Municipal Alberta
Cabinet Named
EDMONTON -- Ray Danyluk was tapped to head the newly-expanded Municipal Affairs and Housing portfolio in Ed Stelmach's 18-post Cabinet. (Government of Alberta)
New Minister
EDMONTON -- A former reeve and county councillor, Alberta's new Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing was first elected MLA in 2001 and represents Lac La Biche-St. Paul. (Government of Alberta)
AMAH Website Updated
EDMONTON -- The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing website was updated to reflect the new Cabinet. (Government of Alberta)
Ministerial Mandate
EDMONTON -- A task force on affordable housing topped the list of priorities handed to the new minister. (Government of Alberta)
Cash-Back Reaffirmed
CALGARY -- Premier Ed Stelmach reaffirmed his promise to send back $1.4 billion it receives as the educational portion of property taxes. (Calgary Sun)
Recycling Popular
FORT MCMURRAY -- Wood Buffalo Region residents surpassed by a wide margin their 2005 recycling totals in only nine months in 2006. (Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo release hosted on MuniMall)
Suit Prompts Fire Review
GRANDE PRAIRIE -- In the wake of a $30-million lawsuit stemming from a fire at the Weyerhaeuser mill five years ago, the city is reviewing how it responds to fires in county areas. (Daily Herald-Tribune)
Labour Camp Fight Continues
MAYERTHORPE -- Some residents will continue the fight against a labour camp. (Mayerthorpe Freelancer)
No More Warning
JASPER -- Municipal council decided to crackdown on traffic and parking enforcement and even up the 7:1 warnings-to-tickets ratio. (Jasper Booster)
Arena Staff Held At Knife-Point
FORT SASKATCHEWAN -- An employee at the Bruderheim arena was held and robbed at knife-point in the early morning of Jan. 7 while a lone male ransacked the vending machines. (Fort Record)
ACRA Changes Vote Model
SHERWOOD PARK -- The Alberta Capital Region Alliance has changed its voting model that gives Edmonton weighted votes. (Sherwood Park News)
ACRA Aims For Balance: Chair
EDMONTON -- ACRA's new voting model will allow it to move forward and be a stronger united voice, said board chair Phyllis Kobasiuk. (Alberta Capital Region Alliance release hosted on MuniMall)
City To Buy Condos
EDMONTON -- The city made a deal to purchase five per cent of the units of a new 750-unit condo development at a discounted price to be used for affordable housing. (CBC Edmonton)
Natural Gas Forecasting: Municipally Excellent Practice
ST. ALBERT -- The city switched its natural gas cost calculation to include historical usage and the market price of gas instead of basing it on expenditure trends. Another cool practice posted on MEnet, Alberta's Municipal Excellence Network. (www.menet.ab.ca)
Carcinogens Increase
BIG VALLEY -- A new disinfecting process at the village's wellheads has caused an increase in carcinogens but pose no immediate risk to health. (Stettler Independent)
Smoke Law Effects Negligible
LACOMBE -- Many businesses have found smoking restrictions to be not so bad. (Lacombe Globe)
Transit Agreement Ratified
RED DEER -- City council ratified a two-year collective agreement with its unionized transit workers for an immediate six per cent raise and smaller hikes in 2008. (City of Red Deer)
Community Suggests New Standards
RED DEER -- Residents want bullying, construction waste and littering, graffiti, panhandling and spitting addressed in a new community standards bylaw. (City of Red Deer)
Curlers Swept Aside
RED DEER -- Local curlers won't get an answer to a $1 million capital request until the study does a major assessment of recreational needs. (Red Deer Advocate)
Appeals Hearing Set
STRATHMORE -- The Environmental Appeals Board has set aside three days in February for a hearing on Alberta Environment's decision to allow construction of a wastewater pipeline and outfall to the Bow River. (Government of Alberta)
Relief Rains Down
CALGARY -- Funding relief continues to pour in for flood-damaged southern and central Alberta communities soaked by the torrential June storms of 2002 and 2005. (Calgary Sun)
City Eyes Parking Cuts
