Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas

All the best to you in this holiday season. I hope there is lots of time to relax, spend time with friends and family, and reflect on the past and coming year. The question each of us can ask is: What can I do in 2011 to make a positive difference to life in the Peace Country?

Leslie

Town Council Holiday Open House

Today's open house is from 3:00-7:00 PM at the Peace River Museum, Archives & Mackenzie Centre (10302-99 Street). It's an opportunity to meet your new mayor and council members and talk to them about where they see Peace River heading in 2011 and beyond.

Light refreshments will be served and the Peace River Community Choir will perform.

For more information, call the Town Office at 780-624-2574.

Peace River Town Council Regular Council Meeting: December 13, 2010

On the agenda for Monday, December 13:

Adoption of minutes, including those from a special Council meeting held on November 29 at the Belle Petroleum Centre, without staff present, where the decision was to appoint Renate Bensch as Acting CAO.
 
There is a public hearing on an amendment to the Land Use Bylaw to add two discretionary uses: "recycling depot" within the Mixed Commercial Residential District (C-R) and "indoor participant recreation services" under the Neighbourhood Commercial District (C-N) (this is a discretionary use under the C-R designation). There appears to currently be only one area of town with a C-N designation, but expanded residential development could lead to the creation of more of these districts. If the bylaw goes ahead, the way will be cleared for the Municipal Planning Commission to consider an application for a bottle depot at the former Ackland's building (behind the funeral home) and a "recreation service" in the North end where the bowling alley once stood.

There are four presentations to Council:
Don Good on what is probably his vision for changes in how taxation revenue is distributed (5:15)
The Mighty Peace Golf Course on assistance in funding improvements (6:00)
The Library Manager and I on the 2011 library budget (6:30)
The Oil Sands Sustainable Development Secretariat (7:30)

Under New Business:

• Council will be naming its choices for the Community Enhancement Awards
• Appointment of a new member to the Subdivision & Development Appeal Board
• Request from the Women's Shelter for land for expanded parking
• Request to approve an interim budget
• Making decisions on a number of grants and donations requests
• Reviewing the Mutual Aid Agreement
• Reviewing current economic development projects
• Reviewing the proposed change to the assessment services contract

Mark Your Calendar: Creating Rural Connections 2011 Conference – April 12 to 14, 2011

The Alberta Rural Development Network (ARDN) is hosting its second rural development conference at the Mayfield Inn & Suites, Edmonton, Alberta April 12 to April 14, 2011. Further details available in January.

There is a call for presentations out, due January 14, 2011, which can be about rural projects or programs underway or completed; rural research under development, in progress or completed; or training/learning opportunities that are available throughout rural Alberta. Groups can showcase existing partnerships between researchers/post-secondary institutions and communities. It would be good to see some sessions from Northern Alberta.

There are also opportunities for showcasing services, products, or organizations, with two levels of trade show sponsorships (information available at the same link as presentations).

Last year's conference in Lethbridge was very successful, bringing people from diverse sectors together to explore topics and mutual interests.

Council Committee of the Whole Agenda: December 6, 2010

The agenda package for Monday's Committee of the Whole meeting of Peace River Town Council is available for downloading or viewing.

At 5:00, Council will hear an economic development update.

Other items of interest:
Selection of the 2010 Community Enhancement Award recipients (one individual and one business). Nominees include:
Individual: Dave VanTamelen and the Alberta Summer Games Committee; Frank Light (fire safety training)
Business: River City Cinema; Peace River Town & Country Realty; Twilight Videos & Games; Java Domainn

Draft Parks & Trails Plan. According to the agenda package, this plan "provides an overview of the existing parks, playgrounds and trails within the municipality. It encompasses recommendations on the enhancement of existing trails and future development of new trails . . . [and] includes the existing 5 year Parks Upgrade plan" (the full draft document is included in the agenda package). The report references a number of important policy documents from the past three years, including Avi Friedman's downtown revitalization report, the new Municipal Development Plan, the Municipal Sustainability Plan, among others.

The Process Steps and Timelines are laid out in the Request for Decision, projecting (among other critical dates) a February 2 Public Input Open House and March 14 Council approval of the plan.


The AUMA Elected Officials Education Program (EOEP) motion that I blogged about previously is on this agenda.

Council Meetings in December and 2011: Councillor Lafontaine's request that Council consider meeting on December 20 and also on every Monday of every month throughout 2011 will be discussed. This would be a grueling schedule for staff and Council. It would mean that staff would be working prior to every long weekend to prepare the Council agenda package and that Council and some staff would lose every long weekend of the year to meeting preparation and attendance.

More troubling to me is that this schedule would also likely mean that there would be less than full Council in attendance for many of the meetings. This could allow for agenda manipulation on contentious items in order to limit debate or ensure passage of motions. I think it's important that as much as possible, every agenda item gets full attention by all or most of Council. When there are gaps built into the meeting schedule (monthly, for long weekends, or to allow for a longer summer or Christmas break), it can allow Council members to plan around those to ensure he can attend most meetings as well as have a break from Council work.

Council work can put a lot of strain on family and personal life and this proposal, while perhaps practical in terms of predictability, seems unnecessarily punitive for the CAO, Directors, other staff, and the families of mayor and councillors as well as Council members themselves.

