULCAN -- A culmination of several years of work has ended with Vulcan County's purchase of the Canadian Pacific Railway's Lomond Subdivision. (Vulcan Advocate)
Muni Voices Heard
AIRDRIE -- Municipalities spoke up about proposed changes for borrowing money for capital projects and, for the most part, the province listened. (Airdrie Echo)
Chase For Space
CANMORE -- There's a lot more office space on the horizon, but no consensus among Town of Canmore officials on how it should be allocated. (Canmore Leader)
Budget Barely Passes
COCHRANE -- Town council officially passed the 2004 budget on Monday, an $18.6 million document that barely survived the vote, as three members of council said they couldn't support the document. (Cochrane Times)
Development Inches Forward
CALGARY -- City plans to put a 17,000-resident community next to Spruce Meadows lurched one step forward, but the timeline for construction seemed blurred by a raft of new studies sought by aldermen. (Calgary - canada.com network)
Petition Not Dead Yet
DIDSBURY -- While the site for a new administration building has been approved by Mountain View County Council, the Mountain View County Taxpayers Association has been awarded a 30 day extension to present their case in court. (Didsbury Review Online)
6% Solution
SUNDRE -- Sundre town council has unanimously approved the town's 2004-2005 operating and capital budget, calling for a municipal tax rate increase of 5.8%. (Sundre Round Up)
Snowmobile Rules Set
SYLVAN LAKE -- In keeping with Sylvan Lake's theme of a town for all seasons, the town has a bylaw in place which allows snowmobiles to operate in town. (Sylvan Lake News)
Summer Villages Wade In
WETASKIWIN -- The County of Wetaskiwin, along with the summer Villages of Ma-Me-O Beach, Norris Beach, Crystal Springs, Grandview and Poplar Bay, is wading into the sewage issue of transporting waste water to County lagoons at Mulhurst Bay. (Wetaskiwin Times Advertiser)
Emerg Service Requests Phone Numbers
FORT SASKATCHEWAN -- The City is once again asking residents to make sure their phone numbers and addresses are registered with Northeast Region Community Awareness Emergency Response (NR CAER), as data obtained elsewhere is only about 60% accurate. (City of Fort Saskatchewan Press Release hosted on MuniMall)
Games Hit Jackpot
SHERWOOD PARK -- Mayor Vern Hartwell today signed a funding agreement on behalf of Strathcona County with the Government of Alberta that will see $1.5 million in lottery funding support the 2007 Western Canada Summer Games. (Strathcona County Press Release)
Smoke-Free Status Delayed
ST. ALBERT -- St. Albert won't be fully smoke free until Jan. 1, 2008, putting the city three years behind neighbouring Edmonton, where a total smoking ban comes into effect on July 1, 2005. (stalbertgazette.com)
SWOT Team Unveils Analysis
EDSON -- People want to see Grande Alberta Economic Region (GAER) thrive and be a tourist destination, especially those people who attended a (SWOT) analysis for the group. (Edson Leader)
Works Boss Moves On
FAIRVIEW -- Randy Peterson, public works superintendent for Fairview is leaving his position with the town after almost 14 years, seven of those as superintendent. (Fairview Post)
Pool Funding Pumped
HIGH PRAIRIE -- Prime Minister Paul Martin has delivered a $105,000 financial boost for the High Prairie indoor swimming project in a roundabout way. (South Peace News)
New Snow Policy Put To Test
VERMILION -- With the recent heavy accumulation of snow, town crews are asking for your patience. (Vermilion Standard)
Municipal Saskatchewan
Mastermind Criticizes City
SASKATOON -- The mastermind of Saskatoon's riverbank development questions why the city has made key decisions about the Gathercole site's future before it adopts an overall plan. (Saskatoon - canada.com network)
New Bylaw Bites
MOOSE JAW -- Moose Jaw is the first city in Saskatchewan to enforce a smoking bylaw and some business owners are worried about the repercussions. (CBC Saskatchewan)
Pleased With Province
MELFORT -- The city's mayor is pleased at Health Minister John Nilson's announcement that the provincial government will ban smoking in all public places as early as Jan. 1, 2005. (Melfort Journal)
Think Or Sink
WHITE FOX -- The village of White Fox has called a public meeting to drum up ideas of how to generate economic stability--and survival. (Nipawin Journal)
Municipal Manitoba
Province "Livens" Things Up
WINNIPEG -- Youth in Winnipeg's inner-city neighbourhoods have greater access to improved recreation, training and cultural opportunities as a result of $486,950 in funding through Manitoba's Neighbourhoods Alive! initiative. (Government of Manitoba News Release)
Budget Info Fight
WINNIPEG -- One Winnipeg city councillor says the city's administrators have been instructed not to give councillors budget details they have requested on proposed cuts. (CBC Manitoba)
Shared Services Pitched
