May 7, 2015

Vol. 38 No. 8 May 7, 2015 Email: [email protected] Ph: 780-868-9221 or 780-446-3088

Albertans Vote for Change

Fort Saskatchewan Vegreville Results

JESSICA LITTLEWOOD

NDP

8,974

45.93%

JACQUIE FENSKE

PC

5,523

28.27%

JOE GOSSELIN

WILDROSE

3,957

20.25%

PETER SCHNEIDER

LIBERAL

441

2.56%

DEREK CHRISTENSEN

ALBERTA PARTY

324

1.66%

ALLISON ANDERSON

GREEN PARTY

285

1.46%

PREMIER ELECT

RACHEL NOTLEY

NDP

54 Seats

Elk Island Triangle, Thursday, May 7, 2015

Submitted - May 3 - 9 is Emergency Preparedness

Week in Canada, and if you haven’t spent much time on

preparing yourself for emergency situations, Northeast

Region Community Awareness Emergency Response

(NRCAER), the region’s mutual aid emergency

response organization, will be out in the community to

help.

“Emergency Preparedness Week shines a light on

what everyone can do to be prepared for emergencies,”

says Brenda Gheran, Executive Director with NR CAER.

“Being able to look after yourself and your family for 72

hours, regardless of the type of an emergency is key, as

it allows responders to look after those in need.” She

also stressed the importance of knowing where to ob-

tain information about emergencies. “A number of our

municipalities have alert systems residents can register

with, there is the Alberta Emergency Alert, and our re-

gional UPDATEline (1-866-653-9959) can be called

around the clock.”

Emergencies can occur with little warning, and it’s

important to know risks in the area. Locally, there is

potential for floods, wildfire and severe weather. “We

also have rail lines, dangerous goods transportation

routes, industry and pipelines throughout the region,”

Gheran says. “It’s important to know the right safety

actions to take in all types of emergencies, which in

most cases is either Shelter in Place or evacuate.”

Other preparedness tips include having food, water,

medications to last 72 hours; establishing a family emer-

gency communication plan; and having plans for

extended family members and pets.

Check out NRCAER’s website for further infor-

mation and short videos on Shelter in Place, emergency

notification and mutual aid.

NRCAER members include emergency management

professionals from area industry and pipeline operators,

chemical transporters and the municipal emergency

response departments of Fort Saskatchewan, Bruder-

heim, Gibbons, Lamont, Morinville and the counties of

Lamont, Strathcona and Sturgeon. Since 1991, the group

has been sharing best practices in emergency manage-

ment and response, training, community safety educa-

tion and notification. Further information can be found

at www.nrcaer.com

Emergency Preparedness Week is May 3 - 9


3 County Schools Participated in Student Vote Alberta On Monday, May 4, 2015, more than 85,000 Alberta

elementary and secondary students cast ballots in the

Student Vote provincial election. Among them were

students from Bruderheim, Mundare and Andrew Schools

in Lamont County.

The exercise involved students taking on the roles of

deputy returning officers, poll clerks and scrutineers as

well as casting ballots for the official candidates running in

our electoral division. This event followed a series of in-

struction and activities focused on government and elec-

tions, research into the candidates, leaders and party plat-

forms, as well as dialogue with family and friends.

This is the seventh Student Vote program conducted in

Alberta with 874 elementary and secondary students from

all 87 electoral divisions were registered to participate in

the election.

In the past, students have used their newfound

knowledge and interest to spark political discussions at

home and encourage their parents to vote for the first time.

The project is made possible due to financial support

received from Elections Alberta, Alberta Education and

the Alberta Teachers’ Association.

Results of this year’s Student Vote Alberta are as follows:

Edmonton, May 5, 2015 – More than 85,000 students un-

der the voting age cast ballots in Student Vote Alberta for

the 2015 provincial election.

After learning about the democratic process, research-

ing the candidates and party platforms, and debating the

future of Alberta, students cast ballots for official candi-

dates running in their electoral division.

By the end of the school day today, 792 schools had re-

ported their election results, representing all 87 electoral

divisions in the province. In total, 82,474 valid votes, 2,526

rejected ballots and 2,123 declined ballots were cast by

student participants.

There were many close races in the province, with 16 divi-

sions decided by less than 25 votes. Students elected Ra-

chel Notley and the NDP to a majority government with 56

seats, including all 19 seats in Edmonton and 15 of 25 seats

in Calgary.

The NDP increased their share of the popular vote to

37.1 from 12.9 per cent in 2012. Party leader Rachel Notley

easily won in her electoral division of Edmonton-

Strathcona with 74 per cent of the vote.

The Wildrose Party won 23 seats and will form the Stu-

dent Vote official opposition. The party also won 23 seats

in the last Student Vote, but the party’s share of the popu-

lar vote decreased to 24.4 per cent, down from 28.2 per

cent in 2012. Leader Brian Jean was defeated in his riding

of Fort McMurray-Conklin by just three votes.

The Progressive Conservatives took 6 seats, down from

54 in 2012 when they won a majority government. Their

share of the popular vote decreased to 20.3 from 34.6 per

cent. Party leader Jim Prentice did not win in his electoral

division of Calgary-Foothills.

Liberal leader David Swann was the only member of his

party to win his seat, in Calgary-Mountain View. Overall,

the party received 8.7 per cent of the popular vote, down

from 18.1 per cent in the last election. The party won 5

seats in the last Student Vote.