RCMP September and October 2010 Mayor's Reports: The reports provide detailed crime statistics, broken down by category (e.g., assaults, break and enter, drugs, etc.) and by the area (Peace River municipal boundaries; the rural area around Peace River, and Grimshaw municipal boundaries). There are also traffic statistics and a "year in review" for crime and traffic statistics for the whole region. The 9 year overview provides a higher-level look at crime and traffic statistics for the region.

Great news for Peace River library project: Feds extend timeline for infrastructure stimulus project completion

This announcement about a 7-month extension for infrastructure stimulus projects is very welcome news and will give everyone involved in the Peace River library renovation and expansion project some breathing room. Peace River wasn't the only municipality facing challenges to complete by the deadline, but our lone voice did not hold much weight. When the former Council spoke with MP Chris Warketin about this, we were told the deadline was the deadline, no exceptions.

But when many of the major cities began to lobby for this change and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) stepped in to put pressure on the government to extend the deadline, I was encouraged and am now delighted. The local project appears to be on track for substantial completion by March 31 despite the relatively late start and the setback caused by the foundation failure, but this announcement does take off some of the pressure. Many thanks to FCM for advocating on behalf of all Canadian municipalities with stimulus funding.

AUMA's Top Priorities for 2011

The Alberta Urban Municipalities Association has released its top priorities for 2011:

• Government transfers to municipalities
• Municipal infrastructure funding 
• Municipal water and wastewater systems

At the AUMA convention, priorities are voted on in population-based segments of cities, towns, villages or summer villages. AUMA notes that this is the first time in many years that all segments agreed on the top three priorities. That's a good sign and allows AUMA to take action knowing there is this support from all sizes of Alberta urban municipalities.

Entrench the Education of Elected Officials: AUMA Request to Councils

The Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) is asking councils across the province to consider a motion to entrench a commitment to enable mayors and councillors to make use of the Elected Officials Education Program (EOEP).

Here is part of the preamble:
The Elected Officials Education Program (EOEP) began offering education on roles and responsibilities of elected officials in Alberta in 2008. The EOEP was developed to provide municipally elected officials with an opportunity to broaden their knowledge and skills and helps raise the quality of municipal government ... To raise awareness of the program and provide some consistency across the province, the EOEP asks for your support in presenting the following motion to council in support of elected official education: "that the Council approve Administration bringing forward a report on the educational opportunities available through the EOEP, and that consideration be given during budget discussions to allocating monies to training and education of municipal elected officials throughout the 3-year term of the Council."

Although the motion does not require Council members to take the courses (and until they are available via videoconference, it is difficult for Northerners to take them), passing this motion could at least serve to recognize the value of having council members make a commitment to learning about their very great responsibilities and being as effective as possible in this role.

Rural/Urban Divide?

I thought I'd pass along the link to an insightful blog about the perceived rural-urban political divide as it relates to political parties here in Alberta.

Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) convention: Nov. 23-25, 2010

Peace River's new Council will be attending the annual AUMA convention this week. Although the main convention started yesterday, there were pre-convention sessions on Monday that included:

• Now That You've Been Elected
• Is Your Municipality Viable: How to Find Out
• What New Elected Officials Need to Know
• Water Conservation Planning
• Effective Decision Making (a module of the Elected Officials Education Program). I was only able to attend one of the EOEP courses during my term on Council--the one on municipal financial statements and management--and it was excellent.

Tuesday there were policy debates on the various resolutions submitted by municipalities. When passed, these resolutions provide direction to the AUMA board and administration. A quick scan of the titles will give you a glimpse into what issues are on the minds of municipalities around the province.

For instance, Grande Prairie presented a resolution to request the government to establish a renewable energy expert panel. The resolution passed according to a tweet from Mayor Bill Given. Peace River's former Council submitted a resolution on the establishment of a Renewable Power Incentive Program In Alberta. Once I hear how the vote went, I'll update here.

The AUMA convention also has a huge trade show featuring products and services relevant to municipalities and many opportunities for social activities and networking that are valuable over a councillor's term.

Peace River Town Council Regular Council Meeting: November 8, 2010

Here are a few highlights from Monday's agenda:

• At 5:00, Shell Canada is updating Council on the Carmon Creek regulatory process, Three Creeks emissions, and proposed winter activity for the Peace River Venture Area
• Council is being asked to do first reading on two changes to the Land Use Bylaw (the former Acklands-Grainger building to allow for a bottle depot and the site of the former bowling alley for a "indoor participant recreation service facility). The proposed date for a public hearing is December 13
• A request to make the proxy appointment to the newly-formed Peace Regional Waste Management Company (the former East Peace Landfill Authority. Also included in the package are the articles of association and memorandum of understanding
• A request to appoint public members to the Peace River Municipal Library Board (me) and to the Community Services Board (Neil Martin). One November 1, the motion to appoint me to the Library Board was defeated. I was subsequently asked to provide a resume to support my application, which is in this week's package. This item also shows a list of various boards that have vacancies, for anyone interested in volunteer opportunities.
• Council is being asked to support the Mackenzie Municipal Services Agency (MMSA) in its application for grant funding under the Alberta Municipal Affairs Regional Collaboration Program to enable the agency and region to be proactive in the development of a Land Use Framework.
•  Update on the Medical Centre of Excellence business plan undertakings and a request that Council use the joint advisory committee mechanism within the Capital Cost Sharing Agreement with Northern Sunrise County to discuss funding the development of the business plan. This would be allocated from the joint future facilities and infrastructure reserve. If approved, a committee would be formed to oversee the initiative.
  Dr. Dave Willox's PowerPoint slides making the case for the Centre are included in the agenda package. Health Minister Zwozdesky recently visited Peace River to discuss the Centre so let's hope Alberta Health Services gets behind the project and does it quickly. As the recent letter from Peace River doctors indicates, the limited clinic space is exacerbating an already-critical situation with doctor retention and recruitment.
• Minutes from the Peace River Regional Airport Marketing Plan Committee are included along with the marketing plan
• Under the Information section of the agenda are letters from Northern Sunrise County and the County of Northern Lights indicating the appointments made from the Councils on various regional committees (Off-Highway Vehicle Committee, Regional Airport Committee, Library Building Committee, Inter-Municipal Development Plan Committee, Regional Assessment Board)

