Municipal Alberta
Development Synergy Partnership: Municipally Excellent Practice
PEACE RIVER -- The Peace Oilsand Synergy Group is a regional group with diverse representation of concerned government, citizens and community working together to resolve issues as they arise, be pro-active in looking ahead to see what other issues are going to be forthcoming as they relate to the effects of oil patch development. It's an excellent practice recently posted on MEnet, Alberta's Municipal Excellence Network. (www.menet.ab.ca)
Land, Money Pledged For School
CALGARY -- The city will contribute $30 million and the land for a new high school on the west side, clearing the way for the west leg of the LRT to run through the Ernest Manning site. (Calgary Herald)
Community Garden Protection Sought
CALGARY -- A city committee says vacant land used as a community garden should be protected as a historic resource. (CBC)
Terrorism Readiness Tested
COUTTS -- An international exercise involving agencies at all levels tested the response of emergency personnel to a terrorist attack near the U.S. border. (Calgary Herald)
Workers Rescued
EDMONTON -- Two workers installing a trunk sewer were injured after being trapped underground when a large chunk of muddy clay fell on top of them. (CBC)
Smoking Ban, Butt Litter
EDMONTON -- Mayor Stephen Mandel wants the city to tackle the problem of cigarette butts littering streets in the wake of a smoking ban in public places. (CBC)
Sticker Shock
GRANDE PRAIRIE -- The only bid to construct an aquatics and recreation centre came in $15 million more than the $90 million expected. (CBC)
Emergency Response Authority Urged
GRANDE PRAIRIE -- The county wants its peace officers to have the authority to attend to emergencies with flashing lights and sirens. (Grande Prairie Herald Tribune)
Later Noise Hours Sought
GRANDE PRAIRIE -- A city committee wants the noise bylaw amended so that noisy construction starts later in the day on weekends. (Grande Prairie Herald Tribune)
Regional Water System Proposed
GRANDE PRAIRIE -- The city's water treatment plant could become the hub of a system to supply municipalities in the region under a plan that council will consider. (Grande Prairie Herald Tribune)
Arena Destroyed
GRIMSHAW -- It took little more than an hour for fire to destroy the community's hockey arena. (CBC)
Residential Intensification Protested
AIRDRIE -- Residents of a three-year-old subdivision protested plans to increase the density of a section with duplexes and multiplexes. (Airdrie Echo)
Phase 2 Waterline Opened
FERINTOSH -- Residents and members of the building project celebrated the completion of a trunk water line. (Camrose Canadian)
Planning Commission Re-Assumes Authority
COCHRANE -- Town council reversed the previous council's decision to delegate authority for subdivision applications to a planning commission. (Cochrane Times)
Enviro-Committee Input Sought
COCHRANE -- A committee established to provide input on environmental policy will now have more input on development plans. (Cochrane Times)
Clerical Error Halts Work
COCHRANE -- Transport Canada slapped a stop-work order on construction of a water intake because it had not approved the work. (Cochrane Times)
City Addresses Street Issues
COLD LAKE -- The city will sort out the patchwork of street names and addresses that have resulted from merging communities. (Cold Lake Sun)
Full-Time Deputy Chief Hired
EDSON -- The town has hired its first full-time deputy chief, returning to the town where he started as a volunteer. (Edson Leader)
Stench Abatement Studied
FAIRVIEW -- An engineer was brought in to look at ways to abate the odours from the town's sewage lagoon. (Fairview Post)
Leachate Pond Considered
FAIRVIEW -- A holding pond may be built to contain and treat landfill leachate instead of trucking it to the sewage lagoon. (Fairview Post)
Termination Surprises HR Manager
FORT MCMURRAY -- His termination came as a complete surprise, says the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo's former human resources manager. (Fort McMurray Today)
New CAO Found
FORT SASKATCHEWAN -- The city plucked the town manager from Bruderheim to fill the CAO post. (Fort Record)
Precincts Considered
FORT SASKATCHEWAN -- Precincts with separate development criteria is one idea being floated in a wide-ranging plan for the downtown area. (Fort Record)
Turbine Bylaw Draws Fire
PINCHER CREEK -- Wind power industry representatives were not happy with proposed changes and definitions that serve to restrict wind turbines. (Pincher Creek Echo)
Managing Growth Is Priority
STONY PLAIN -- Nearly half of the respondents in a Stony Plain survey noted managing rapid growth was the most important issue facing the town. (Stony Plain Reporter)
New Assessment Costs Revenue
