Municipal Alberta
Remote Communities Score Affordable Housing
EDMONTON -- Approximately $2.5 million is being allocated to several northern Alberta communities to create 33 affordable housing units for low-income families, couples, seniors and low-income workers. (Government of Alberta Press Release)
Economic Disaster
CLARESHOLM -- After months of discussion and debate, councillors with the MD of Willow Creek have decided to declare an economic disaster because of the BSE crisis. Top story under photos. (Ft. Macleod Gazette)
Pumped On Water Quality
OKOTOKS -- The towns of Okotoks, Black Diamond and Turner Valley said they will back initiatives that protect the quality of the Sheep River. (Western Wheel)
Retreat Reaches Out
VULCAN -- Town council has been receiving a favourable response to their planned retreat, and are hoping that about 100 residents join them. (Vulcan Advocate)
Lurid Passages On Alderman's Laptop
LETHBRIDGE -- A forensic examination of Darlene Heatherington's laptop computer showed it to be rife with lurid passages mirroring those found in her stalking letters, while providing a glimpse into the local politician's steamy online romance. (Calgary - canada.com network)
Final Reviews For Land Use Bylaw
COCHRANE -- One of the most important and wide-ranging bylaw of the Town of Cochrane is about to face one more round of public scrutiny before the town finalizes changes to the document. (Cochrane Times)
Municipally Excellent Practices: Internal Financial Reports
IRRICANA -- Based on the need for non-financial staff to easily understand financial info, the Village of Irricana created clear customized reports for all staff members utilizing its existing computer resources. Another cool practice recently posted on MENet, Alberta's Municipal Excellence Network. (menet.ab.ca)
Transition Requires Tweaks
MIRROR -- As part of the transition from village to hamlet, all Mirror bylaws are being reviewed by Lacombe County to ensure they're compatible with similar county bylaws. (Lacombe Globe)
Handivan Hard To Ditch
LACOMBE -- The Lacombe Handivan has a larger need in the community than it currently has the capacity to serve, according to the Town of Lacombe's assistant chief administrative officer, Ken Kendall. (Lacombe Globe)
Annexation Rumble Predicted
LEDUC -- According to published reports, Edmonton City council is again talking airport annexation and the city and county of Leduc are again not listening. (Leduc Representative)
Archeologists Dig Up Funding
PROVOST -- The M.D. of Provost No. 52 and the Town of Provost councils each decided to grant up to $60,000 for an archeological project that could become a tourist destination for this area. (Provost News)
Policing Costs Irk Mayor
GIBBONS -- Gibbons Mayor Bill Nimmo feels that there is marked inequality when it comes to policing costs for small communities. (Fort Saskatchewan Record)
Cash For Cops
EDMONTON -- Alberta towns and cities will get more money for policing and more municipalities will have their policing costs picked up by the province under a more equitable funding arrangement for policing services. (Government of Alberta Press Release)
New Emerg System
EDSON -- Yellowhead County council has initiated the first step in ushering in a new system which will allow fire, ambulance and police find rural addresses in less time. (Edson Leader)
Wind Power Whips Up Support
GRANDE CACHE -- Town council wants to press forward with a proposal to review the potential for wind generators in the Grande Cache area. (Grande Cache Mountaineer)
Trail Can Take A Hike
KITSCOTY -- A proposed trail system and multi-use recreational corridor will not get support from the County of Vermilion River. (Vermilion Standard)
Rebates Removed
ST. PAUL -- People planning to build a new home or renovate an existing one won't be getting a break on inspection fees from the county any longer. Third story down. (St. Paul Journal)
Municipal Saskatchewan
Water Rates Climbing
REGINA -- Water rates for Regina residents could go up between 4.25 and 4.5 per cent each of the next three years. (Regina Leader-Post - canada.com network)
Wrecking Ball Rescue?