There is much more on the agenda so scan through to see if there are items of interest to you. If there are, consider attending the portion of the meeting where these are discussed. It can help to understand a decision if you've been able to observe the discussion.

Peace River Town Council Committee of the Whole: November 1, 2010

Items on Monday's Committee of the Whole agenda include:

• An update by Staff Sergeant Brian Bohlken, RCMP Detachment Commander, on the annual performance plan
• The July and August RCMP reports
• My request to join the library board as a public member 
• A backgrounder from Wendy Nickel, the Town's Finance Manager, on the 2011 budget process. This budget process is intended to be completed earlier than in previous years, which is something CAO MacQuarrie has been moving staff towards for two years. I note that there is a budget open house scheduled for January 5, 2011. January 24 is the proposed date for Council to adopt the 2011 operating and capital budgets, with the tax rate bylaw to be passed in April.
•  Significant Events for September and October 2010 from the CAO, Corporate Services Department (which includes Planning & Development, Communications and the official election results), Community Services Department (which includes Family & Community Support Services--FCSS, Recreation, & Administration), Protective Services (Fire Department & Bylaw Enforcement plus Safety Committee Meeting minutes), Engineering, Infrastructure & Public Works Department.
  
  From Corporate Services, note the initiative from the museum to join a project so that Peace River's historical bylaws from 1914 to 1964 can now be accessed. Note that the link in the report doesn't work. Bylaw No. 1 was about animal control--something the Town recent revisited. While dogs don't roam the way they did in 1914, animal control continues to be challenging--now it's uncontrolled barking dogs.
  
  Planning & Development: In September and October there were 2 commercial building permits issued (total value of $15,000 and 4 residents (total value of $721,700).
  
  Recreation: A first draft of the Parks and Trails Master Plan is being reviewed prior to presentation to Council on November 8. 

• Request for Decision: Think Local Market Initiative (proposed website).
• Request for Decision: Visitor Friendly Community Assessment draft terms of reference
• Request for Decision: Peace Region Waste Management Company Proxy. This is a request to appoint a proxy holder, who will vote on behalf of the Town of Peace River, during shareholder meetings.
• The official list of 2010/11 Council Member Appointments to Boards & Committees
• A request to cancel the November 22 Council meeting, since mayor and council will be attending the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association convention in Edmonton

Under Information items:

• Provincial Fund-raising Functions and Provincial Political Contributions. This letter from Elections Alberta clarifies proper payment policies for councillors that attend political fundraisers.
• Northern Alberta Development Council (NADC) Communique for September 23, 2010.
• Letter from Transport Canada accompanying a copy of the Rail Freight Service Review Panel's Interim Report and a letter of response from PREDA (Peace Region Economic Development Alliance).
• Thank you letter from the U of A Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry for the Town's involvement with the Preclinical Networked Medical Education (PNME) pilot project. Thirteen second-year students spent 4 weeks here as part of that project.

Keys to Good Governance

When I was elected to Town Council in 2007, I went looking for resources, the way I do when faced with any new situation. One of the books I bought was called Guide to Good Municipal Governance by C. Richard Tindal & Susan Nobes Tindal (2007) published as part of the Municipal Knowledge Series by Municipal World Inc, Union, Ontario. Municipal World is an excellent magazine that I also subscribed to in order to stay informed about municipal issues across the country.

Tindal & Tindal lay out 10 Steps to Good Governance that could serve Peace River's new Council well: 

Step 1. Start with a shared sense of what there is about the municipality that is unique, distinctive and worthy of preservation.
The community committee that developed the Town's vision statement has captured this well and the work of the municipal sustainability planning committee has added to this understanding. 

Step 2. Identify, in consultation with the public, the key priorities that the municipality needs to pursue.
Again, the community consultations carried out over the past three years have laid excellent groundwork and this work deserves to be honoured by the new Council. 

Step 3. Review what you do and how you do it. 
This involves looking at what is offered, what is not, what the Town can afford, etc. It's an important part of the budget process, which the new Council will be undertaking over the next couple of months. 

Step 4. Align the organization so that planning, policies, procedures, resources and structure are consistent with the priorities.
Again, there has been excellent work already done on this. It would be a waste of municipal resources to completely re-do because some segments of the community object to having rules. 

Step 5. Measure results and reward superior performance.
Staffing is stable and functioning well. 

Step 6. Involve the public in municipal decision making.
Good headway was made in this over the past three years and there is much more that can be done. 

Step 7. Manage intergovernmental relations more effectively.
The former Council established regular meetings with our MLA and MP and there are protocols in place for regular meetings with neighbouring municipalities. I hope the new Council sees the value in continuing to nurture these relationships. 

Step 8. Articulate the values of the municipality, ensure that they are not in conflict, and reflect them in the decisions that are made. 
Values were articulated during the community  various consultations and are visible in the Town's vision, in the Municipal Development Plan, and in the Municipal Sustainability Plan. 