BRANDON -- Councillor Doug Paterson says it's time the city of Brandon looked at how it might become the region of Brandon. (Brandon Sun Online)
CAO Departs
DUNNOTTAR -- Cottager Craig Derenchuk has alleged that CAO Nora Rentz resigned due to harassment from council members over the village's controversial flat fee of $275 a year for sewage collection. (Interlake Spectator)
"Tax" Payers Want $ Back
POWERVIEW -- Pine Falls isn't sure it wants to be part of Powerview and residents are demanding their "taxes" back. Analysis. (Lac du Bonnet Leader)
Town, CMHC In Tug-Of-War
LEAF RAPIDS -- CMHC'S plan to auction off 55 vacant homes has angered town officials in the model town of Leaf Rapids. (CBC Manitoba)
Municipal North
MACA Launches ATLAS Web Site
YELLOWKNIFE, NT -- Municipal and Community Affairs has launched a digital mapping/GIS web site to provide land information for the communities of Fort Providence, Fort Resolution, Holman, Paulatuk, Rae Lakes (Gameti), Sachs Harbour, Tuktoyaktuk, Wekweti, Wha Ti, and Wrigley. (Government of the Northwest Territories Press Release)
Councillor Mourned
HAY RIVER, NT - - Hay River town council is mourning Councillor Glen Smart, who died after a long battle with brain cancer. (CBC North)
Senior Faces Tax Eviction
IQALUIT, NU -- Just one person--a senior citizen--now faces eviction by the city. (CBC North)
MLA Calls City Forum
WHITEHORSE, YK -- MLA Todd Hardy says the city forum he's called isn't intended as a criticism of Whitehorse municipal officials. (Whitehorse Star Daily)
Handy Bus Back
WHITEHORSE, YK -- The city's handy bus is back on the road to country residential areas of Whitehorse after council voted to reinstate the service. (Whitehorse Star Daily)
Municipal Ontario
Help For Walkerton Victims?
WALKERTON -- Help could soon be on the way for desperate victims of the Walkerton water disaster, according to Brockton mayor Charlie Bagnato. (Osprey Media Group Inc. - The Hanover Post)
Province Moves On Water
TORONTO -- The Ontario government is set to release a discussion paper Thursday and launch public consultations to help it craft legislation to protect the province's drinking water. (Hamilton - canada.com network)
New Civility In Talks
BRANTFORD -- A whole new approach is marking revived boundary negotiations between Brantford and Brant County. (Osprey Media Group Inc. - Brantford Expositor)
50% Hike Rejected
GODERICH -- Senior staff members were back at the drawing board last week after Huron County council rejected the first 2004 budget draft, which proposed more than a 50% tax hike. (Clinton News-Record)
Salaries Released
EXETER -- It cost taxpayers about $105,000 to pay for South Huron's council and police services board members in 2003. (Exeter Times Advocate)
Building A Record
BURLINGTON -- City staff have high hopes the record-setting construction pace of 2003 will continue this year in Burlington. (haltonsearch.com)
Snow Woes
MISSISSAUGA -- The City of Mississauga is enduring a winter storm of criticism this weekend for not punishing homeowners who fail to shovel their sidewalks. (Mississauga News Online)
Councillors Consider Pay Hike
WHITBY -- Regional councillors could see their coffers grow by $13,000 and the chairman's by $50,000, if staff-recommended pay increases are approved. (durhamregion.com)
"Shocked" By Deficit
PORT PERRY -- According to Scugog Mayor Marilyn Pearce, council will consider implementing a new accounting system to ensure that a large deficit, like the one announced last week, won't catch them off guard again. (Port Perry Star)
Length Matters
PETERBOROUGH -- City council will implement changes regarding how its meetings are run with the hope that late Monday night/early Tuesday morning marathons will become a thing of the past. (mykawartha.com)
Marketing Prowess Proven
LINDSAY -- The City of Kawartha Lakes is batting two for two in marketing since the economic development department received twin awards for excellence in advertising last week. (mykawartha.com)
Minister Has Anti-Amalgamation Past
ORONTO -- Mixing urban and rural areas together into one municipality is not a good idea, according to comments made by Minister of Municipal Affairs, John Gerretsen while a member of the opposition. (Osprey Media Group Inc. - Lindsay Daily Post)
Councillor Accused Of Harassing Staff
TRENTON -- Quinte West city council is still dealing with the fallout of an incident involving two unionized employees and outspoken politician Fred Kuypers. (Osprey Media Group Inc. - Trenton Trentonian)
Reeve Rules
TWEED -- Owing to the recent prevalence of insolent and disorderly behaviour at the council meetings, Tweed Township Reeve Drain made it clear that he runs the council meetings. (communitypress-online.com)
Former Mayor Defends Bureaucrat
NEW TECUMSETH -- Former mayor Larry Keogh is defending fired public works director Degroot. (New Tecumseth Free Press Online)
Hot Firefighters!
