Clearwater County has confirmed a number of meetings with provincial power brokers at the upcoming spring Rural Municipalities Conference of Alberta (RMA).
Reeve Michelle Swanson says they’re looking forward to meeting with three ministers to advocate for county interests.
First up, a meeting with Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors. Swanson says the biggest topic of discussion will be the twinning of Highway 11. While funds have been confirmed for the project in Budget 2025, Swanson says she hopes to get clarification from the minister on timelines for completion.
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County officials will also be meeting with Joseph Schow, Minister of Tourism and Sport in Alberta. Swanson says they’ll be discussing the completion plans of “development nodes” along the Hwy. 11 corridor in the West Country. Five development nodes have been identified since 2023 for their potential for increased tourism including Bighorn Dam and the historic townsite of Nordegg.
Swanson hopes to get clarification for the ministry plan in regards to Bill 35, the All Seasons Resorts Act, which aims to increase tourism on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains as it pertains to Clearwater County.
Finally, the county has meetings set up with Todd Loewen, Minister of Forestry and Parks. Of course, conversations around wildfires will take precedence.
Clearwater Regional Fire Rescue Services (CRFRS) has been working with the province on a ‘fireguard’ plan for Nordegg, and Swanson says they’ll be speaking with the minister about readiness.
“It’s how we can engage the Nordegg community to be more educated in wildfire impacts and how they can respond if a wildfire starts out in our West Country,” says says.
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- “Concerns” Minister Todd Loewen encourages Clearwater County to ramp up wildfire mitigation
- Nordegg takes next steps to become a FireSmart community
- Clearwater County approves budget adjustment for new brush truck in Caroline
- CRFRS to host public “Push-In” ceremony for new fire truck March 13
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While no meeting has been confirmed yet, a desire was voiced at Clearwater County council’s March 11 meeting to meet with Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange.
Clearwater County council has expressed its concerns that ‘surgical privileging’ practices are not being granted to the Rocky hospital in the same manner as in other similar-sized health centres such as Stettler and Drumheller.
Swanson says as the government and community have both invested in a new operating room, surgeons should have more leeway in performing their duties.
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Finally, Swanson says, as always, she looks forward to the resolution session at the RMA. The one she’ll be watching the closest comes from the County of Stettler pertaining to recovery of tax revenue from oil and gas companies.
In the face of the uncertainty created by the trade war with the United States, she says collection of property taxes are of upmost importance to the viability of rural Alberta.
According the resolution, Alberta municipalities have reported a cumulative $220 million in unpaid taxes, with $130 million in tax arrears and the remaining $90 million in cancellations.
You can see all the resolutions here.
The spring RMA conference will be held from March 17 to 19 at the Edmonton Expo Centre.
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