By Marianne Cole
Municipal Development Plan Review
A total of 10 “Town Hall”/in-person meetings were held in Caroline, Rocky Mtn. House, Leslieville, and Nordegg at the end of June. Even though people had the options to attend morning, afternoon, or evening meetings in each of the above locations (except for Nordegg’s only afternoon meeting), the attendance was very disappointing with less than 100 in total.
The most notable topic of concern focussed on the proposed increase in allowable “parcels out” per quarter, along with the accompanying lack of restriction on sub-division size.
As with the virtual meetings that had been held earlier in the winter, there was general opposition to the new proposals. Most commonly the opposition was supported by concerns over loss of valuable farmland, the potential resulting increase in price of farmland, and the consequential negative impact on farming operations.
It has become particularly noticeable this summer the very real value of hay production and grazing opportunities here in Clearwater County while the serious drought is being felt more extensively elsewhere. The beneficial impact of production on our farmland has certainly been far-reaching this year.
A full report on the MDP review is expected to be released in September and will definitely be an important task for Council following the election.
Regional Governance Study
Meetings were recently held in Caroline, Leslieville, Rocky and Nordegg to inform residents on the results of the study done earlier on regional governance and the possibility of County/town/village amalgamation. Once more, public attendance was unfortunately dismal. Generally, the study suggested that County/Caroline amalgamation could be positive and was supported by area residents. Conversely, County/town of Rocky amalgamation received a more negative response. We will keep you posted on any further news on this matter.
Upcoming Municipal Elections
As you are likely aware, municipal elections are being held on Monday, October 18, 2021. A significant change this year is that in order for County residents to be eligible to vote, they MUST REGISTER. This can be done in three ways: 1. Go on line to www.clearwatercounty.ca/elections; 2. Phone the County office at (403) 845-4444; 3. Stop in at the County office.
Nominations for candidates are open until Monday, September 20, 2021. Currently the candidates seeking election are as follows: (Note: The current councillors are in parenthesis.)
Division 1: (Jim Duncan) Gennifer Mehlhaff, Nicole Stewart
Division 2: (Cammie Laird) Cammie Laird
Division 3: (Daryl Lougheed) Daryl Lougheed
Divison 4: (John Vandermeer) Naomi McNair, Jordan Northcott, Tim Plante
Division 5: (Theresa Laing) Nick Frank, Neil Ratcliffe
Division 6: (Tim Hoven) Bryan Cermak, Shane Nafziger
Division 7: (Michelle Swanson) Jo-Lynn Bradshaw, Michelle Swanson
The CCTA will be hosting a Candidates’ Forum on Thursday, October 7, 2021 at 7:00PM at the Leslieville Community Hall. We strongly urge you to attend and hear how the candidates plan to serve you in the next 4 years.
Leslieville Community Block Party
The Leslieville Community Association is organizing a Block Party for Saturday, September 18, 2021 from 11:00AM to 3:00PM in the Community Hall and the street outside the hall. It will feature fun activities for the kids as well as an opportunity for community organizations to have tables/venues to promote their operations. The CCTA will be hosting a table where we can inform people about our work and hopefully attract some new members.
COMING EVENTS:
Wednesday, September 15, 2021, 7:30PM, Arbutus Community Hall, Regular Monthly CCTA Meeting.
Saturday, September 18, 2021, 11:00AM – 3:00PM Leslieville Community Block Party.
Thursday, October 7, 2021, 7:00PM, Leslieville Community Hall, Municipal Election Candidates’ Forum
Monday, October 18, 2021, Municipal Election. MAKE SURE YOU REGISTER TO VOTE PRIOR TO.
Wednesday, October 2021, 7:30PM, Arbutus Community Hall, Regular Monthly CCTA Meeting.