BARRIE -- A heated debate over the display of the Barrie firefighters calendar has boosted sales. (Osprey Media Group Inc. - The Barrie Examiner)
Mayor Kept Out Of Loop
ORILLIA -- Mayor Ron Stevens said he was "disappointed" that his council colleagues left him out of the loop when they chose to appoint Carl Garland to replace Joanna Rolland as councillor for Ward 4. (Osprey Media Group Inc. - Orillia Packet & Times)
Land Sales Split Council
COLLINGWOOD -- Collingwood residents can expect to see controversial for-sale signs on some municipal properties, now that the town has decided what form its multi-use facility will take. (Osprey Media Group Inc. - Collingwood The Enterprise Bulletin)
Municipalities May Force Disclosure
BRACEBRIDGE -- Releasing the financial statements of four local hydro companies is a decision that ultimately rests with the companies' shareholder municipalities: the municipalities of Bracebridge, Sundridge, Magnetawan, Huntsville and Burk's Falls. (The Bracebridge Examiner)
Byelection Referendum Pitched
ELLIOT LAKE -- An extended debate over a motion by Councillor Don Denley on whether to hold a byelection or appoint a councillor to replace one who vacates a seat during a term indicates that the question should be answered by the voters. An opinion piece. (Osprey Media Group Inc. - Elliot Lake Standard)
Health Levy Backlash
KENORA -- The Kenora District Municipal Association is calling on Ontario, the only province in Canada to have downloaded a portion of public health costs onto municipalities, to fully fund disease prevention and health promotion services. (Kenora Daily Miner and News)
Municipal Atlantic
Town Goes Online
FREDERICTON, NB -- Service New Brunswick and the Town of Sackville are teaming up to provide Sackville residents with the convenience of online government services. (Communications New Brunswick Press Release)
Major Report On Homelessness
HALIFAX, NS -- "Homelessness in HRM - A Portrait of Streets and Shelters" , a report detailing important findings on the scope and characteristics of the homeless and at-risk population in the municipality, was presented to Regional Council. (Halifax Regional Municipality News Release)
Mayor Pleased With New Jobs
LIVERPOOL, NS -- Two years after its first try at developing a call centre, it appears the Region of Queens is finally getting its wish and Mayor Leefe is smiling. (Advance)
Mun's, Prov To Work Together
SHELBURNE, NS -- The province will work closely with local governments and business organizations in southwestern Nova Scotia to promote economic development, as it prepares for closure of the Shelburne Youth Centre. (Department of Justice News Release)
Town Joins Fight For Care Facility
HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY, NF -- A committee, made up of local stakeholders, the Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, medical professionals and concerned citizens is fighting for a long term health care facility. (The Labradorian)
Getting Wired
Email Input Welcomed
EDMONTON, AB -- At a special meeting March 22, Edmonton City Council will consider regional strategy and your comments, which can be submitted by email from the city's website. (City of Edmonton Press Release)
Township's Website Up And Running
CANNINGTON, ON -- Brock Township officially launched its website ago after months of planning and preparation. (durhamregion.com)
Internet Voting A Success
MARKHAM, ON -- Despite a drop in voter turnout during November's municipal election, Markham's experiment in e-democracy is being hailed a success. (Yorkregion.com)
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