Step 9. Recognize that ethical considerations underlie many municipal decisions. 

Step 10. Agree on the roles and relationships of council members and staff and spell this out in a written code of practice.
This may be a critical step that needs to be undertaken soon.

Unofficial List of Peace River Council Committees & Boards

Former councillor Laurin and I both attended the first meeting of Peace River's new Council tonight. The swearing-in was conducted by Judge Claus Thietke in the presence of family and friends, media, and a number of Town of Peace River staff.

During the organizational meeting, North Darling was elected Deputy Mayor. This position often goes to the councillor with the most votes, although Mayor Mann did offer councillors the opportunity to put forth other nominations (none other than Councillor Darling were made).

Following is an unofficial list of the various committee and boards that councillors will serve on--my apologies if I have any of these wrong. The official list will be available on the Town's website once it is finalized. 

North Darling: Peace Regional Waste Management Company (the former East Peace Regional Landfill Authority), Salary Negotiation Committee, Subdivison & Development Appeal Board, Mackenzie Municipal Services Association (MMSA). 

Cole George: Emergency Services Committee, Mighty Peace Tourist Association, Municipal Planning Commission, Peace Library System

Rob Lafontaine: Aboriginal Interagency Committee, Community Services Board, Salary Negotiation Committee, Subdivision & Development Appeal Board, Community Economic Development Committee, County of Northern Lights Fire Services Committee.

Geoff Milligan: Peace Regional Waste Management Company, North Peace Housing Foundation, Municipal Planning Commission, Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee, Peace River Museum Committee, Salary Negotiation Committee, Peace River Heritage Places Committee. 

Colin Needham: Airport Review Committee, Municipal Planning Commission, Northwest Corridor Development Corporation, Peace River Municipal Library Board. 

Tom Tarpey: Peace Regional Waste Management Company, Education & Joint Use Committee, Municipal Policy Advisory Committee, PREDA (Peace Regional Economic Development Association), Off-Highway Vehicle Committee. 

Mayor Mann, along with Deputy Mayor Darling and CAO Norma MacQuarrie sit on the Intermunicipal Cooperation Committee (MD of Peace) and the Joint Advisory Committee (Northern Sunrise County).

The  Regional Assessment Review Board requires members who have received training and are appointed by the province. Iris Callioux and I have both agreed to stay on in this capacity until councillors receive training and are appointed.

The Chamber of Commerce was not mentioned, but I hope that Mayor and Council will plan to attend whenever possible.

CAO MacQuarrie took the opportunity to have staff that were in Council Chambers introduce themselves. They then moved around the table to shake hands with the new councillors and mayor.

Once the Organizational Meeting was adjourned and a short recess taken, the regular Council meeting was convened. It was a short agenda with no difficult items so it was a good opportunity for everyone to get comfortable in their new roles. I was impressed with the decorum as everyone took turns speaking and addressed the chair appropriately. The agenda moved along smoothly under Mayor Mann's leadership and CAO MacQuarrie's able guidance.

Builder or Divider?

Former Toronto mayor, David Crombie, during a radio show earlier this month discussing Toronto's mayoralty race, commented that people "want to know you are a builder, not a divider." That really struck me as I considered our own Peace River mayoralty race between incumbent Iris Callioux--a builder par excellence and Lorne Mann--a former mayor better known for dividing than building.

Last Monday, voters chose Mann over Callioux by a small margin. In his first public appearance as incoming mayor at last night's Peace River & Region Chamber of Commerce Davis Awards, Mr. Mann unleashed his well-known insulting sense of "humour," which had been kept largely under wraps during the campaign. This embarrassing performance, geared more towards tearing down than building, marred the evening of celebration of excellence in local employees and business.

During his often rambling speech, Mr. Mann mentioned the challenge of following our MLA and Solicitor-General Frank Oberle's excellent presentation, and observed how Oberle's political career had "rocketed past" his own. If last night is any indication (and I sincerely hope it is not), three years out of power don't seem to have helped Mr. Mann gain any insight into why this may be.

Our community has many challenges ahead as it continues to find its place in the region and in the increasingly urban Alberta landscape. I hold out hope that if our mayor cannot, then the rest of Peace River's Council will work hard to provide this crucial building element at the local, regional, provincial and national level.

First Meeting for New Peace River Council on Monday

Monday, October 25, 2010 will be memorable for five newcomers to Town Council (North Darling, Colin Needham, Cole George, Tom Tarpey and Rob Lafontaine), returning councillor Geoff Milligan, and returning mayor, Lorne Mann. At 5:00 PM, the Organizational Meeting will be convened and they will be sworn in, elect their Deputy Mayor, and decide on items such as councillor appointments to committees and  boards, members-at-large appointments to committees, and the 2011 meeting schedule. An organizational meeting is held every year, and in an election year, must be held within two weeks of the election. Residents are encouraged to attend.

Although Mayor-elect Mann has been on Council and previously served as Mayor for many years, he has not worked under the Council Procedural Bylaw that was adopted by the 2007-10 Council, so this will be a new experience.

Following adjournment of the Organizational Meeting, the first regular Council meeting will be called to order. On this agenda are the routine items of Adoption of the Agenda and Adoption of Minutes for the regular Council meeting on September 27 and the Committee-of-the-Whole meeting on October 4.

There are no Public Hearings, Presentations, Bylaw items, or Unfinished Business items.