CALGARY -- The city is looking at reducing parking spot requirements for new developments to encourage transit use. (Calgary Sun)
Bars Acquiesce On Smoking
CALGARY -- Bar owners who are still fuming over Calgary's new smoking bylaw are asking customers to butt out while it is challenged in court. (CBC Calgary)
Suite Solution
CALGARY -- Secondary suites could be a part of Calgary's growing housing problem and they offer benefits beyond the obvious. (Canada West Foundation)
Taxes Shifted To Part-Timers
CANMORE -- Full-time Canmore residents will get a rebate on their taxes this year but anyone who owns a vacation home in the resort town need not apply. (Rocky Mountain Outlook)
Golf Course Goes Residential
COCHRANE -- A scaled back residential development on a golf course was approved but remained divisive. (Cochrane Times)
Growth Scary
OKOTOKS -- Increasing density and sprawling growth has residents thinking about long-range planning. (Western Wheel)
Nomination Process Tightened
MEDICINE HAT -- A city council committee recommends the fee and number of signatures on nominating papers be increased. (Medicine Hat News)
Cover Up Continues
MEDICINE HAT -- Nearly $70,000 has been spent since May 2006 to remove graffiti from public structures, some of it for multiple cover ups. (City of Lethbridge release hosted on MuniMall)
Depot Used For Waste
VULCAN -- Residents are dumping trash at the recycling depot adding significantly to the cost of processing. (Vulcan Advocate)
Para-Transit To Be Tendered
LETHBRIDGE -- The city's $1 million para-transit service will be tendered but the non-profit association that started and runs it now will bid for the contract. (Lethbridge Herald)
River Basin Computer Modelling
LETHBRIDGE -- University of Lethbridge will develop computer models to illustrate effects of water conditions and usage in the South Saskatchewan River basin. (Lethbridge Herald)
Taxiway Improved
LETHBRIDGE -- Work is complete on taxiway improvements at Lethbridge County Airport. (Government of Canada)
Mexico, Si!
LETHBRIDGE -- Southern Alberta snowbirds are straining services at Lethbridge County Airport for direct flights to Puerto Vallarta. (Lethbridge Herald)
Master Planner 007
PINCHER CREEK -- 2007 will be the year of studies, with more master plans in the Town budget than a James Bond villain convention. (Pincher Creek Echo)
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
Smoke Eater Pay Bumped
LLOYDMINSTER -- Volunteer firefighters will get a $2.50 per hour hike in fire call pay among other bumps in wages. (Meridian Booster)
Racial Profiling Alleged
PRINCE ALBERT -- A local dentist who was handcuffed during a drug raid police were making nearby plans to sue the city despite apologies from the mayor. (Prince Albert Daily Herald)
Blue Bin Blues
PRINCE ALBERT -- So much waste is being put in community blue bins the recycling facility won't take paper products from that neighbourhood. (Prince Albert Daily Herald)
Gravel Site Rejected
SASKATOON -- Corman Park councillors rejected an application for a gravel storage site near an upscale neighbourhood. (Saskatoon Star-Phoenix)
Municipal Orgs. Funding Increased
REGINA -- Saskatchewan's three municipal associations received funding for staff to travel the province to assist with local and regional planning. (Government of Saskatchewan)
Tax Discounting Changes Panned
REGINA -- Proposed amendments to the Municipalities Act will restrict the way in which discounts for early and pre-payment of property taxes. (Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association)
Urban Reserve Agreement
REGINA -- The city will enter into a servicing agreement for urban property that may be established as a reserve of the Piapot First Nation. (Regina Leader-Post)
Chiefs, Mayor Make Declaration
REGINA -- Chiefs and Tribal Council Chairs met with mayor Pat Fiacco to discuss signing a declaration for strengthening relationships between the city and urban First Nations people. (City of Regina)
Saskatchewan Municipal Contact Info
To track down municipal officials in Saskatchewan, MuniMall recommends starting with the Municipal Directory System, maintained by Saskatchewan Government Relations.
