Municipal Alberta
Dar Pulls Big No-Show
LETHBRIDGE -- Former alderman Dar Heatherington failed to appear in Lethbridge court to answer allegations she breached conditions of her sentence by being out in the community when she was supposed to be under house arrest. "You'd think she's Osama bin Heatherington," said her defence lawyer. (Calgary Sun)
Smoke Eaters Ranked
AIRDRIE -- After having evolved from a volunteer-based fire department to a paid on-call service, Airdrie Emergency Services (AES) launched another initiative, with the introduction of its rank recognition system. (Airdrie Echo)
Community Monitoring Captures Award
CANMORE -- A Community Monitoring Program Report developed by the Town provides Council and the public with an overview of Canmore's social, economic and environmental health. Another innovative practice recently posted on Alberta's Municipal Excellence Network, and winner of the Minister's 2004 Innovation Award Honourable Mention. (MENet.ab.ca)
Council Takes Shots At Staff
COCHRANE -- It didn't take long for tensions to rise between the new council and town administration. (Cochrane Times)
Fraud Probe On Track
CALGARY -- Police investigating suspected election fraud in Ward 10 say the daunting task of tracking down the names behind 1,266 dubious ballots is going quickly and smoothly. (Calgary Sun)
Recount Confirms Winners
HANNA -- A close race for the final two spots on Council forced a recount. (Hanna Herald)
Democracy By The Draw
LACOMBE -- The choice of who would represent Lacombe County's Division 1 came down to some rather old-fashioned methodology following municipal elections--the luck of the draw. (Lacombe Globe)
Recount Rejected
MAYERTHORPE -- Despite a 1 vote discrepancy between Division 6 candidates Ron Kidd and Terry Nelson, neither the election officials nor the candidates requested a recount. (Mayerthorpe Freelancer)
Loan Cap Up By Million$
DIDSBURY -- To maintain the regular day-to-day financial operations of Mountain View County, an interim borrowing by-law has been put in place, which allows the County to temporarily borrow up to $5 million. (Didsbury Review Online)
Coat Of Arms Unveiled
LEDUC -- While Leduc is just over 100 years old, with its new heraldic bearings the city has joined the ranks of a time-honoured tradition that dates back to the 12th Century. (Leduc Representative)
EcDev Partnership Touts Potential
WETASKIWIN -- Andre Tremblay, manager of Central Alberta Economic Partnership (CAEP), met with council to highlight the organization, its role and what the future holds for the fledgling partnership uniting 42-member municipalities. (Wetaskiwin Times Advertiser)
Bars Blindsided
EDMONTON -- Edmonton bar and restaurant owners are seething about new occupancy rules slapped on to their establishments by city bureaucrats. An opinion piece. (Edmonton Sun)
AUMA Has Its Say
EDMONTON -- The AUMA has submitted its recommendations for the 2005 Provincial Budget to the Government of Alberta. PDF file. (munilink.net)
$8B Promise
EDMONTON -- The Alberta Liberals are promising to help municipalities deal with an estimated $8-billion infrastructure deficit if elected as government later this month. (Calgary Sun)
Affordable Housing Faintly Praised
CAMROSE -- Last month's affordable housing funding announcement for Camrose was well received, but some social advocates characterized it as "a welcome drop in the bucket." (Camrose Canadian)
Bylaw Up In Smoke
JASPER -- Although smoking bylaw #57 was defeated during the municipal election, the coalition that brought it forward is hopeful that council will create a strong bylaw of its own. (Jasper Booster)
Yes To Signs
FAIRVIEW -- A plebiscite on the issue of Township Road and Range Roads signs was held during Fairview's municipal election and 2/3 of voters were in favour of installing the signs, said CAO and returning officer Robert Jorgensen. (Fairview Post)
911 Dispatch Dissolved
KITSCOTY -- When the County of Vermilion River joined the M.D. of Wainwright in partnership for an Emergency Dispatch Service a few years back, the county thought they had their 911 service in place for years to come. (Vermilion Standard)
Alberta Municipal Contact Info
To track down municipal officials in Alberta, MuniMall recommends starting with Municipal Profiles, a very current set of listings maintained by Alberta Municipal Affairs.