Alberta Party leader Greg Clark was also the only mem-

ber of his party to win a seat, receiving 32.6 support in his

riding of Calgary-Elbow. The party received 6.1 per cent

overall, up 2.8 from 2012.

This is the third provincial-level Student Vote program

conducted in Alberta. In the 2012 provincial election,

85,186 Student Vote ballots were cast from 761 schools.

Results Highlights:

Three political party leaders won their seats: Rachel

Notley in Edmonton-Strathcona, David Swann in Calgary

-Mountain View and Greg Clark in Calgary-Elbow. Jim

Prentice and Brian Jean were defeated in their electoral

divisions.

The electoral division of Grande Prairie-Wapiti had the

greatest number of participants with 2,272 votes cast.

Medicine Hat was second, with 2,107.

Drumheller-Stettler had 20 schools report results – more

than any other electoral division.


Surprises Never Cease I’ve been attending County Council meetings for quite

some time now and must admit the April 14, 2015 meet-

ing was a bit different than most.

Normally, a meeting is called to order, additional

items, if any, are added to the agenda and the minutes

from the previous meeting are adopted. A motion is then

made to go in camera for reasons of legal, land or labour.

The public is not permitted to remain in Chambers during

these closed door discussions and the duration of an in

camera session is anyone’s guess. I have seen them range

from a half hour to over three hours. There’s nothing

better to get your dander or blood pressure up than

sitting on the steps waiting for the meeting to return to

open session.

Surprises never cease though, as the April 14th meeting

was the first I have attended where Council did not go in

camera. It was remarkable to see the number of items on

the agenda Council was able to address without an in

camera session taking up a significant part of the morn-

ing. Even though not having to spend time sitting on the

steps was a welcome change, other characteristics of the

meeting remained the same.

I’ve listened to Council ask department heads ques-

tions for various reasons with the majority being in direct

relation to the Request for Decisions on Council’s agenda.

With that said however, I’ve also noticed questions

asked about matters such as drainage issues, back slop-

ing, hydro-axing and road repairs, even though these

matters had not previously been discussed or approved at

a council meeting. This leaves me to wonder if the in

camera sessions may be being used for more than their

intended purpose or if Council members may be mi-

cromanaging by making direct requests of county staff,

which is against regulations of the Municipal Govern-

ment Act, as Council members should not be getting in-

volved in the day to day operations of the county.

Don’t get me wrong. Council should ask questions so

they can gain a good understanding of the matters in

front of them. After all, asking questions and gaining

understanding should help them make the best possible

decisions on behalf of county residents. In my opinion

however, if a Councillor asks a question, the individual

should be afforded the opportunity and the respect to

answer the question without interruption.

Of late, some Councillors have started participating in

their own little sidebar conversations while a question

they have asked is being answered. In my opinion, this

type of conduct is disrespectful to the individual respond-

ing to the question, disruptive to others in attendance at

the meeting and unprofessional behavior on the part of

the Council members.

If you’re actually not interested in the answer then

don’t ask the question. Furthermore, how can you make

an informed decision if you haven’t gained the infor-

mation needed to do so? (Continued on Page 5)

In My Opinion

NEXT ISSUE – May 21, 2015

Deadline for Submissions: Friday, May 15, 2015

The Elk Island Triangle welcomes your letters to the editor, guest editorials, and news contributions with or without pictures

Please include your name and phone number for contact information Lamont County’s ONLY LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED newspaper!


Notice to Advertisers and Readers All property rights, including copyright in advertisements appearing in this issue, shall be vest in and be the property of the Elk Island Triangle. No such advertisement or any part thereof may be reproduced without prior written permission of the Elk Island Triangle.

Corrections Corrections must be made before the second insertion. Allowance will be made for one incorrect insertion.

Acceptability Standards The Elk Island Triangle will not knowingly publish any advertisement that is illegal, misleading or offensive to its readers. The Elk Island Triangle reserves the right to all advertising copy subject to the approval of the publisher. The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors in advertisements beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by that portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred, whether such error is due to negligence or otherwise; and there shall be no liability for non-insertion of any advertisement. The Elk Island Triangle will not be responsible for more than one incorrect insertion. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject any or all material, whether news copy or advertising submitted for publication and do maintain the sole right to exercise discretion in these matters. The opinions expressed in articles printed in the Elk Island Triangle are those of the people quoted and do not necessarily represent the position of the Elk Island Triangle.

Notice to Advertisers The Alberta Human Rights Code prohibits discrimination because of age, sex, marital status, race, creed, colour, nationality, ancestry or place of origin. In compliance with this code, the Elk Island Triangle reserves the right to make the necessary changes in advertising copy.

Surprises Never Cease

(Continued from Page 4)

It seems it doesn’t matter how many questions

Council asks or the number of comments they make,

some of their final decisions are just plain confusing.

Such would be the case regarding the request for the pur-

chase of the fire simulator at the April 14th meeting. After

all the questions, all the comments and all the fussing,

they decided to grant the request for $85,000 anyway.

When it comes to County Council, one thing is for sure

- surprises never cease.

- Sylvia


This week I’d like to talk about timeshares because it

seems for every good experience there’s a horror story about

another.

Timeshares are normally sold at resorts where you may be

offered something free if you agree to attend one of their

sales presentations but remember there are different types of

timeshares.