WETASKIWIN -- A new assessment of a type of oilfield property will cause a small reduction in the county's revenues. (Wetaskiwin Times-Advertiser)
Landing Fees Eliminated
WHITECOURT -- Woodlands County decided to eliminate landing fees to encourage more aircraft to use the airport. (Whitecourt Star)
Curfew Imposed
PONOKA -- Children under the age of 16 must be off the streets by 11 p.m. (Ponoka News)
Survey Assesses Storm Damage
RED DEER -- The city has mailed out 4,200 surveys to assess the extent of damage caused by rain and hail in an August storm. (Red Deer Advocate)
Gasification Support Pulled
LACOMBE -- Lacombe County has pulled out of a proposal to build a regional gasification plant, forcing the facility to scale back its capacity by one-third. (Red Deer Advocate)
Transfer Site Reconsidered
EXSHAW -- The MD of Bighorn has reconsidered its denial of allowing a regional waste transfer site to be established within its boundaries. (Rocky Mountain Outlook)
Cost Cut On Joint Offices
STETTLER -- Escalating costs have made it necessary to review construction plans for the new joint administrative building for the Town of Stettler and Clearview School Division. (Stettler Independent)
GIS Bid Rejected
BARRHEAD -- County councillors rejected the Town of Barrhead's proposal to establish a geographical information system. (Barrhead Leader)
Lagoon Aeration Studied
DIDSBURY -- A few months after a regional lagoon system was denied by Alberta Environment, the town is looking to upgrade its lagoon treatment system to an aerated lagoon system. (Didsbury Review)
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
Saskatoon, Regina Tops Growth
OTTAWA, ON -- Buoyed by their strongest rates of economic growth in more than a decade, Saskatoon and Regina rank first and second among Canadian census metropolitan areas (CMAs) this year, according to the Conference Board's Metropolitan Outlook-Autumn 2008. (Canada Newswire)
Bridge Heritage Status Considered
PRINCE ALBERT -- Heritage designation may be sought for a 100-year-old railway bridge that served as the only permanent link across the North Saskatchewan River until 1960. (Prince Albert Daily Herald)
Watermain Delays Costing Business
PRINCE ALBERT -- Business owners are becoming impatient with the delay of completion of watermain repairs. (Prince Albert Daily Herald)
City Reserves Right To Rescind Permit
PRINCE ALBERT -- The city has reserved the right to rescind a permit to operate a nightclub if there's any breach of as-yet undetermined conditions. (Prince Albert Daily Herald)
Green Space Sale Protested
PRINCE ALBERT -- Residents who protested the sale of land, forced the RM of Buckland to hold off on the sale of underused land. (Prince Albert Daily Herald)
Saskatchewan Municipal Contact Info
To track down municipal officials in Saskatchewan, MuniMall recommends starting with the Municipal Directory System, maintained by Saskatchewan Municipal Affairs.
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Municipal Manitoba
Mayor's Blind Trust Urged
WINNIPEG -- Further revelations around lease arrangements involving the baseball team Mayor Sam Katz owns has renewed calls for his to put his business interests into a blind trust. (CBC)
Tale Of The Tape
WINNIPEG -- A city councillor played an audio recording of incessant dog barking that is driving him and his neighbours crazy. (CBC)
Woman Dies In Crash With Firetruck
WINNIPEG -- A woman has died from her injuries after a pickup truck she was in slammed into the side of a fire truck at an intersection. (CBC)
City Orders Porta-Potties Removed
WINNIPEG -- Two portable toilets installed by a downtown business have been removed on the order of the city. (CBC)
Wrongful Conviction Compensation Approved
WINNIPEG -- The City of Winnipeg has approved a $1.6-million payment as its share of a compensation package for James Driskell, who spent more than 13 years in prison on a wrongful murder conviction. (CBC)
City Asked To Treat Garbage Leachate
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE -- A waste management company wants the city to treat the leachate collected from landfills at its sewage plant. (Portage Daily Graphic)
Waste Collection Hike Sought
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE -- The city's waste management contractor wants a five per cent increase in its fees. (Portage Daily Graphic)
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
Limited Bag Ban Proposed
IQALUIT, NU -- A ban on single-use plastic bags -- with some exceptions -- has been proposed. (CBC)
Youth Curfew Not Enforced
INUVIK, NU -- Cab drivers won't work on weekend nights because their cars have been pelted with rocks and eggs despite a youth curfew but there is no one to enforce it. (CBC)
Mayor Faces Assault Charges
RANKIN INLET, NU -- Mayor Lorne Kusugak is facing two assault charges, including one count of sexual assault. (CBC)