SASKATOON -- The provincial government has entered the highly charged Gathercole demolition debate, dispatching a heritage officer to inspect the building without city council's knowledge. (Saskatoon - canada.com network)
Caught! Gambling Public Money
STOCKHOLM -- A public meeting about accountability was held after ratepayers in the rural municipality (RM) of Fertile Belt found out an administrator was gambling with public money. (CBC Saskatchewan)
Town Takes Mayor To Court
GOODEVE -- Residents are taking their newly elected mayor to court to settle a dispute over alleged tampering during the municipal election. (CBC Saskatchewan)
Ethanol Plant Will Fuel Economy
WEYBURN -- Deputy mayor Rob Stephanson said a new ethanol plant partially funded by a $3.5 million federal grant from Natural Resources Canada will mean more jobs and economic spin-offs for the city. (Weyburn Review)
Municipal Manitoba
Tax Referendum Proposed
WINNIPEG -- River Heights-Fort Garry Councillor Garth Steek wants any tax increase -- such as those that could be proposed in the next version of the "new deal" for municipal tax reform -- to be subject to a referendum. (CBC Manitoba)
Audit Finds Serious Deficiencies
POWERVIEW -- Pine Falls residents learned that their tax overpayments would be refunded -- and that an audit found serious deficiencies. (Lac du Bonnet Leader)
Unhealthy Squabble
PINAWA -- The councils of Lac du Bonnet and Pinawa have been squabbling over where a new hospital may be built, even though a decision is years away. (CBC Manitoba)
Call For Cooperation
CLANDEBOYE -- With Floodway expansion looming, the RM of St. Andrews reeve is sending out a call to other municipalities to band together on a regional partnership for Floodway concerns. (Selkirk Journal)
Municipal North
Bylaw Wording Hazy
YELLOWKNIFE, NT -- The city of Yellowknife has dropped smoking bylaw charges against two bar owners, partly because of vague language in the original bylaw. (CBC North)
Clearing The Smoke
WHITEHORSE, YK -- City councillor Bev Buckway wants to revisit the smoking bylaw in light of complaints from restaurant owners who say bar businesses are profiting from their despair. (Whitehorse Star Daily)
Nowhere's The Water?
IQALUIT, NU -- City workers scrambled to restore water service to a large area of Iqaluit, around the Road to Nowhere. (CBC North)
Sewage Situation Slides
CARMACKS, YK -- A town on the Yukon River is operating in violation of its water licence and dumping enough effluent into the river to create a health concern, but government officials say they have no plans to force the community into action. (CBC North)
Municipal Ontario
Rich Raises For Non-Union Staff
KENILWORTH -- Non-union staff with Wellington North Township will see hefty increases in their salaries. (Arthur Enterprise News)
Name Changes Could Be "Horrific"
CHATHAM -- Chatham-Kent will have to change some street names to coincide with Bell Canada's 911 service, and chief administrative officer Joe Pavelka says the "implications are horrific." (Chatham This Week)
Premiums Rocket
EXETER -- South Huron's 2004 insurance costs are going up a hefty 27%. (Exeter Times Advocate)
31% Hike Gets Heave-Ho
LISTOWEL -- After four special budget meetings, North Perth Council has instructed its senior staff to get back to the drawing board and to sharpen their pencils. (Listowel Banner - northperth.com)
Double-Digit Increase Looms
WALKERTON -- Bruce taxpayers can expect a double-digit increase in this year's county budget, according to Warden Ralph Kreutzwiser. (Shoreline Beacon)
Pesticide Ban Nixed
OAKVILLE -- Oakville Town council came within a dandelion's fluff of imposing a town-wide ban on cosmetic pesticide use on private property Monday night. (haltonsearch.com)
Fire Plan Will Burn Budget
BOWMANVILLE -- The municipality of Clarington is reeling after learning what they will have to cough up if they want to meet guidelines outlined in the Fire Master Plan. (durhamregion.com)
Pet Bylaw Praised
PICKERING - - Animal rights activists applauded the City for the steps it has taken to protect animal welfare. (durhamregion.com)
$2.2M Negligence Suit
UXBRIDGE --The Township of Uxbridge has been served with a $2.2-million lawsuit for negligence following a vicious dog attack on an 11-year-old girl last October. (durhamregion.com)
Town Becomes 'Ashtray'
PORT HOPE -- Smoking will continue in public places in Port Hope, making it the "ashtray" of the County, according to one councillor. (Osprey Media Group Inc. - Northumberland Today)
Assessments Sap Maple Producers
CAMPBELLFORD -- Sugar bushes will end up being sold to loggers if their owners are forced to pay property taxes up to 1700% higher to produce maple syrup. (Online Independent)
Accessibility Not Cheap
BROCKVILLE -- Making the city's parks and buildings more accessible to disabled residents could cost taxpayers more than $200,000 over the next five years. (Brockville Recorder & Times Online)
Culture Clubbed?