Under New Business there are five items:

1.  Peace River Watershed Planning and Advisory Council Formation Workshop. This 2-day workshop is being held in Peace River (Oct. 28-29) and will include a wide variety of stakeholders. The agenda package includes an invitation letter with information about the workshop from Alberta Environment's Environmental Management, Northern Region Director's Office, the Peace Watershed Planning and Advisory Council Formation Information Paper and a Request for Decision (RFD) to appoint a councillor to participate in the workshop and that council advises whether it is interested in participating in the Initiator's Group, which will meet over the next few months.
   
2. Oil Sands Sustainable Development Secretariat appointment. This RFD includes a letter of introduction from Robert A. Fernandez, who has been appointed Acting Assistant Deputy Minister of the Oil Sands Sustainable Development Secretariat and a request to set a date for a meeting with Mr. Fernandez. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the "Comprehensive Regional Infrastructure Sustainability Plan." The RFD further indicates that Mr. Fernandez is meeting with stakeholders to continue working on the Responsible Actions strategic plan and the Comprehensive Regional Infrastructure Sustainability Plans (CRISP) for the oil sands area.
   
   
3.  Delia Gray Memorial Gala request for contribution. This RFD requests council's approval for an annual request from the Metis Nation of Alberta. There are a number of options presented, and a recommendation that a gift basket be donated (the RFD indicates it is for a silent auction, but I note that the letter says the items will be used for door prize giveaways). This event (the 11th annual) will be held in Edmonton on November 16 and it honors Metis youth recipients of the Delia Gray Memorial Scholarship as well as the Pearl Calahasen Scholarship Award. The RFD also includes a screen capture of the MNA's website Education tab that outlines the various kinds of recognition and scholarship opportunities are available for Metis youth.
   
   
4.  Royal Canadian Legion Remembrance Day service. This RFD asks council to enable the mayor or designate to attend this annual service and to provide a donation to the Legion for a wreath. An enabling motion is required before mayor or councillor can claim reimbursement for attendance at a meeting or event. Some motions will enable all of Council or a certain number. The donation has been included in the 2010 budget. The service is on November 11 at the Al Adair Rec Centre, starting at 10:30. The gym has been overflowing the past few years so if you wish to have a seat, you'll want to be there early.
   
   
5.  Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron Annual Promotion and Banquet. This RFD is for an enabling motion for the mayor or designate to attend this event, being held at the Misery Mountain Ski Chalet on November 7.

Under Reports is the routine Cheque Register (to October 20, 2010). This is a listing of cheques produced in the previous period (this does not include paycheques) and enables Council to review transactions and ask questions. This list shows who the Town is doing business with to purchase supplies and have services provided, includes donations made by Council, expense claims, etc. For example, on this report is the cheque for $7,500 to the Weberville Community Forest, which is a contribution towards the community forest's application to become a member of the Canadian Model Forest Network, approved by the previous Council.

There are no Councillor Reports. This is where mayor and councillors can provide minutes of committees they are involved with, reports on conferences attended, etc.

There are five Information items:

• a September 13 letter from the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Hector Goudreau, regarding changes to the Local Authorities Election Act. It outlines changes that were made earlier this year to "enhance the integrity of, and public confidence in, local elections, by clarifying the rules for both voters and those who run for elected office." The letter briefly outlines the key changes in the election rules regarding campaign contributions. (Candidates in the October 18 election received this information in their nomination packages.)
  
  
• an October 13 letter from the County of Northern Lights confirming the adoption of the Weberville Joint Development Area Concept Plan. This was a joint project with the Town of Peace River and involved extensive public consultation.
  
  
• a September 30 letter from the MD of Peace indicating that the Council supports the Peace Region Centre of Medical Excellence in principle but is not prepared to make a financial commitment at this time.
  
  
• an invitation to attend the first annual Metis Nation of Alberta Zone VI Business Mixer and trade show on October 29, 6:00-9:00 at the Sawridge Inn.
  
  
• a congratulatory message to mayor and council from the Peace River African Descendants Society (PRADS).

There are no Notices of Motion.

The In Camera portion of the meeting, which follows the regular public portion, includes two legal matters. There is generally a brief recess between the regular and in camera portions of the meeting. Once Council comes out of the in camera portion, the meeting is adjourned.

Penn West-China Investment Corporation Joint Venture: Peace River Oilsands

Here's an article from the Calgary Herald about the Penn West-China Investment Corporation joint venture that Peace River residents may find of interest. This venture has provided an important cash injection for Penn West's Peace River oilsands assets, which may result in output of 10,000 barrels per day by the end of 2012 compared to about 2700 barrels per day now, according to the article. Peace River and the surrounding area is already seeing some results of this increased investment and we anticipate much more in the coming years.

Peace River Election 2010: Big changes

I went to bed last night knowing that our incumbent mayor, Iris Callioux, had been defeated by former mayor, Lorne Mann. And woke up to discover that incumbent Wanda Laurin and I had also been defeated.

Democracy works in surprising ways. The results are personally disappointing, of course, but also disappointing from the perspective of having a women's voice on Council. And although there are smart and thoughtful men who have been elected, with only the incoming mayor and incumbent councillor Geoff Milligan with previous municipal experience, the loss of knowledge and experience will be challenging for Council, Town staff, and the many committees and boards that mayor and councillors serve on.

I wish the new mayor and council all the best and will watch with great interest to see in what direction Peace River and the region is taken over the next three years.