Plastic Bag Fee Eyed
WHITEHORSE, YK -- The city councillor who led a citywide movement to eliminate plastic shopping bags is now rooting for a bag fee over a ban. (CBC)
Workers Intoxicated: CAO
IQALUIT, NU -- The chief administrative officer says a number of municipal workers suffer from substance abuse, especially the city's public works employees. (CBC)
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
Car Culture Under Fire
TORONTO -- A rally is planned to urge people to eschew their cars in favour of bicycles. (Citynews.ca)
Solar-Heated Pool Unveiled
TORONTO -- Two municipal indoor pools are now equipped with solar heating systems. (Canada Newswire)
Heritage Conservation Honoured
OTTAWA -- The town of Aurora was named the recipient of the 2008 Prince of Wales Prize for its commitment to preservation of built heritage. (Canada Newswire)
Legal Fee Recovery Controversy
INNISFIL -- Town council refused to enter the fray over a lawsuit launched by a developer to recover legal fees from a residents' group incurred during the group's failed OMB appeal. (Innisfil Scope)
Cooperation Needed: AMO
TORONTO -- No single level of government can meet challenges facing municipalities and all levels must work together, says the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. (Canada Newswire)
$50B Transit Plan Unveiled
TORONTO -- A $50 billion plan for transit in the GTA and Hamilton backed away from road tolls, congestion fees and other taxes. (Toronto 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
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Municipal Atlantic
CUPE Calls For Bottle Ban
HALIFAX, NS -- The president of CUPE Nova Scotia has called on the provincial government to ban bottled water in schools and other public buildings. (Canada Newswire)
Parking Gives Way To Bikes
FREDERICTON, NB -- Parking will be banned on a stretch of York Street in Fredericton in order to give bicyclists a lane to pedal in. (CBC)
Roadway Gardening Discouraged
FREDERICTON, NB -- City official are concerned that about the illegal planting of shrubs and trees along boulevard strips. (CBC)
Geothermal Energy Explored
SAINT JOHN, NB -- A Nova Scotia company that specializes in geothermal technology wants to take over the heating and cooling systems in five municipal buildings. (CBC)
Property Standards Promote Neighbourliness
FREDERICTON, NB -- The city is examining a property standards bylaw that will encourage residents to be good neighbours. (CBC)
Paratransit Misused
ST. JOHN'S, NL -- The city wants the province to pay the full cost when a specialized city transit vehicle is used to transport hospital patients and other provincial clients. (CBC)
Councillors Pay Hikes 20% Plus
CONCEPTION BAY SOUTH -- Town councillors said their workload has increased enough and their total remuneration meager enough to merit 20 per cent pay hikes. (CBC)
Pleads Guilty On Sex Charges
GRAND FALL-WINDSOR, NL -- Crown and defence lawyers have recommended that a former municipal councillor who has confessed to sexual assault be given house arrest. (CBC)
Capsized Rescue Boat Returned
HALIFAX -- The fire boat that capsized in Halifax Harbour was on a trial run as part of the tender process and the city has decided to turn it down. (CBC)
All Acclaimed
BRIDGETOWN, NS -- Municipal ballot boxes won't be necessary in Bridgetown now that all six councillors, the mayor and school board representative have been acclaimed. (CBC)
Water Denied Over Hotel Tax
SUMMERSIDE, PE -- The city has cut off the water to a local motel because the owner refused to pay a new room levy and has threatened to turn of his electricity. (CBC)
Too Broke To Enforce Bylaws
MONTAGUE, PE -- The mayor wants financial help from the province to take bylaw cases to court because it can't afford the costs to do so itself. (CBC)
New Concert Venue Pondered
CHARLOTTETOWN, PE --Discussions are taking place to replace the Charlottetown Civic Centre as an entertainment venue. (CBC)
Sewer Workers' Talks Break Down
CHARLOTTETOWN, PE -- Talks with workers at Charlottetown's wastewater treatment plant have broken down, leading to the possibility of a strike or lockout in the next few weeks. (CBC)
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:
-
AUMA Convention
-- Edmonton, AB Sept. 30-Oct. 3
-
Conference of Association of Professional Community Planners of Saskatchewan "Saskatchewan Communities in Growth"
-- Saskatoon, SK Oct. 15-17
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Centennial Convention of the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties
-- Edmonton, AB, Nov. 11-14
-
Canadian National Conference and 4th Forum on Drinking Water
-- Quebec, QC, Oct. 3-7, 2008.
More Events on MuniMall
See the MuniMall website for a much more comprehensive listing of regional municipal events.
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