OTTAWA -- In the context of a predicted $109 million shortfall in the City's 2004 operating budget, a draft budget would see massive funding cuts to the City's arts and heritage programs. (Creative City News)
Cash Turned Down
DEEP RIVER -- It's not often that the town of Laurentian Hills turns down an offer of free money, but that's what council had to do last week. (North Renfrew Times)
ATVs Banned From Green Roads
ALEXANDRIA -- In a move that surprised the packed North Glengarry council chamber, Mayor Bill Franklin presented a resolution that would ban all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) from all municipally-owned unopened road allowances, or "green roads." Top story under photo. (Vankleek Hill Review Online)
Going, Going, Gone
NEW TECUMSETH -- Since Michael Di Biase became mayor, 10 senior staff members have left, and the tab is $1M. An opinion piece. (New Tecumseth Free Press Online)
Behind Closed Doors
BRACEBRIDGE -- Since Bracebridge Town council's new term began in December, councillors have held 13 closed-door meetings from which the public has been excluded. (The Bracebridge Examiner)
Snow Reason To Be Mad
SUDBURY -- Councillors who paid to plow a sidewalk used by seniors have ticked off other councillors. (The Sudbury Star)
Grant To Plant
TIMMINS -- Timmins has been approved for $10,000 under the Tree Canada Foundation's grant program. (Timmins Times)
Recount Refused
THUNDER BAY -- The City of Thunder Bay will not conduct any kind of recount of the Nov. 10 municipal election and it will defend an appeal of a Superior Court decision. (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal)
Smoke Eaters Overworked
DRYDEN -- Mandatory inspections and administrative work leaves little time for Dryden's full time fire service staff to conduct inspections of local businesses, says city Fire Chief Darryl Herbert. (The Dryden Observer)
Municipal Atlantic
Hide N Seek
SAINT JOHN, NB -- A senior citizen who recently boarded her first bus wants to know why the Transit Commission doesn't post signs to mark all bus stops. (CBC New Brunswick)
Moratorium Eased
HALIFAX, NS -- The Halifax Regional Municipality is easing up on its moratorium on new housing development to allow 900 building applications to go through. (CBC - Nova Scotia)
Lawsuit Looks More Likely
SYDNEY, NS -- The Cape Breton Regional Municipality appears ready to sue the Nova Scotia government if necessary to get millions of dollars in equalization funding. (Cape Breton Post)
New Acting City Manager
CORNER BROOK, NF -- Jackie Chow, the city's director of corporate services, becomes acting city manager when CAO Jim Kennedy retires. (The Humber Log)
Getting Wired
City Wants To Weave Own Web
CAMROSE -- The Albertafirst.com Web site has nice features but city council is hoping to attract more visitors through its own Web site. (Camrose Canadian)
Town Steps Online
WINNIPEG BEACH -- This resort town's council has stepped into the 21st century in a bold way with the much-anticipated launch of a highly-interactive website. (Interlake Spectator)
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