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Municipal Saskatchewan
Council Scraps Over Parking
LLOYDMINSTER -- A ban on parking was approved by Lloydminster city council, but Mayor Ken Baker felt the issue should have been looked at again. (Lloydminster Meridian Booster)
Timely Denial
CARROT RIVER -- Carrot River Town Council voted against a request from Yorkton in support of Daylight Savings Time (Nipawin Journal)
Assessment Switch
SWIFT CURRENT -- Mike Kehler, City Tax Assessor, says that Swift Current residential properties will now be assessed on market value instead of adjusted cost from the Provincial Cost Manual. (SwiftCurrentOnline.com)
$80G Sewage Slap
NORTH BATTLEFORD -- North Battleford will pay over $80G in penalties for sewage spills into the North Saskatchewan River 2 years ago. (CBC Saskatchewan)
Saskatchewan Municipal Contact Info
To track down municipal officials in Saskatchewan, MuniMall recommends starting with the Municipal Directory System, maintained by Saskatchewan Government Relations and Aboriginal Affairs.
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Municipal Manitoba
Province Disappoints
WINNIPEG -- The Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) is disappointed in the Province's decision to not move forward with Bill 40, since it will create uncertainty in the municipal planning process. PDF file. (AMM - News Release)
Fines To Be Refunded
EASTMAN -- Over 1,200 motorists who received tickets for breaking the law under the highway traffic code will soon get their money back after a precedent-setting decision was reached in court. (The Clipper Weekly - Online Edition)
Drainage Dispute
CARMAN -- The controversy continues in the RM of Dufferin over a drainage construction project that could result in legal action against council. (Carman Valley Leader)
Trash Deal
CARMAN -- The Town of Carman and the Rural Municipality of Dufferin reached an agreement to share services regarding future waste disposal. (Carman Valley Leader)
High International Showing
GIMLI -- While Gimli didn't turn out to be the most liveable community on the globe, the majority of council members appeared satisfied with the municipality's showing in a recent world-wide competition. (Interlake Spectator)
Waiting On Water Reports
LAC DU BONNET -- Ted Mathers is still waiting to see reports from Lac du Bonnet's water treatment plant a year after filing a complaint under Manitoba's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. (Lac du Bonnet Leader)
CAO Stays On
EAST ST. PAUL -- Whatever differences CAO Jerome Mauws and council had were settled thanks to a concerted effort from the municipality to keep Mauws as the top administrator. (Selkirk Journal)
Regional Sewage Study
WINKLER -- While agreeing it was a good idea, Winkler city council was a little taken aback after hearing about an invitation to join a sewage treatment study through the news media. (Winkler Times)
Manitoba Municipal Contact Info
To track down municipal officials in Manitoba, MuniMall recommends starting with Manitoba Municipal Profiles, maintained by Manitoba's Department of Intergovernmental Affairs.
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Municipal North
Storm Cleanup
WHITEHORSE, YK -- The Yukon Government and the City of Whitehorse have introduced a plan to help clean up wind-fallen trees and woody debris from the October windstorms. (Yukon Government - News Release)
Inspectors Relent
INUVIK, NT -- A territorial gas inspector has decided to allow the town of Inuvik's Zamboni to refuel after earlier demanding the refuelling station be shut down. (CBC North)
Youth Program
YELLOWKNIFE, NT -- Working through the Departments of Municipal Community Affairs and Education, Culture and Employment, Territorial funding will initiate an exciting new program for youth. (Government of the Northwest Territories - News Release)
Power Increase Proposed
IQUALUIT, NU -- Iqaluit city councillors say they need more time to look at the proposed power price increases before making a presentation to the Utility Rates Review Council. (Nunatsiaq News)
Gun Safety Pushed
IQUALUIT, NU -- The City of Iqaluit should take the initiative to help people in the community learn to use and store guns in a responsible manner, councillor Glenn Williams told council. (Nunatsiaq News)
Municipal North Contact Info
To track down municipal officials in the Northwest Territories, MuniMall recommends starting with the MACA Community Database, maintained by the NWT's Municipal and Community Affairs. For Yukon contacts, try Yukon Community Profiles. Best contact listing by far in Nunavut is the Nunavut Association of Municipalities Communities Directory.