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Municipal Manitoba
Water Improvements
LYNN LAKE -- Infrastructure funding worth $1 million was announced to upgrade the town's water treatment system. (Government of Manitoba)
Curfew Challenged
THOMPSON -- Two parents and a 17-year-old boy have launched a court challenge to a curfew bylaw, saying it violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. (CBC Manitoba)
Mine Investment Welcomed
SNOW LAKE -- News of significant exploration and mining investments has the mayor confident the "glass is 3/4 full instead of half-empty." (Underground Press)
EDO Funded
SNOW LAKE -- The Manitoba government will provide $120,000 over three years to fund a community economic development officer. (Government of Manitoba)
Road Budget Doubled
WINNIPEG -- The city proposes $425 million in road projects in 2007, more than double original estimates, and investigating private-public partnerships for other capital projects. (CBC Manitoba)
Airport Shuttle Nudges Forward
WINNIPEG -- Politicians with Winnipeg's executive policy committee have voted to approve a new shuttle service to carry passengers from the airport to downtown hotels. (CBC Manitoba)
Cop Commission Promised
WINNIPEG -- Under pressure to introduce a civilian check on the police, the mayor announced plans to create a police commission. (CBC Winnipeg)
Riverfront Purchased
WINNIPEG -- The city has purchased a four-kilometre stretch of riverfront from the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs for $465,000. (CBC Manitoba)
Stadium Renamed
BRANDON -- The city renamed the Westbran Stadium after a local curler and sports leader diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. (CBC Manitoba)
Mold Closes Rink
WINNIPEG BEACH -- Town council has pulled the fiscal plug on the municipal recreation centre board after extensive mold discoveries closed the facility. (Interlake Spectator)
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
Honour System Scrapped
IQALUIT, NU -- Iqaluit city council this week approved the building of a scale for its gravel quarries, a project the city said will save them thousands of dollars a year in lost revenue. (Nunatsiaq News)
Mayor Pleads For Kids
KUUJJUAQ, QC -- The mayor took to the radio waves to plead with the community to take better care of its children. (Nunatsiaq News)
Alcohol Restricted
FORT MCPHERSON, NT -- Residents voted to restrict personal alcohol possession to two cases of beer and two forty-pounders per week. (CBC North)
Water Subsidy Cut Stays
HAY RIVER, NT -- Municipal councilors were irked to learn cuts to susbsidies for water and sewer services won't be rolled back. (Hay River Hub)
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
Time For A Review
CHATHAM -- City councillors voted overwhelmingly for an outside review of the municipality, the first since its amalgamation nearly a decade ago. (Chatham Daily News)
First Budget, Then Debate
LONDON -- Debate on whether the city should abolish its board of control and establish a new governance model ought to wait until after the 2007 budget. (London Free Press)
Patent Pending
DELHI -- Arena employees unveiled their invention that allows ice-resurfacing machine blades to be changed without directly handling them. (Delhi News-Record)
Terra Non Firma
NORWICH -- The township will hand over title of land it intended to rent to the county for an EMS station when additional work was required because the soil was too soft. (Norwich Gazette)
Utility Sale Wanted
BRANTFORD -- Several city councillors say the city can't afford not to look seriously at the possibility of selling Brantford Power since the province has temporarily lifted a tax on the sale of energy corporations. (Brantford Expositor)
Artifacts Prove Claim
CALEDONIA -- Six Nations protesters are pointing to a new government report of archeological finds on disputed land in Caledonia as further proof to the legitimacy of their claim. (CBC Ottawa)
Polluters Save On Taxes
HAMILTON -- Industries are encouraged to pollute their land because it lowers its value and reduces property taxes. (hamiltoncatch.org)
Natural Space Downloaded
HAMILTON -- The Ontario government handed over 28 acres of provincially-significant woodlands to the city. (Government of Ontario)
Low-Flush Standards Raised
GUELPH -- The city has given its seal of approval on low-flush toilets that meet performance standards while saving water and will qualify for a rebate up to $60. (City of Guelph)
Inclusiveness Wins Award
CALEDON -- The Town of Caledon earned honours for its inclusive community enrichment activities in partnership with Brampton-Caledon Community Living. (Town of Caledon release hosted on MuniMall)
Ridership Tops 10M
BRAMPTON -- Transit usage in Brampton grew 12.4 per cent, approximately four times the national average. (City of Brampton)
Municipal Multilingualism
BRAMPTON -- City council has approved a Multilingual Services Policy and Program to enhance communications with multicultural residents. (City of Brampton)
Super Powers For Supercity
TORONTO -- The city has moved forward with broad new powers the province enacted under the City of Toronto Act, including delegating authority to community councils, lobbying controls and accountability enforcement. (City of Toronto)
Bus Driver Crunch
TORONTO -- Toronto's public transit is riding a wave of unprecedented growth -- and with it comes a problem: finding enough drivers to operate all of the new buses set to hit the streets. (CBC Toronto)
Municipal Act Tweaked
TORONTO -- The five-year review of the 2001 Municipal Act resulted in some tweaks and enhanced powers and accountability requirements with amendments enacted Jan. 1.
