Despite concerns that the province's resolution regarding the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range (CLAWR) would divide the riding, it seems the opposite has happened, at least a little bit.
With all the reassessed revenue being shuffled in Cold Lake's favour (with a little bit tossed to Lac La Biche for a few years, and the MD of Bonnyville for road maintenance, of course), it seemed like Town council was on its own, standing outside the sandbox and shouting, “This isn't fair,” while provincial ministers shrugged helplessly and asked, “Well, what do you think is fair?”
It's obvious what Town council thinks is fair. Mayor Ernie Isley is a pretty straight shooter about that.
According to Town council, what's fair is revenue coming into the region being divided according to population because the people (and seniors) of Bonnyville deserve added revenue as much as Cold Lake does.
What's fair is provincial ministers acting on municipal concerns rather than waiting for the former commander of 4 Wing to get involved before deciding they must do whatever is necessary to take care of what should be a federal responsibility.
What's fair is a community being judged on its needs rather than irresponsible spending in the past.
What's fair is considering all points of view in a region before coming to a decision that's as much a game-changer as giving Cold Lake an extra $16 million or more annually to take care of infrastructure.
What's fair is reconsidering when presented with information you may not have been aware of, like federal spending on 4 Wing, separate infrastructure systems for the base, and how much of the base's expansion is reliant on the City's ability to expand itself.
There is no denying Cold Lake has some infrastructure issues. Driving in the City is a nightmare.
It's also going a little far to say Bonnyville – Cold Lake MLA Genia Leskiw somehow failed in her duty to Bonnyville by helping Cold Lake seal this deal.
As the MLA representing the citizens of Bonnyville — Cold Lake (not Bonnyville or Cold Lake), she did represent the interests of the constituency in going to bat for them, and never said Bonnyville doesn't need funding as well.
She has been pretty vocal in her reassurances she intends to help out Bonnyville's seniors next. If her ability to get Cold Lake so many millions is anything to judge by, what she pulls off for the community she lives in, shops in, and prays in should be pretty impressive.
With MD of Bonnyville Coun. David Fox standing up for Bonnyville at its meeting last week, the Town of Bonnyville finally has someone else stepping up to say maybe the way things happened wasn't that fair.
Maybe Bonnyville should have been included in negotiations affecting so many people in this region, rather than left out like a child who wasn't even invited to play in the sand.
Either way, the deal is done. Maybe it's time to move forward?
Sure, Bonnyville has become the poor relation in the Bonnyville—Cold Lake family, but as history has shown, it's the poverty-stricken squeaky wheel that often gets the grease (at least when backed up by an air force commander).
Things are looking up for Bonnyville. With a new premier, a new infrastructure sustainability plan in the works, and rumours Alison Redford intends to suspend the Land Stewardship Act, there will be plenty of political intrigue to come.