Some have a home base; where you buy in and take a cer-

tain time slot each year. I, personally, wouldn’t purchase

one of these. Firstly, how can you be sure you want to take a

holiday the last two weeks in July or January each year or

ten years from now? Are you sure you want to keep going

to Maui or to a lake in British Columbia every year? What if

something happens and you can’t use that time slot when

you’re expected to? Remember; if you don’t use it you could

lose it! Many people who’ve purchased this type of

timeshare have just given it up after a few years.

If you are travelling with friends the resorts won’t explain

timeshares to everyone at once. Each couple will be as-

signed an individual, high pressured, sales person.

About 28 years ago, while in Mazatlán, we were ap-

proached with a sales pitch. We listened, liked what we

heard and purchased a one week vacation every second

year. The company had about 20 units, eight in Hawaii, two

in Mexico and ten throughout various states. Our home base

is at The Pines, Oregon but we’ve never been there. We

went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico the first time and decided to

purchase another week every second year thinking it would

make us get away for least a week a year or two weeks every

second year. Since then we have been to seven units on four

islands in Hawaii and know what to expect. We arrive, get

our key, are welcomed and drop our key off when we leave.

That’s all there is to it, although, some states now charge a

tourist tax so you may have to pay a few dollars upon

arrival.

Our timeshares can be traded for cruises to Alaska, the

Caribbean and other places. If we want to go to Europe,

Australia or somewhere else, we can trade. Many

timeshares don’t offer this benefit.

One year we banked our time and four of us spent two

weeks in Spain and then two weeks in Portugal with our

own bedrooms and bathrooms.

Our unit in Palm Springs has eight swimming pools, a

garage, barbecues and bikes. We love this unit and have

been there many times.

A year ago we went to Leavenworth where friends from

Montana joined us for two nights. We then went to Lyndon,

Washington for two nights and then took a ferry to Victoria,

B.C. where we all stayed at a waterfront unit for four nights.

Our company through which we have our timeshares

now offers a number of timeshares in Canada that we can

trade to a variety of other locations. There is generally a

maintenance fee on timeshares but it doesn’t break the bank.

If you’re thinking of purchasing a timeshare, check them

out closely and be sure to check how much time you have to

change your mind in case you decide it’s not for you. Ask if

payments are in American, Canadian or another country’s

currency and ask if a change in exchange rates would affect

your purchase.

Many large hotels are now offering timeshares as a way to

have you use their hotels. I’m not very familiar with these as

we’re happy with our current timeshare.

We made our purchase many years ago; so our rooms were

fixed and are cheap if you take into (Continued on Page 7)

https://www.google.ca/search?rlz=1T4WQIA_enCA588CA588&q=Puerta+Vallarta&spell=1&sa=X&ei=NbQlVYLkFYu8sAWGhYSABg&ved=0CBsQBSgB


(Timeshares - Continued from Page 6)

account the price increase in room rates over the years.

I hope this has helped if you’re thinking about a

timeshare. Be mindful that very few accept pets.

Generally someone selling timeshares wants you to pur-

chase immediately allowing little time to think about it.

Don’t feel obligated to buy so you can get their free gift be-

cause if you say no you should still get it just for listening to

their sales presentation even though they will often try to get

out of giving it to you.

Timeshares don’t work for everyone so be careful what you

buy.

Submitted by Alberta’s Industrial Heartland – Proactive

planning and investment attraction remain a key focus of

Alberta’s Industrial Heartland Association as a new Chair

and Vice Chair were welcomed on April 23 at the Annual

General Meeting.

Board of Directors member Ed Gibbons, Councillor for the

City of Edmonton, will spend a two-year term guiding the

partnership of five municipali-

ties as the Association’s newly

appointed Chair. Mayor of

Fort Saskatchewan Gale

Katchur takes over the role of

Vice Chair.

“As Canada’s largest hydro-

carbon processing centre, the

Heartland region plays a

significant role on both a pro-

vincial and national scale,”

commented Chair Gibbons.

“As an Association guiding

and promoting future develop-

ment, it’s our job to ensure

growth is sustainable, proper-

ly planned, and coordinated

among our municipal part-

ners.”

The region’s transportation

network is a top priority, as

recent industrial and municipal

growth has created significant

challenges. The Association will

continue working closely with

the provincial government

and local industry-related

stakeholders to improve the

transportation network. The

safe movement of products and people throughout the

region is essential for sustainable growth.

Another top priority – investment attraction – is yielding

promising results as cost advantaged natural gas and a

lower Canadian dollar makes investment more appealing.

Over a dozen global companies have toured the region in

the past two years.

With over $10 billion in industrial projects already under

construction and billions more in announced plans, the

Heartland will realize substantial economic and employment

benefits from industrial development.

“Some of the most innovative projects are taking those

raw resources and adding value through refining or further

processing,” explained Neil Shelly, Executive Director.

“Others are taking what were considered waste products

and extracting higher value hydrocarbons. It’s encouraging

to know that these value added developments will help

diversify the provincial economy and smooth out boom and

bust cycles of the energy industry.”

For more information on the Association and industrial

projects in the region, visit industrialheartland.com or

follow @ABHeartland on Twitter.