Planning Act Amended
TORONTO -- Amendments to the Planning Act include changes to the OMB appeals process to give more emphasis on local planning decisions. (Government of Ontario)
Plan Wins Award
TORONTO -- Ontario's Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe earned accolades from the American Planner's Association -- the first outside the U.S. (Government of Ontario)
COMRIF Announcements
TORONTO -- The latest round of Canada-Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund grants totaling $93 million were announced. (Government of Ontario)
COMRIF Grant Upped
PRESCOTT -- Council wasted no time accepting increased COMRIF grants to pay for 90 per cent of a proposed sewage plant instead of the usual two-thirds. (Brockville Recorder and Times)
More Input Sought
NIAGARA FALLS -- Politicians want a more hands-on approach to the running of the city, based on an informal planning session where city council members were supposed to identify their priorities for the next four years. (Niagara Falls Review)
Water Efficiency Studied
WHITBY -- Water use will be studied in new homes equipped with an efficiency package of appliances and fixtures with a Green Municipal Fund grant and a goal to develop a business case to increase efficiencies in all homes. (Federation of Canadian Municipalities)
Finance Minister Develops Theme
COBOURG -- Finance minister Greg Sorbara sat down with municipal representatives in eastern Ontario to hear what they had to say about the upcoming budget. (Northumberland Today)
Town Fined $110G
PERTH -- The Town of Carleton Place was fined $110,000 for health and safety violations as a result of an accident that caused serious head injuries to a public works employee. (Government of Ontario)
Energy Efficient Utilities
OTTAWA -- The City's Public Works and Services Department has been recognized by the Ontario Municipal Benchmarking Initiative Water and Wastewater Expert Panel for its innovative energy management using alternative sources of energy at water and sewer treatment plants. (City of Ottawa)
Home Sweet Home
OTTAWA -- The City of Ottawa should set up its own development company to help low-income families buy their own homes, says Mayor Larry O'Brien. (CBC Ottawa)
Equity Drives Library Deficit
OTTAWA -- Equalizing wages among library workers after the amalgamation of a number of municipalities is driving a $2.5 million deficit. (CBC Ottawa)
Water Drug Free
OWEN SOUND -- Raw and treated water were found to contain no drugs as part of a voluntary MOE study looking for pharmaceuticals that may be making their way into the water supply. (Owen Sound Sun Times)
Town Hall Costs Escalate
TEMISKAMING SHORES -- The city's portion of costs to construct a post-amalgamation city hall has risen. (Temiskaming Speaker)
Local Cops Voted Out
TEMISKAMING SHORES -- Mayor Judy Pace cast the deciding vote to disband the local police force. (Temiskaming Speaker)
Council Wages Hiked
KIRKLAND LAKE -- Councillors voted themselves the same wage increase they gave union and non-union staff. (Northern News)
Airport Fire Services Cut
SAULT STE. MARIE -- A staffed specialized fire station at the Sault Ste. Marie Airport will be closed following changes in Transport Canada regulations. (Sault Star)
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 Québec
CN Slows Down
MONTMAGNY -- CN agreed to temporarily reduce the speed limit through Montmagny following the second derailment in three years then review the change with city hall. (CBC Montreal)
Mirabel Land Released
MIRABEL -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper's announcement to return farmland expropriated for an airport has complicated plans the city had to develop an industrial park. (CBC Ottawa)
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Municipal Atlantic
$5M Poured Into Waterworks
DALHOUSIE, NB -- The governments of Canada and New Brunswick announced major infrastructure funding for the Town of Dalhousie's water system. A total of $5,005,280 will go toward the upgrade. (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)
Councillor Woos Koreans
SAINT JOHN, NB -- A Saint John city councillor to be featured in a half-hour television documentary broadcast in South Korea hopes the show will entice more Koreans to move to the city. (CBC New Brunswick)
Outdoor Smoking Banned
MONCTON, NB -- The city enacted a bylaw prohibiting smoking on city-owned property, including parks. (CBC New Brunswick)
Con Man Impersonates Mayor
MONCTON, NB -- RCMP have traced to Vancouver a con man who masqueraded as Moncton's mayor to try to scam local businesses out of some money. (CBC New Brunswick)