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Municipal Ontario
CAO Moving On
AMHERSTBURG -- The Town of Amherstburg is in the market for a new CAO. (Amherstburg Echo)
Township Scores International Award
ELMIRA -- At its annual conference in Las Vegas, Nevada in June 2004, the Association of Public Treasurers (APT) presented the Corporation of the Township of Woolwich with the Association's Investment Policy Certification. (Township of Woolwich release submitted to MuniMall)
Smoke Bylaw Burns Bars
BRANTFORD -- Bar owner John Coulson said that of the 32 bars that banded together to take out a large advertisement against the anti-smoking bylaw, 14 are no longer operating. (Osprey Media Group - Brantford Expositor)
Safety At A Price
CLINTON -- Central Huron council is shocked it will have to pay $7G for its compulsory participation in the Continuous Safety Services program mandated by the province. (Clinton News-Record)
3 New Lawsuits
WATERLOO -- The City has launched 3 new lawsuits to recover funds lost in the MFP/Waterloo RIM Park financing affair. (City of Waterloo - News Release)
Poverty Crisis
HAMILTON -- Hamilton has a poverty crisis, but nobody in the city wants to know anything about it, say the city's social services officials. (Hamilton Mountain News)
Pesticide Revisited
ORANGEVILLE -- Pesticide use in the Town of Orangeville will go under review again in the new year, when the public will be called on for input. (Orangeville Banner)
Marketing Maven Gets Recognition
MISSISSAUGA -- The City's Economic Development Office has received two Marketing Canada Awards. (City of Mississauga - News Release)
Gas Tax Flowing
TORONTO -- AMO President Roger Anderson applauded an announcement from Ontario Transportation Minister Harinder Takhar that gas tax revenue is now flowing to municipal transit. (AMO - News Release)
Unprecedented 8 Awards
TORONTO -- Toronto Economic Development has won an unprecedented 8 Marketing Canada Awards from the Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC), including the "Best of Show." (City of Toronto - News Release)
62% Water Hike
TORONTO -- Toronto will hike its water rate at least 62% over the next 10 years in a bid to plug the leaks in the city's crumbling infrastructure. (Toronto Sun)
Greenbelt Protection Pledged
OTTAWA -- Protecting greenspace in the Golden Horseshoe will curb unplanned urban sprawl, said Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, unveiling a plan to preserve more than 1.8 million acres. (Premier of Ontario - News Release)
Cash Greener Than Parkland
COBOURG -- Despite lobbying to retain green space, Cobourg councillors endorsed a condominium site plan that accepts cash in lieu of parkland. (Osprey Media Group - Northumberland Today)
New EcDev Officer
UXBRIDGE -- When one thinks of north Durham, the first thought is usually farming -- new rural economic development officer Marlene Werry wants to change that. (mykawartha.com)
Year-Round Shelter
PETERBOROUGH -- Peterborough's director of social services Pat Knapp will bring forward a plan to operate the City's winter Warming Room year-round. (mywawartha.com)
Strip Bylaw Bared
LINDSAY -- The corporate and human resources committee gave the nod to a draft regulating strip bars and other adult entertainment businesses in the city. (mywawartha.com)
Projected Costs Up 90%
COLBORNE -- Concerned with skyrocketing lot servicing costs, Cramahe Township's Solicitor has advised that the new Colborne Creek subdivision be put on hold, just 1 month after the ceremonial sod turning. (Independent Online)
Best Practices Boosted
MARTINTOWN -- The Ontario government will contribute $33,000 to the creation of a repository of community best practices which partnering communities can share. (Municipal Affairs and Housing Press Release)
Tight Lipped On Restructuring
TRENTON -- A restructuring report that addresses staffing levels in Quinte West was kept confidential; CAO Ken Rose distributed copies to city councillors behind closed doors. (Osprey Media Group - Trenton Trentonian)
Bilingual Service Plan
OTTAWA --The City of Ottawa has a new plan to provide front-line bilingual services. (CBC Ottawa)
Motor Mayors Mull Strategy
OTTAWA -- Members of Ontario Mayors for Automotive Investment (OMAI) are in Ottawa in the next step of their aggressive plan to hold the federal government to its promises of a national strategy for the Canadian automotive industry. (City of Windsor - News Release)
$400G Lawsuit
PENETANGUISHENE -- The Town of Penetanguishene has been slapped with another lawsuit regarding a former Bay Court home, after the land was deemed unsuitable for a residence. Both suits combined total $960,000. (Osprey Media Group - Midland Free Express)
$10G Dog Fines Possible
POWASSAN -- In what council is describing as a "proactive, rather than reactive" move, dogs within the Municipality of Powassan deemed to be vicious, will need to be registered with the municipal office. (Almaguin News)
Getting Hitched At City Hall
THUNDER BAY -- The City Clerk's Office at City Hall will begin officiating wedding ceremonies in December. (tbsource.com)
Honorariums "Insulting"
DRYDEN -- Kenora District Services Board rep Jim Dalzell feels insulted by the dollar figures recommended by the Board's policy committee. (Kenora Daily Miner and News)
Ontario Municipal Contact Info
To track down municipal officials in this province, MuniMall recommends starting with Community Profiles, maintained by Ontario Economic Development.