Elk Island Triangle, Thursday, May 7 2015

PHOTO SUBMITTED

L-R: Past Chair, Lamont County Reeve Wayne Woldanski; Vice Chair, Ft. Saskatchewan Mayor, Gale

Katchur; Sturgeon County Mayor, Tom Flynn; Strathcona County Mayor, Roxanne Carr and New Chair,

Councillor Ed Gibbons, City of Edmonton.

New Chair Reaffirms Association’s Priorities

Transportation network and investment attraction key focus for municipal partnership


- by Sylvia Holowach A review of the current Municipal

Government Act (MGA) began in 2012 and has received

more than 1,200 written submissions and comments from

more than 1,500 individuals at 77 community meetings.

The review focused on discussion of eight major policy

areas: provincial-municipal relations, accountability and

transparency, governance, municipal viability, growth man-

agement, municipal revenues, regional decision making and

property assessment and taxation.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by

Premier Jim Prentice, Municipal Affairs Minister Diana

McQueen, Alberta Urban Municipalities Association’s

(AUMA) President Helen Rice and Alberta Association of

Municipal Districts and Counties’ (AAMDC) President Al

Kemmere. The MOU set out timelines in three phases as fol-

lows:

Phase 1: Identification of areas of agreement with legisla-

tive amendments - Targeted for completion in the spring of

2015;

Phase 2: Identification of items requiring further discus-

sion and review leading to legislative amendments - Targeted

for completion in the fall of 2015 and

Phase 3: Completion of the MGA review process in 2016.

Recently the Alberta Government introduced Bill 20: Mu-

nicipal Government Amendment Act (MGAA) in the Alberta legis-

lature as the first piece of legislation in the ongoing review of

the MGA.

Following are a few of the changes introduced to the way

municipalities will govern and operate:

Public Participation: Changes to the MGA will require

municipalities to implement public participation policies.

Municipalities will have the flexibility to ensure their public

participation policy aligns with local needs. The changes will

also allow municipalities to determine how they engage with

their ratepayers.

Public Notification Requirements: With the new chang-

es to the MGA, municipalities will be required to adopt a

public notification policy, established through bylaw, which

specifies how the public will be notified of municipal activi-

ties such as development permit approvals, rezoning, etc.

Municipalities will be allowed to implement notification

strategies reflecting the needs of their communities including

increased use of electronic communications where appropri-

ate.

Council Code of Conduct: Municipalities will be re-

quired to develop and adopt a code of conduct meeting mini-

mum standards in the MGA. The code of conduct will also

have to address enforcement and administration at a local

level. In addition, Councils will not be able to remove coun-

cillors from office.

Open Council Meetings: Changes to the MGA, through

new legislation, will clarify when a municipal council meets

and when council meetings should be closed to the public

due to privacy concerns, conflict of interest and administra-

tive matters.

Roles and Responsibilities of Council and Administra-

tion: Changes to the MGA will maintain the separation

between elected council and municipal administration but

will provide added clarity regarding the roles and responsi-

bilities of each.

Appeal Board Training: The new legislation will make

it necessary for all members of a Subdivision and Develop-

ment Appeal Board (SDAB) to receive mandatory training

based on a standard curriculum which will be delivered lo-

cally, regionally or provincially.

Petitioning Process: The new MGA will offer municipal-

ities increased flexibility in the petitioning process so they

can take into account local needs and conditions while hav-

ing the ability to accept online petitions and extend the time-

lines of the petition process.

Annexation Requirements: The new MGA legislation

will allow for the creation of a regulation defining annexation

principles and procedures.

Voluntary Amalgamation: The new MGA will have a

provision allowing two municipalities, who decide to amal-

gamate, to use an accelerated process.

Strategic Corporate Planning: A minimum standard for

multi-year capital and operating plans will be part of the new

legislation.

Hierarchy of Plans: The hierarchy, or order, and rela-

tionship of statutory plans will be outlined in the new MGA.

City Charters: Although discussions with the City of

Edmonton and the City of Calgary are in their early stages,

the new legislation will enable the creation of City Charters.

Many of the changes listed will require the regulations to

be approved and the changes will not come into effect until

the MGAA is proclaimed by the province. Numerous other

items in the MGA review will be introduced as legislation in

the fall of 2015 and it is expected that all changes to the MGA

and all associated regulations will be proclaimed in 2016.

Anyone interested in reading the document can access it

on the Alberta government website at http://

www.assembly.ab.ca/net/index.aspx?p=bills_home

Bill 20: MGA Act Released by Provincial Government


- by Sylvia Holowach During the April 14, 2015 regular

Council meeting; Council was presented with a

Request for Decision (RFD) from Randy Siemens,

Emergency Services Coordinator and Regional Fire

Chief, for the purchase of a fire training simulator.

Six burn pods, ranging in price from $15,000 to

$20,000 each, were originally planned for use during

live fire training sessions the fire training center.

Additional funding for maintenance to maintain the

integrity of the pods would also have been required.

After attending a Fire Department Instructors’

Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, two Lamont

County firefighters reported they participated in

training sessions using a Bullex simulator and were

very impressed with its capabilities. As a result,

Siemens conducted further research on simulators

and concluded a simulator would make it possible to

provide year round training while adding longevity

to the training centre. Siemens felt the Bullex simula-

tor proofed to be the best complete and well tested

package as it would allow for year round training,

with or without water, no cleanup and no need for

restarting fires between evolutions. The package

would come complete with weighted base quick

release wall mounted digital screens that could be

mounted in various locations to create different

scenarios, high output smoke generators, digital hose

line and nozzle, a wireless instructor remote and four

smart dummies with voice boxes. Approximately

$2000 per year would also be required for foam.