New Buses On The Way
SAINT JOHN, NB -- The city has received more than $4.8 million for low-emission, wheel-chair accessible buses. (Government of New Brunswick)
Province Funds Centre
BELLEISLE, NB -- A community centre will be built with $739,000 funding from the provincial government. (Government of New Brunswick)
$1M Upgrades
HAMPTON, NB -- Two major infrastructure investments worth more than $1 million for the Town of Hampton's water and wastewater system were announced by the governments of Canada and New Brunswick (Government of New Brunswick)
Extended Sunday Shopping Nixed
SACKVILLE, NB -- The chamber of commerce says the town is making decisions for businesses when it refused to allow retailers to extend Sunday shopping hours. (Sackville Tribune Post)
Worker Exodus Delays Rink
FREDERICTON, NB -- The general contractor says he can't get enough skilled tradespeople because they are all Alberta bound to complete an arena project on schedule. (The Daily Gleaner)
Merger Impatience
ST. JOHN'S, NL -- The city's mayor has called on the province to step in and get amalgamation moving since its neighbour has applied to expand its border. (CBC Newfoundland and Labrador)
Hockey Day In Tignish
TIGNISH, PE -- The opening ceremonies of the new $3.2 million Credit Union Arena was covered on Hockey Day In Canada on CBC TV. (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)
RCMP Contract Threatened
O'LEARY, PE -- Council has threatened to cancel its contract with the RCMP because of a $6,000 hike. (West Prince Graphic)
Town Gets Bigger
KENSINGTON, PE -- The town purchased farm and woodland near its water supply and will set it aside as green space. (Journal Pioneer)
Residents Fight For Green Space
CHARLOTTETOWN, PE -- Residents haven't given up the fight to retain federally-owned land as green space despite a subdivision plan ready to turn sod in the spring. (CBC PEI)
Ex-City Skimmer Sentenced
CHARLOTTETOWN, PE -- An ex-cashier was sentenced to nearly a year of house arrest, plus probation and community service for skimming $38,000 from water and sewer payments. (CBC PEI)
Long, Long-Range Planning
STRATFORD, PE --Critics say the city's 50-year downtown and marina development plan looks too far in the future. (CBC PEI)
Transit Funding
CHARLOTTETOWN, PE -- More than $500,000 will go toward transit improvements through the Public Transit Capital Trust Program. (Government of Prince Edward Island)
New FOI Officer
HALIFAX, NS -- A former BC Ombudsman was named the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Review Officer for municipalities and the province. (Government of Nova Scotia)
Infrastructure Grants Announced
HALIFAX -- Nova Scotia communities have $17.4 million this year to invest in environmental projects such as water, wastewater, public transit, community energy, roads and bridges with the gas-tax agreement payments from the government of Canada. (Government of Nova Scotia)
Gas And Water Don't Mix
AMHERST, NS -- Cumberland County has decided to step back from permitting a controversial gas station to reopen near Parrsboro's water supply so it can gather more information and perhaps arrive at a compromise. (Amherst Daily News)
Rec Employee Charged
DIGBY, NS -- The RCMP have laid fraud charges against an employee of the Digby Area Recreation Commission. (Digby Courier)
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. The List of New Brunswick Municipalities provides contact info for cities, towns, and villages in that province, as well as the names of elected officials.
Contribute to MuniMall
Does your municipality have anything new and noteworthy to publicize? Send your release to MuniMall, and reach over 13,000 local government readers from coast to coast.
Current Events
The Next 30 Days:
-
Be on the Ballot: Women Impacting Local Government Conference
-- Fantasyland Hotel, West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton, AB Jan. 22, 2007.
-
Wireless Cities Summit
-- Toronto, ON Jan. 23-24, 2007.
-
Reducing The Risks Of Municipal Government Liability
-- Toronto, ON Jan. 25-26, 2007.
-
Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association Convention
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
City Makes Rural Connection
OTTAWA -- The city has developed a section of its website as a one-stop source of information for rural residents and has pledged $1 million to bring broadband access to every rural home in the municipality. (City of Ottawa)
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