IN THE NEWS

Leslieville Fire Hall 
Concerns continue to be expressed over the plans and lack of information being provided to the taxpayers on the scope of this project.
At the February 9th CCTA meeting there was significant discussion on the matter and we were very happy to have 6 councillors in attendance to not only hear taxpayer concerns but also to share what information they could.
It was suggested that we organize a meeting so that information and concerns could be more widely addressed. Reeve Tim Hoven suggested that the county could host such an event and we graciously thanked him for the offer.
When the notice appeared in the February 19th Western Star for an “Open House” at the Leslieville Fire Hall we were distinctly disappointed with the format for the following reasons:

At an Open House people come and go so not everyone is present at the same time to hear the information offered or the questions asked/responses given.

Furthermore, people can talk to/question different “presenters” and get different, potentially conflicting information.

If the intent of hosting the event at the fire hall was to allow people to see the “state” of the facility, the equipment should be in there for an accurate picture of the crowded size, and then where would there be room for people to gather or information to be presented?

Having the most important part of the evening, the “presentation” at 6:00PM is definitely an inconvenient time. People are just arriving home from work and/or having supper. Also, wouldn’t it be more beneficial to see the fire hall before the presentation??

Finally, the last concern was over inadequate parking.

These concerns/frustrations were immediately voiced with members of council and administration. We were subsequently informed that the format would be changed. There would be a tour of the fire hall first, followed by a meeting at the Elk’s Hall. Consequently, we put together a page of information to be published in the February 26th edition of the Western Star so people could have some background information before the meeting. In the interest of transparency, and so those involved in hosting the event could have more prep time, a copy of this information was emailed to both council and administration on Friday, February 21. 

Ads then appeared in both The Mountaineer and Western Star advertising an “Open House” on March 5th with a “Presentation” at 6:00PM at the Elks’ Hall followed by a “Tour” of the fire hall at 7:00PM. This is a complete reversal of the information we received regarding the format and we definitely question its effectiveness with only a 1 hour presentation and the tour to follow. Our most sincere hope is that the “presentation” might allow for more time for citizen engagement/questions to adequately occur. 

Partnerships 
Words have been floating around about County partnerships with Wild Rose School Division and an “unnamed” private company for “opportunities” on the newly purchased land/proposed Fire Hall. Unfortunately no concrete information has been available to date.
With the extensive amount of land purchased (27+ acres), it seems possible that the partnership with WRSD might involve future consideration for recreation fields (ball diamonds, track, soccer pitch, etc.). Such a partnership is certainly commendable.

The other option, a partnership with a “private company” for a potential fire fighter training facility leads to more questions. Who is the company? Why have they not come forward with their vision? What is the need?

Currently there is a quality training facility in Red Deer which our volunteer fire fighters access about 3 times per year. There is a rental fee for its use and attempts have been made to gather information on that cost but it was unavailable at time of printing. Hopefully we will have it for sharing at the March 5th meeting.

In the meantime, questions abound on the necessity/viability of such a facility with very limited use. Comments have been made that we could rent it out to other fire fighter groups but, with a centrally located option at Red Deer, who would travel out to Leslieville?? If this private facility become non-viable, who would be responsible/accept the future operating costs??? 

A LOT OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS REMAIN. WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO ATTEND THE MEETING AT THE ELKS’ HALL AT 6:00PM ON MARCH 5TH.
 
Smiles for March: 
Why do leprechauns love to garden? They have green thumbs.
Why shouldn’t you borrow money from a leprechaun? They are always a little short.

Coming Events:
 Clearwater Rural Crime Annual Meeting, Monday, March 2, 2020, 7:00PM Leslieville Community Hall 

 Clearwater County Information Open House re Fire Hall, Thursday, March 5, 2020, 6:00PM, Leslieville Elks’ Hall 

 Clearwater County Taxpayers’ Association regular monthly meeting, Monday, March 9, 2020, 7:30PM, Arbutus Community Hall