Councillors:
North Darling
Rob Lafontaine
Geoff Milligan (incumbent)
Tom Tarpey
Colin Needham
Cole George

Blog Action Day 2010: Water

For yesterday's Blog Action Day on water, although international water issues are pressing, the topic that is on my mind is the soon-to-be formed Peace River Watershed Planning and Advisory Council.

On October 28-29, a wide range of government, industry, NGO and First Nations and Metis representatives will come together in Peace River to begin the process of forming a council. This is exciting and important--the Peace River is the last watershed (and one of the largest) to establish a watershed advisory council.

I hope to be at the 2-day workshop, but whether it's me or someone else, there will be Town of Peace River Council and staff representation. Stay tuned for further news.

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Peace River & District Chamber of Commerce-sponsored Election Forum: Oct. 13

We are fortunate to have the Chamber of Commerce sponsoring an election forum tomorrow (October 13) that gives Peace River residents the opportunity to hear from all the mayor and councillor candidates. The event is at the Sawridge Inn & Convention Centre (thanks to the Sawridge for donating the space) and will start right at 7:00 PM (doors open at 6:30).

Candidates draw lots for speaking order. Mayoralty candidates Iris Callioux and Lorne Mann will each have five minutes to present themselves to the audience. Then candidates for councillor (Ayre-Jaschke, Darling, George, Grimmelt, Lafontaine, Laurin, Milligan, Needham and Tarpey) each have three minutes. Following a 15 minute break and a Q&A period, each candidate has time to sum up (3 minutes per candidate for mayor and 1 minute per councillor).

The formal portion is over by 10:00, with time for candidates and audience members to chat afterwards. I hope there will be a big turnout and lots of questions and that help each of us elaborate--three minutes is an awfully short time to capture the essence of who we are, what we stand for, and what we want to accomplish. But it also encourages us concisely capture what we think is most important to get across. Should be an interesting night--please plan to attend if you are a Peace River resident!

Mayor Callioux's website

Check out Mayor Callioux's new website for her platform and background and also for her perspective on the work of the 2007-10 Council.

Speech writing/Council activities

I've been working on my speech for the Election Forum next Wednesday. Trying to compress three years of experience into three minutes is very difficult, and I'm reminded of the Woodrow Wilson quote: "If I am to speak ten minutes, I need a week for preparation; if fifteen minutes, three days; if half an hour, two days; if an hour, I am ready now."

To round out what will be a very cursory overview during that speech, here's a bit more about life as a small town councillor for anyone who is curious.

Since my election in 2007, I've participated on many Town, Council and community committees. Those with a star are ones I'm currently serving on.

These committees require varying time commitment. Many are monthly meetings lasting for a couple of hours and not requiring much preparation or follow-up (other than reading minutes and the agenda) while others are more time-consuming. I receive the Council reimbursement of $47.50 for the first hour and $19.00 for each additional hour to a maximum of $95.

With many committees and a small Council, we all need to take on quite a few commitments outside regular Council meetings, which can eat into the work day. To compensate and still do my consulting practice, I start early and work late and on weekends.

Here's the list of committees:
* Aboriginal Interagency Committee (which organizes the annual Aboriginal Gathering & Pow Wow, Sisters in Spirit Walk, among other activities)
* East Peace Landfill Authority (soon to be a Part 9 Company called the Peace Regional Waste Management Company)
* Municipal Planning Commission
* Off-Highway Vehicle Committee
* Library Board
* Library Building Committee
* Library Fundraising Cabinet
* Peace Regional Housing Coalition
* Town Beautification Committee
* Peace Oilsands Synergy Group (now called Peace Synergy Group)
* Chamber of Commerce
Peace River Community Health Council (until it was disbanded by Alberta Health Services)
Town of Peace River Health & Safety Committee (Councillor Milligan is the current Council rep)
Town of Peace River Risk Management Committee (Councillor Milligan is the current Council rep)
Business Vitality Initiative Sponsor Committee (this has now become the Community Economic Development Committee and I'm not a part of that other than through the Town Beautification sub-committee)

Campaign Flyer 2010

Here's my campaign flyer, hot off the press.
LEAJ flyer 2010 FINAL2010-09-30

New Website Launched for the Town of Peace River

Peace River has finally has launched its new website and it looks great. There are still some issues to work out, content to load, and redirecting to take place (Google is still finding the old website), but it's live and much easier to navigate than the old one. Congratulations to past and current Town staff who have worked so hard on this!

The new site's address is www.peaceriver.net and will later also be reachable by www.peaceriver.ca
The old site can still be accessed (for awhile yet). 

Learning About Islam in Peace River

In the interests of promoting cultural understanding, I'm once again moderating a short session about Islam tomorrow (September 25) at 2:00-3:00 PM at the Sawridge Inn in Peace River, (doors open at 2:30). The event is presented by Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at. There is no charge but registration is requested so organizers know how much is needed for refreshments--call 1-866-208-2683. The topic is the Islamic perspective on the theory of evolution.

Peace River's Candidates for the 2010 Election

Former Mayor Lorne Mann is challenging incumbent Iris Callioux. These two candidates faced each other in 2007, with Ms. Callioux defeating incumbent Mann.