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Municipal Atlantic
Minister Denies Lagging
CHARLOTTETOWN, PE -- Elmer MacFadyen, the provincial minister responsible for infrastructure programs, denies that PEI is the only province in Canada not to have signed the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Program. (Prince Edward Island Community and Cultural Affairs - News Release)
Staff Exodus Examined
CHARLOTTETOWN, PE -- Two of three employees in Charlottetown's planning department have quit, leaving councillors to debate why they left. (CBC - Prince Edward Island)
Forced Chlorination
SUMMERSIDE, PE -- Despite pleas to the provincial government the City of Summerside will be obligated to continue chlorinating its water for at least another year, said municipal services director Don Forbes. (Journal Pioneer)
Councils Back Preem
CONCEPTION BAY, NL -- According to Conception Bay North Joint Councils Chairman Frank Evely, members of that association were united in backing the province's premier in his decision not to accept anything less than 100% of the province's offshore oil revenues. (The Compass)
No More Mr. Nice Guy
PLACENTIA, NL -- Faced with a huge amount of outstanding taxes, Placentia council have called in a credit agency to collect accounts in arrears totalling nearly $690,000. (The Charter)
Sustainable Tourism Model
BOUCTOUCHE, NB -- Sixteen municipalities from across Atlantic Canada are using the best practices of Bouctouche, NB as a model for their tourism development, and they will soon be joined be joined by twelve more. (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency - News Release)
Water Funding Pumped In
TRACADIE-SHEILA, NB -- The Town of Tracadie-Sheila will receive funding for municipal water system improvements through the injection of a $2,095,023 investment under the Canada -- New Brunswick Infrastructure Program. (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency - News Release)
Infrastructure Bucks
FREDERICTON, NB -- Five New Brunswick communities will receive additional $900G funding towards their previously announced Canada-New Brunswick Infrastructure Program investments. (Communications New Brunswick - News Release)
Trash Means Cash
ST. MARTINS, NB -- Extra trash at the curb may mean extra cash out of pocket for Saint John residents if the city adopts a policy already in place in the village of St. Martins. (CBC - New Brunswick)
Relief From High Assessments
HALIFAX, NS -- Relief is in sight for Nova Scotian property owners who have been impacted in recent years by skyrocketing assessments, says Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations Minister Barry Barnet. (Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations - News Release)
Report A Disappointment
SHELBURNE, NS -- $40G spent on a consultants' report on the Shelburne Youth Centre could have been better used paying someone's salary, said disappointed Warden Pat Nickerson. (The Coast Guard)
Water Worries Build
GREENWOOD, NS -- Representatives from the Department of the Environment and Labour, the Municipality of the County of Kings, and the Village of Greenwood met with residents of Bowlby Park for a second time regarding contaminated wells in the area. (Monitor-Examiner)
Municipal Atlantic Contact Info
To track down municipal officials in Prince Edward Island, MuniMall recommends starting with the PEI Municipalities web page maintained by InfoPEI. For Nova Scotia officials, try Municipal Contacts from Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations. For contacts in Newfoundland and Labrador, check out the Municipal Directory on this province's Municipal and provincial Affairs website. Though incomplete, the best online directory for New Brunswick municipalities is the Municipal Information list maintained by the Government of Canada Depository Services Program. If you can recommend other municipal contact lists on the Internet, please email us.
Contribute to MuniMall
Does your municipality have anything new and noteworthy to publicize? Send your release to MuniMall, and reach over 9,000 local government readers from coast to coast.
Current Events
The Next 30 Days:
-
Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities Midterm Convention
-- Saskatoon, SK Nov. 9-10, 2004.
-
Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties (AAMD&C) Annual Convention
-- Edmonton, AB November 15-18, 2004.
-
Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) Annual Convention
-- Edmonton, AB November 17-20, 2004.
-
Association of Manitoba Municipalities 6th Annual Convention
-- Winnipeg Convention Centre, Winnipeg, MB November 22-25, 2004
-
Alberta Capital Region Alliance (ACRA) Fall General Assembly
-- Dow Centennial Centre, Fort Saskatchewan, AB Nov. 26, 2004.
More Events on MuniMall
See the MuniMall website for a much more comprehensive listing of regional municipal events.
List Your Event
Have an event to publicize? It's easy to inform us.
Getting Wired
Child Porn Bylaw
HURON EAST, ON -- The Huron East committee formed to look at local ways to fight child pornography on the internet will be presenting a bylaw to council. (Seaforth Huron Expositor)
The Click That Gives
MISSISSAUGA -- The City of Mississauga has made it easier for residents to make a donation in support of our community programs with the simple click of a mouse. (mississauga.ca - News Release)
Flood Prevention Online
REGINA, SK -- The City of Regina is pleased to announce the launch of a new website for the Home Flood Protection Program. (City of Regina - News Release)
. . . And Tax Info, Too
REGINA, SK -- The hits are coming fast and furious at City Hall, as Regina homeowners determine what their property taxes could be next year. (Regina Leader-Post - canada.com network)
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