The MD of Bonnyville is hoping a government grant will provide the funds to update their livestock emergency response plan.
Council voted in favour of applying for an emergency preparedness grant through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal and provincial initiative aimed at improving a community's ability to prepare and respond to emergencies, during their Nov. 20 meeting.
The project is estimated to cost $50,000. The municipality would be responsible for up to $25,000, while the Canadian Agricultural Partnership would cover the remaining portion.
If approved, the MD would use the dollars to bring in a consultant to work on developing the plan, as well as for training staff and volunteers.
A major component of the process would include getting feedback from local farmers.
"We'd go to a couple of stakeholder meetings with the producers, have a couple of meetings with them, and see what their needs and wants are. Then, we would come back with a rough draft and once we have that draft then bring it forward to the producers. We would also do training with our emergency fire departments, our staff, and any other surrounding municipality staff so we can tie that together," detailed Matt Janz, general manager of environmental and protective services for the MD.
The MD has reached out to Lac La Biche County and the County of St. Paul to be involved with the planning process.
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Addressing economic development in the area
The MD is submitting a grant application to the Alberta government's Community and Regional Economic Support (CARES) program to support an economic development initiative within the community.
CAO Luc Mercier believes the money could be put towards the cooperative regional economic development project they're working on with the Town of Bonnyville.
"It's especially important at this point, because we can use it to develop our program and how it goes forward," he said.
The objective of the CARES grant program is to fund community-led projects that build the capacity of sustainable economic development and enhance local economic conditions. The local economic development research committee has anticipated the initiative could cost roughly $160,000.
The three proposed projects the money could go toward include developing a five-year plan for an economic development strategy, completing a destination management plan for Kinosoo Ridge, and undertaking a cooperative regional economic development project in partnership with the town.
According to Mercier, the money would be used to hire consultant to come in and work on the economic development strategies the municipality is considering.
More to come.
Council hears from TC Energy
Josh Pentland, public affairs for TC Energy, gave a presentation outlining the Saddle Lake Lateral Loop Cold Lake Section project.
"It's a 20-inch and 20-kilometre pipeline that's going to be looping the existing 10-inch pipe that's already in place," he said. "It will start at the Kent Sales Meter Station, which is about eight-km (southwest) of Cold Lake, it will travel 20-km east and will land at the Cold Lake Meter Station."
Once the new line is in place, Pentland said TC Energy would decommission the smaller pipeline.
The purpose of the project is to bring natural gas from northwest Alberta to the northeast, as well as northwestern Saskatchewan, Pentland stated.
TC Energy is currently awaiting approval from the Canadian Energy Regulator (CER), formerly the National Energy Board (NEB). If they receive the green light within the next couple of months, they hope to begin construction in 2020 and for the line to be in service by 2021.
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MD assisting summer villages with emergency management plans
The municipality voted in favour of entering into an emergency management agreement with the Summer Villages of Pelican Narrows and Bonnyville Beach.
"Ultimately, because of the costs, they don't have the money to build their own plans," noted Caroline Palmer, general manager of planning and community services for the MD. "They can be simple, but costly. To bring them in, it costs very little to us because we're surrounding them all the way around."
The request came before council after the summer villages submitted a letter to the Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority (BRFA) in the summer asking that their emergency management plan be developed and administered through the MD.