There are nine nominees for the six spots on Council. These are, in alphabetical order:

• Leslie Ayre-Jaschke (incumbent)
• North Darling
• Cole George
• Kristjanna Grimmelt
• Robert Lafontaine
• Wanda Laurin (incumbent)
• Geoff Milligan (incumbent)
• Colin Needham
• Tom Tarpey

This is a strong group of candidates, which speaks well for citizen engagement in Peace River. In the best of my worlds, the election on Oct. 18 will see the return of Mayor Callioux, the three incumbent councillors, and three newcomers. When I was elected in 2007, it was reassuring to have the experience of three people who had been on Council for many years as we newbies climbed the steep learning curve of our first year.

We were welcomed and our perspectives heard as relationships and trust were built within Council, with administration, and with our neighbouring municipalities. Mayor, councillors and administration have formed an effective team with a long list of accomplishments in three short years. (More on these accomplishments in future posts.)

Of course, we didn't always agree and there were heated discussions at times. But we were always respectful and maintained the spirit of finding effective ways to address the challenge of balancing the many competing demands on Town resources. I hope this spirit will remain, regardless of the election results.

Unofficial Nomination Results: An election in the Town of Peace River

The unofficial results (nominees have 24 hours to reconsider) have us with two candidates for Mayor and nine for councillor (3 incumbents and 6 newcomers). That means we've got an election, which is great news for the Town!

Next step is to get those voters out for the advanced polls (October 12 & 15) and on October 18.

Just Three Council Meetings Before the Election: Come & Observe

Monday (September 20th) is municipal Nomination Day in Alberta. Anyone interested in running for Mayor or Councillor will file his or her nomination papers between 10:00 and Noon (some municipalities have extended hours, but Peace River does not). I'll be there with my papers and $25 cash!

An official list of candidates will be issued on Tuesday because nominees have 24 hours to withdraw (if there are more candidates than positions). But anyone can go to the Town Office after 1:00 on Monday to view the nomination papers. It will be very exciting to see who else has made that big decision to run for office.

The election is on October 18, which leaves just three Council meetings left for anyone who wants to observe the current Council in action (Sept. 20th and October 4th Committee-of-the-Whole meetings and September 27th regular meeting). You are more than welcome to attend the public portion of the meeting, which starts at 5:00 in the Council Chambers. The door you enter is on the North end of the Town Office--closest to Panago.

The agenda package for any regular, special or Committee-of-the-Whole meeting is on the Town's website by the end of the business day on the Friday before a meeting. Mayor and Council download and read that package to prepare for the meeting. It is also available for anyone else to download, print, or read online. This is a great way to keep up-to-date on what is happening and to know whether there is anything being discussed that is of interest or concern to you. Here's the link to the agenda package for Monday's meeting.

Residents are welcome to contact the Mayor, Councillors, or Town staff before the meeting if they have questions or want to make their views known before the issue is discussed (and of course, any other time as well).

Pick Up the Peace: September 15, 2010

The Town of Peace River Community Services and Tim Horton's are organizing a clean-up campaign on September 15.  I usually participate in the clean-ups, but will be away for this one. I hope there is a great turnout.

Residents can register at Tim Horton's between Noon and 8:00, where they'll get their garbage bags and gloves and be dispatched to an area of town that needs attention.

All volunteers will be treated to a complimentary bowl of soup or chili and a beverage after their contribution. Many thanks to Tim Horton's continuing support of these initiatives.

If you need more information, call Community Services at 780-624-1000.

U of A's Innovative Approach to Getting Medical Students Into Rural Practice

Peace River is one of the sites mentioned in this article from the Edmonton Journal--"U of A initiative woos future doctors to choose rural practice." Our physicians participate in this program as well as the 9-month integrated clerkship program and are to be commended for this commitment. These programs are a great way to highlight what our community and the region has to offer as well as give the students a chance to see just how varied, interesting, and exciting rural practice can be. And if we're fortunate, some may even plan to come back to Peace River when they're finished their education. Kudos to the U of A and our local medical community.

Town of Peace River on Level 1 Water Advisory

On Friday the Town of Peace River declared a Level 1 Water Advisory because reservoir levels are at or below 75%. The full bylaw is available, but I've pasted the Level I below:

Town of Peace River
Watering Restriction Schedule
Schedule “C”

ODD AND EVEN WATERING DAYS: Using the last number of your address (odd or even) determines which days you may water your lawn.
LEVEL 1: When Reservoirs level is at or below 75%
ODD numbered addresses may water lawns: Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday
WATERING: may occur only during the following hours:
6:00 a.m. — 08:00 a.m.
4:30 p.m. — 09:30 p.m.
Odd numbered addresses consumers who use sprinkler systems on timers, can water their own lawn from 10.00 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

EVEN numbered addresses may water lawns: Monday, Wednesday and Saturday
WATERING may occur only during the following hours:
6:00 a.m. — 08:00 a.m.
4:30 p.m. — 09:30 p.m.
Even numbered addresses consumers who use sprinkling system on timers, can water their own lawn from 10.00 p.m. to 5.00 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday*. (*Consumers can set up their system to start as early as 10 p.m.)

Flowerbeds and vegetable gardens may be watered by hand, at anytime, using a watering can or a hose with a nozzle with a trigger shut off to restrict water flow. Sprinklers and like water toys may be used for  recreational purposes by children as long as children are present during use; includes children’s pools (capacity not more than 1000 liters).

Requests for site and condition specific irrigation scheduling for commercial or industrial operations using metered irrigation systems may be approved by the CAO or Water Treatment Plant Manager.