Installation of two live fire pods would still be

required for training purposes and certification of the

training centre. Siemens felt the combination of live

fire pods along with the simulator would make for

one of the most versatile training centers in Alberta.

Even though some centres utilize live fire propane,

Siemens felt the cost would be too prohibitive but

added that propane would still be used for outside

props because it would be a more affordable option.

A quote of $73,407.78 for the Bullex simulator was

first received in December, 2014 but was revised to

$66,252.78 in April, 2015 to reflect the exchange rate.

The request generated active dialogue from

several Council members with Deputy Reeve

Warawa being the first to question; “Why does this

new training center have its hand out with requests for

more money at every meeting? What are we actually

building here? Are we trying to compete with the training

center in Vermillion and how much more money will this

thing need? Do we really need it?” questioned Warawa.

“If the firemen aren’t going to go into burning buildings

and only control the fire from the outside, then what do we

need all this for?” asked Councillor Bryks.

“Vermillion is a very good training center but I think

we could save money if we trained our own firefighters and

the simulator would be cheaper than the live fire pods.”

stated Siemens. “Strathcona has shown some interest in

using the facility when it’s finished so it might generate

some revenue,” added Siemens.

“I would like to know how much more money will be

needed to finish the structure before we spend any more

money.” said Reeve Woldanksi.

Council unanimously decided to defer the request

to their April 24th budget meeting and asked that

administration have a complete cost breakdown

prepared for Councils’ review at the meeting. The

breakdown was to include how much was originally

budgeted for the facility, how much has been spent

to date, the anticipated expenditures for completion

and the amount of revenue it could generate, if any.

The Triangle contacted County Manager, Al

Harvey the afternoon of April 30, 2015 asking him if

Council held their budget meeting, if the cost break-

down was provided to Council, if Council decided to

purchase the simulator and if the Triangle could be

provided with a copy of the cost breakdown. Mr.

Harvey responded “Yes” to all the questions and

forwarded the breakdown to the Triangle that

afternoon.

A document contained in the May 5th Council

meeting package, submitted by Siemens, indicated

the amounts originally presented in his April 14 RFD

were incorrect. The first amount of $73,407.75 should

have been $89,228.59 after conversion from American

to Canadian dollars. The $66,252.75 should have

been $80,531.54 after conversion.

The cost break down, as received from CAO, Al

Harvey, can be found on page 11.

County Council Requests Cost Breakdown

BUDGET $100,000.00

Funding

(MSI Capital Funding - approval for $100,000 in 2012)

$100,000.00

Additional Sources of Funding:

2014 Donation - Enbridge Pipelines $10,000.00

2015 Donation - Enbridge Pipelines $10,000.00

TOTAL FUNDING $120,000.00

EXPENDITURES

2012 Expenditures $44,150.00



TOTAL EXPENDITURES TO DATE $70,243.96

Total MSI Capital Funding Applied $62,981.85

BALANCE OF AVAILABLE FUNDING:

MSI Capital

$37,018.15

Enbridge Donations $12,737.89

TOTAL $49,756.04

CURRENT 2015 BUDGET $75,000.00

EXPENDITURES

Simulator $85,000.00

Plywood/Hangers/Walls $2,000.00

Engineering (Motion #15-901) $12,407.00

Steel - Doors, window, fire pods $5,000.00

Household Props $5,000.00

Paint & Sprayer $2,700.00

Natural Gas Line $2,500.00

Power Services $10,000.00

TOTAL $124,607.00

REVENUE

MSI Capital $37,018.00

Balance 2014 Enbridge Donation $2,737.89

2015 Enbridge Donation $10,000.00

TOTAL $49,756.04

Shortfall of Funding vs Expenditures $74,850.96

Difference - Revised Expenditures

vs 2015 Budget

$49,607.00

Lamont County Fire Training Centre Budget & Expenditures 2012 - 2014

PROPOSED 2016 EXPENDITURES

Rock Insulation - Fire Pods $5,000.00

Concrete - Fire Pods $1,000.00

Staircases, Steel Doors, windows, fire

pods $10,000.00

Confined Space Module $10,000.00

TOTAL $26,000.00

EXPENDITURES TO DATE

2012 - 2014

$70,243.96

Proposed 2015 Expenditures $112,107.00

TOTAL $182,350.96

Total Estimated Project Expenditures $208,350.96

Variance from Original Project Budget $108,350.96

ANNUAL OPERATIONS:

Revenue (with Simulator)

Outside Organizations:

100 Days @ $1000 plus cost

recovery of expenditures

$100,000.00

Local Fire Training Savings $20,000.00

TOTAL $120,000.00

Expenditures (County Training)

Safety Training Officer (40 Weeks)

$6,000.00

Natural Gas - Estimated $500.00

Power - Estimated $500.00

Propane - Estimated $2,500.00

TOTAL $9,500.00

Annual Surplus $110,500.00



- Story & Photo Submitted In alignment with this year’s

Emergency Preparedness Week, Bruderheim Town Council

has proclaimed May 3rd -9th Volunteer Firefighters

Awareness Week. “We value each and every one of our

volunteer firefighters and wanted to take this opportunity

to honour them,” comments Bruderheim Mayor, Karl

Hauch. “Our community and surrounding area gains a lot

from their dedication and services—their commitment to

our residents’ safety and the fire department’s training

programs are first class. In fact, we are setting the pace for

our County! Not only does the department provide a

learning platform, but also a growing career curve for

members of the department.”

