Bonnyville Town Council heard from two companies looking to establish work camps in the town during last Tuesday's council meeting.
Representatives from URS Flint and Clean Harbors presented proposals for camp developments on the same parcel of land, northwest of the rodeo grounds and just south of the town's new ball diamonds. The area is currently used as a collection site for the town's snow removal program. This same area has been identified as a future location for an RV campground for the town.
Shahid Siddiqui, business manager with URS Flint, told council Flint is anticipating a “significant increase in its workforce in the next few months” and is already facing difficulties providing accommodation to its employees.
Siddiqui presented council with a plan to establish a 100-man camp in phase 1 of the project with provision to expand to accommodate another 100 employees and “then further expansion over a period of time.”
Flint is working on tight deadlines with the hope of having phase 1 of the camp open in May. With Flint bringing in the services to the proposed location, it would provide the opportunity for the Town to move forward with developing a full serviced RV campground in the area.
“Our council had a fairly extensive discussion on work camps two weeks ago as to whether we were open to the business of work camps and I think it would be fair to say the answer was a definite yes,” Mayor Ernie Isley said.
One work camp has been operating in town for six years at 5201-55 Ave. and late last year the Town gave the go-ahead to its operator, Clean Harbors, to expand to accommodate up to 200 workers.
“I would say in the six years that it has been here we have never had any negative reports from the RCMP, I've never had a complaint from anyone,” Isley said, adding the town is open for business and also advising, “If you proceed, make sure you develop a good relationship with the hoteliers.”
Questioned by Coun. Ray Prevost as to whether the camp would provide food service on site, Siddiqui said that “has not been decided yet, it may or may not be.”
Kevin Emes, director of camps for Clean Harbors, which is in the business of establishing work camps to meet workforce needs in the resource sector, presented council with a proposal that would see the company open a second work camp in the community to accommodate 200 to 250 in its first phase with a possible expansion up to 500 people. Clean Harbors' camp will provide food services for the workers.
“We see a niche here in the Bonnyville/Cold Lake area where there is a shortage of beds for the workforce and we have the ability to come in on the long-term or the short-term and provide those accommodations and that's what this proposal is about,” Emes said.
“We certainly want to be part of the community and work with the community and not provide any competition with respect to hotels, or fitness facilities or recreation facilities.”
Emes indicated that Clean Harbors “would run utilities throughout the whole development so that when you do decide to put in the campground, we could certainly help facilitate that.”
Members of council noted that with URS Flint in need of a work camp and Clean Harbors in the business of setting up work camps, if it was possible the two companies could work together to establish the camp, since they are both interested in the same site. Emes and Siddiqui agreed that was a discussion that could be had. It was also noted that given the land available at the site, the area could possibly accommodate both proposals.
“The RV park is going to be very important in that area,” Coun. Gene Sobolewski said. “We will need a layout that's favourable to that.”
Council directed the two companies to work with the town's planning and development department to firm up the proposals.