Alberta Summer Games in the Peace

It’s Day 3 of the 2010 Alberta Summer Games here in Peace River and the surrounding region. What a huge undertaking for this area, with around 3000 young athletes (apparently more than were at the Olympics in Vancouver) competing in 15 sports, accompanied by coaches, technical participants and families, and supported by 2000 volunteers.

Since we couldn’t handle that number of events and visitors all at once, there are two shifts, so it’s a full week of competition and celebration. As an Ambassador, I’ve already helped out at the opening ceremonies, done a breakfast clean-up, and still have three days at basketball and the closing ceremonies ahead. Many people have taken the week or days off work to volunteer and there seems to be a new pool of volunteers being created—good news for future events.

Yesterday I went out to Wilderness Park, near Grimshaw, to see the canoe polo, and was impressed with how the pond there had been transformed into a beautiful venue for the event. Today they move to the river for the kayak slalom and wildwater. In the same area, the new mountain bike track on Misery Mountain will see action.

Rugby is in Berwyn, boys’ baseball in Grimshaw, boys’ and girls’ softball in Manning, and inline hockey in Falher. In Peace River the track events will be on the brand-new rubberized track at Glenmary, the swimming events are at the pool, and beach volleyball at Peace High and TA Norris. In the next shift, we’ll see football at the Glenmary field, lacrosse in Nampa, soccer at three venues in Peace River, and water polo at the Peace River pool.

And if sports wasn’t enough, the cultural program at Riverfront Park and Athabasca Hall includes much to do and watch (scroll down on the Games website to download the poster)—an art display, craft items for sale, interactive art, and lots of entertainment. As well, the museum is hosting two nights of poetry and prose (Wednesday and Saturday) and Java Domainne offers three nights of cabaret entertainment (Thursday-Saturday at 7:00). So much to do and see!

By Sunday night, the excitement will be over, the volunteers and Games staff will get some well-deserved rest, and we’ll settle back into the usual summer activities, savouring our favourite Games memories.

Animal Control Bylaw Review

Peace River Town Council is holding a public meeting tomorrow (Monday, June 28) on the new draft Animal Control Bylaw (replacing the 1994 bylaw). The Council meeting starts at 5:00 in the Council Chambers, which are in the Town Office (9911-100 Street), accessed through the North door on the West side of the building (closest to Panago).

The bylaw covers dogs and cats, but also includes provision for keeping hens for egg production within Town boundaries. The draft is on the Town’s website.

Vancouver City Council recently approved the keeping of chickens, joining a number of other cities that already permit backyard hens (New York, Chicago, Portland, Seattle, Victoria, Surrey, and New Westminster); the City of Edmonton is working on a pilot project. But not everyone thinks it’s a good idea--a Calgary Council committee recently turned down the idea.

If you are interested in this topic, plan to attend the meeting. Council will consider second and third reading at the July 12 meeting.

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Peace River African Descendants Society Event: February 20, 2010

The Peace River African Descendants Society (PRADS) is celebrating Black History Month with a great event on February 20 at the Belle Petroleum Centre. There will be a dinner and then entertainment by Ezeadi Onukwulu and One Human Race. Tickets are $30 and available at Java Domain and the Belle Petroleum Centre or by emailing prad.society@gmail.com. See you there!

Local Energy and Environmental Citizenship Videoconference: March 12, 2010

Peace River and area residents have the opportunity to attend this event sponsored by Alberta Acts on Climate Change either by videoconference or simultaneous webcast on March 12, 2010. The Peace River site is at Northern Lakes College. The event is free and refreshments will be provided. 

For more details (including a list of the 30 videoconference sites around the province and the days' agenda) or to register, visit http://www.albertaacts.ca/LocalEnergyVC 

This across-Alberta event will help participants from rural Alberta better understand how they can take action on climate change by mitigating or adapting. The organizers, Bill Fricker and Andy Blundell, planned and successfully implemented the 2008 Communities Without Boundaries virtual conference, which I helped organize in Peace River (there were over 20 sites around the province). We had great attendance and the day was very worthwhile. I'm sorry that I'll be missing this one, but hope that the VC room at the college is full on March 12!

Four keynote speakers will provide content and panelists and moderators will be drawn from Alberta universities and colleges and from more than a dozen rural communities. The speakers include:

• Dave Sauchyn, University of Regina Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative
• Rick Kool, Royal Roads University School of Environment and Sustainability
• Gary Holden, CEO Enmax Corporation
• Michael Walters, Greater Edmonton Alliance

At lunchtime, excerpts will be shown from the video "In Transition: From oil dependence to local resilience" developed by TransitionTowns.org in the UK.

Open House on Proposed Upgrades to 12 Foot Davis Grave Site & Dr. Green Cairn

I encourage Peace River area residents to attend the open house on January 26, 2010, 4:00-8:00 PM at the Provincial Building Main Floor Board Room (9621-96 Avenue) to find out what is being proposed for the Twelve Foot Davis Grave Site and Dr. Green Cairn.

This project is a partnership between the Government of Alberta, the Town of Peace River and Northern Sunrise County. The proposed upgrades are intended to improve recreational, educational, and tourism opportunities at the parks.

You'll be able to comment on the plans at the open house and then also online until March 26.

New Peace Country e-zine

There's a new media option for the Peace River area--RiverViews--launched recently by former Peace River Record-Gazette editor, Michelle Huley.

RiverViews is an online magazine and bills itself as "Celebrating life in the Peace River Region," providing free classifieds, local news, information and events.

Check it out.

del.icio.us Tags: Peace River,media,magazine,online