“The proclamation highlights the value of the volunteer

firefighters at an optimal time, as the Bruderheim Fire

Department gears up to celebrate 100 years of service with

its Centennial Event scheduled for September 4th through

6th,” says Bruderheim Fire Chief, Bob Cote. The event lineup

includes an emergency vehicle show, family street dance,

outdoor movie, barbecue, lunch, dignitary dinner and much

more.

“We’ve accomplished a lot as a department, over the

years and recently,” Cote continues. The department

responds to 60 calls per year on average, including fire,

motor vehicle accidents, medical calls, and other

miscellaneous concerns. “We have been accepted for the

Medical First Responders Program, which means that the

ambulance can call us when there is a call within

Bruderheim and the responding firefighter can perform

First aid to their trained ability. In other words, act as a

First Aider to the Emergency Medical Responders. Alberta

Health Services has been working on this program for many

years.”

There are currently 16 volunteer firefighters, and the

department is always looking for more members.

“Fire departments like ours, with its brilliant team of first

-rate volunteers and friendly work environment, can only aim

for high results,” boasts Mayor Hauch. “We wish the depart-

ment the greatest success for many more years to come.”

Bruderheim

Honours

Volunteer

Firefighters


- by Carol Marko Bethlehem Lutheran Church is excited to

host a special performance by the German Ladies Choir

of Calgary on Tuesday, May 19 at 7:00 p.m. and is open to

the public. The choir is a registered charitable organiza-

tion and accept freewill offerings at their performances to

help offset their costs of travelling.

Celebrating their 40th Anniversary in 2014, the group

founded in 1974 by Anne Stollbert and still under her

direction, meets weekly for the enjoyment of maintaining

their German Heritage through song. They perform in

numerous concerts, cultural events, churches, retirement

residences and nursing homes. They have toured

throughout Western Canada, the USA and Europe. Com-

peting in the “World Choir Games” in Graz, Austria, they

earned both Silver and Bronze Diplomas in 2008. In 2012,

they travelled to Germany and joined choirs from the ar-

ea of Solingen and Friedrichshafen for combined concerts

and were given permission to sing in the impressive

"Kölner Dom" (Cathedral of Cologne). In Dec. 2013, the

choir celebrated 25 years of annual Advent Concerts and

in May 2014, the Ladies Choir was honoured to partici-

pate at the 150th Anniversary of the Hamilton Germania

Choirs' Song Festival.

They have produced three CDs and can be found in

video clips on YouTube. Their Christmas CD also fea-

tures the Singgemeinschaft and the German Male Chorus.

After participating in this year’s Saengerfest at the

Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton on May 17th, they will

then go on a mini tour of areas near the city, which brings

them to Bruderheim on May 19th.

World Renowned

German Ladies Choir of Calgary

to Perform in Bruderheim

PHOTO SUBMITTED


Bruderheim Residents Treated to German

Night to Raise Funds for New Ice Plant

by Aaron J. Marko As early as 5 p.m., Bruderheim’s main

street filled with the overwhelming waft of onions as cars

surrounded the Bruderheim Community Hall in anticipa-

tion of a feast fit for a king. May 2nd was a perfect day,

with weather seasonal yet still gripped with a slight

spring chill. Most people were looking forward to the

wealth of German food. As approximately 125 people

filed in taking in drink and silent auction, the chefs

worked hard to prepare a vast bounty. From sauerkraut

to ham to mashed potatoes, one could only be met with

disappointment at a lack of sauerbraten.

Eventually, after everyone had their fill of pork, volun-

teers rushed to clear the room in preparation for German

Schuhplattler dancers who were on-hand for post-meal

entertainment. And they certainly did their share of en-

tertaining. Treating the audience to a wide variety of folk

dances to traditional German music, they thrilled with

plenty of knee slapping and high kicking. The 8-person

group gave a brief history and engaged in several dances

depicting both courtship and labor. As the night grew to

a close, several locals were invited to get equally in-

volved, with a number of women engaging in what can

only be described as a “hat swap”, after which plenty of

men got involved to take part in lots of their own kicking.

The evening raised $4855.14 for Bruderheim’s new ice

plant.

PHOTOS

BY

AARON

MARKO


County Expecting 2 Handy Hitch Packers and a 2015 Chevrolet 4x4 Half Ton

Two requests from Lamont County Public Works were

presented to Council during the April 14, 2015 Council

meeting with the first request being for the purchase of 2

Handy Hitch Grader Packers.

Director of Public Works, Harold Hamilton explained

Public Works had rented a towable Handy Hitch Grader

Packer in 2013 and experienced good results from its use.

Hamilton went on to say Public Works purchased two

packers in 2014 and have seen continued benefits. Less

maintenance of gravel roads is required because freshly

disturbed gravel is being packed back into the road imme-

diately after every pass, the packers have reduced the

amount of loose gravel being spread across the road while

grading and a reduction in washboards is being experi-

enced due to the gravel being kept tightly packed. It was

indicated the packers worked extremely well when road

surfaces were damp.

An information package of the Handy Hitch 90” Con-

tour Packer/Rollers was provided from Tomcat Sales and

Rentals along with a per unit price quote of $25,653.

After a motion by Councillor Anaka, Council unani-

mously agreed to the purchase of two Handy Hitch Grad-

er Packers for a total purchase price of $51,306.00 plus

GST.

The second request before Council was for the pur-

chase of a 2015 ½ Ton 4x4 long box pickup truck. The

new pickup would replace a 2001 Chevrolet ½ ton which

will soon be in need of major repairs Hamilton explained.

Public Works acquired and presented Council with

four price quotes for their consideration. The two highest

quotes came from Vegreville Ford with the first being for

a 2015-F150 4x4 Extended Cab Long Box for $33,869.00

plus fees and taxes. Vegreville Ford’s next quote was for a

2015-F150 4x4 Regular Cab Long Box for $31,771.00 plus

fees and taxes.

Grant Miller Motors Ltd. quoted a price of $28,935.00

plus fees and taxes for a 2015-1500 4x4 Regular Cab Long

Box.

The lowest price quote came from Maddigan Chrysler

Dodge Jeep Ram Ltd. for a 2015-RAM 1500 ST 4x4 Regular

Cab Long Box for a purchase price of $28,662.00 plus fees

and taxes.

After some discussion Councillor Malica made the mo-

tion that the county purchase a 4x4 ½ ton Chev 1500 Truck

from Grant Miller Motors for $28,935.00 plus fees and tax-

es. The motion passed unanimously and funding for the

pickup will be allocated through the 2015 Budget.

Non-Collectable Receivables Written Off - by Sylvia Holowach At their April 14, 2015 Council meet-

ing County Council received a Request for Decision (RFD)

from Director of Corporate Services, Debbie Hackman

recommending $24, 058.72 in account receivables be

written off.

County auditors recently suggested Council consider

having all, non-tax related, outstanding account receiva-

bles dating between 2005 and 2010 removed from the

County’s books as they were considered non-collectable.

A listing of 32 items ranging from amounts of $7.00 to

$15,004.50 was included in the Council package for re-

view. Council questioned what several of the outstanding

amounts were for and learned the amounts represented

items ranging from fire billing, aggregate levy fees, coun-

ty maps, a computer to child care.

After some discussion regarding various options to

collect the outstanding amounts Council decided to accept

the RFD recommended action and have the outstanding

accounts cleared from the County books.

Deputy Reeve Warawa made the motion “that Lamont

County Council direct Administration to write off old outstand-

ing receivables from 2005 to 2010 in the amount of $24,058.72

as they are considered uncollectable”. The motion passed

unanimously.


About 275 invited guests joined Tom and Gail Hrehorets on

Saturday, May 2, 2015 in celebration of their 20th Anniversary

of Hrehorets Bus Service.

Dinner was a good Ukrainian meal complete with cabbage

rolls and Perogies, followed by an assortment of decadent

desserts and fresh fruit.

With Heather Price serving as MC, a program unfolded,

describing the 20 year history of the company.

School bus driver, Victor Matiaszo was an early influence in

Tom’s life, and became his mentor, influencing him to develop

a love for the school bus business.

In 1985, you had to be 21 in order to drive school bus in

Lamont County. Being only 18, Tom found himself a job driv-

ing French immersion students from Glendon to Mallaig,

while also working at the Super A Foods store in Glendon.

The following year, he moved home and accepted a position as

manager at St. Michael Co-op. The store was closed on

Wednesdays, so Tom would get up early and drive to Bellis,

where he drove school bus for his godfather, Gerald Babichuk.

Gerald, like Victor, was another very positive influence on

Tom’s career choices. Tom was so eager to drive the bus that

he actually volunteered his time to drive kids to Vegreville for

swimming lessons.

In 1987, Roy Hackett got a brand new school bus. When he

dropped a student off near the store where Tom worked, Tom

recalls going outside to admire the bus and tell Roy how nice it

was.

In the 1988/89 school year, Tom finally got a job with

Lamont County, driving special needs kids from Andrew to

Mundare. In 1991, he was offered a full time position, driving

from Bruderheim, Lamont and Chipman to Mundare, where

he dropped off his passengers for 8:00 a.m. Then, he drove

another route with an 8:45 drop-off time.

School boards in Alberta amalgamated in the 1994/95 school

year, bringing about big changes in the bus world. Tom want-

ed to buy his own bus and work for himself, but nobody was

willing to loan the young man any money. However, Don

Briggs trusted him and loaned him the money to buy his first

school bus – which he didn’t even buy from Briggs – it was a

Lamont County bus.

Tom drove his very first day as a contractor for Elk Island

Public Schools on January 9, 1995. At the end of that year, he

took over route 206 in Lamont from Darlene Trach. Staying on

that route until 1987, he then purchased two buses from

Arnold and Crystal Herbstreit. Tom drove one bus, while

Brian and Betty Malica drove the other.

Gradually increasing his fleet, Tom’s goal was to have 50

school buses by the time he reached 50 years of age. He will

be 49 years old this August and currently has 52 bus routes.

The largest bus is an 86 passenger bus, and the smallest

carries 19. His company employs 56 people including drivers

and administrative staff. In addition to his Elk Island Public

School runs, Tom now also runs buses for Lakeland Catholic

Schools in Waskatenau, as well as runs in Sherwood Park and

Fort Saskatchewan for Elk Island Catholic and Public School

Boards.

Tom very graciously credits a lot of people with

contributing to the success of his company. He acknowledged

that “Hrehorets Bus Service would not be what it is today

without the incredible, dedicated, caring and loyal bus drivers

it employs.”

Their company slogan is “Delivering the best for education.”

Following the program, the band, Millenia took to the stage

and played for a dance to round out the evening.

Hrehorets Bus Service Celebrates 20th Anniversary


- by Sylvia Holowach On Monday, April 20, 2015, Town of

Lamont residents were rewarded for their participation in

the second annual FortisAlberta Earth Hour Challenge

which took place at 8:30 p.m. (local time) Saturday,

March 28.

For their participation, Town of Lamont Mayor, Bill

Skinner graciously accepted a $1,000 cheque from Rick

Burden, FortisAlberta Stakeholder Relations Manager.

The Town obtained third place for their 15 percent de-

crease in electrical consumption during the ‘lights out’

event.

This is the second year FortisAlberta has held the Earth

Hour Challenge for communities in their service area and

offered them an opportunity to win one of three grants

totaling $5,000. This year, 25 communities, more than

double the number participating in 2014, took on the

challenge.

Earth Hour electricity consumption was compared to

the same hour on the previous Saturday. A decrease in

electrical consumption was experienced by twenty one of

the participating communities. There was an eight per

cent average decrease in electrical consumption among all

participating communities totaling 18,796 KWH saved

during the hour. The amount of electricity saved was

enough to power more than 20,000 average homes during

that time.

“This was a community effort with participation from

everyone and I’m very happy with the results,” said

Mayor Skinner. The Town will use the $1,000 grant to

upgrade the lighting at the fire hall and the recreation

centre.

Rick Burton, FortisAlberta Stakeholder Relations Man-

ger indicated people are more aware of climate change

and are increasingly thinking green.

Earth Hour is held every year in late March, around the

time of the northern and southern hemispheres spring

and autumn equinoxes when sunset times are almost the

same. This ensures the greatest visual impact for a global

‘lights out’ event say organizers. This year six continents,

120 countries and 24 times zones united as a global com-

munity and made their voices heard by turning off the

lights. Earth Hour shows how great things can be

achieved when people come together for a common

cause.

PHOTO BY SYLVIA HOLOWACH

Town of Lamont Sends Message on Climate Change During Earth Hour Challenge


Need A Quick and Easy Meal? Here is a wonderful baked chicken recipe that’s quick and easy (that is what I need these days – been busy cooking for the seniors at work and St. Michael Hall; and now seeding will be starting soon on our farm)! Using just a few handy ingredients, create a delicious main dish that also makes great leftovers – if there are any! Serve with a salad and pasta or rice for quick, scrump-tious dinner! Remember if you have a favorite recipe that you would like to share with the rest of the readers, you can email it to me: [email protected] or in the mail: Joanne Paltzat, Box 14, St. Michael, AB T0B 4B0

Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2 tbsp. cooking oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup dry bread crumbs

2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. dried basil leaves

¼ tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a

9”x13” baking dish.

In a bowl, blend the oil and garlic. In a separate

bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, bas-

il and pepper. Dip each chicken breast in the oil

mixture, then in the crumb mixture. Arrange the

coated chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish,

and top with any remaining bread crumb mixture.

Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until

chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Non-Collectable Receivables Written Off

At their April 14, 2015 Council meeting County Coun-

cil received a Request for Decision (RFD) from Director of

Corporate Services, Debbie Hackman recommending $24,

058.72 in account receivables be written off.

County auditors recently suggested Council consider

having all, non-tax related, outstanding account receiva-

bles dating between 2005 and 2010 removed from the

County’s books as they were considered non-collectable.

A listing of 32 items ranging from amounts of $7.00 to

$15,004.50 was included in the Council package for re-

view. Council questioned what several of the outstanding

amounts were for and learned the amounts represented

items ranging from fire billing, aggregate levy fees, county

maps, a computer to child care.

After some discussion regarding various options to

collect the outstanding amounts Council decided to accept

the RFD recommended action and have the outstanding

accounts cleared from the County books.

Deputy Reeve Warawa made the motion “that Lamont

County Council direct Administration to write off old outstand-

ing receivables from 2005 to 2010 in the amount of $24,058.72

as they are considered uncollectable”. The motion passed

unanimously.


Advertise

in this Space

as low as

$14/issue

Call Now and Ask How

780-868-9221

is printed by

Dependable Printers

in Ft. Saskatchewan

See their ad below

Correction

It has been brought to our attention the article in our

April 16, 2015 issue, Ukrainian Catho lic Parish of the

Holy Spirit - Jaroslaw - Demolished contained some

inaccurate information.

The article stated logs were donated by Wasyl Rutar,

sawn into lumber by Mike Serink and used for

construction under the direction of George Doskoch. This

information was incorrect.

The Ukrainian Catholic Parish of the Holy Spirit –

Jaroslaw was built at SW-03-57-20-W4 in the early 1950’s

by the founding members of the Mandryk, Zacharko,

Lewak, Broda, Holowaty, Stromecky, Burzminski and

Iwaschuk families with the main carpenter being Mike

Mandryk.

We apologize for any confusion the article as printed

may have caused.

May 7, 2015

Documents

Transcript of May 7, 2015