The Community
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Volume 112, Issue 22
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
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British Invasion
LESLIE CHOLOWSKY PHOTO
Leisa Way and the Wayward Wind Band took over the Forestburg Community Hall on Saturday, Nov. 23, to start off the 2019-2020 Concert Season with a bright and shiny hit with their Across the Pond: The British Invasion show. From Petula Clark to Joe Cocker, this wildly talented ensemble of amazing artists brought a lot of energy and a whole bunch of hits to the stage, with a performance that spanned decades of top hits coming out of the United Kingdom. One of the best things about them is that they aren’t leaving Flagstaff until performing again at the Palace Theatre in Daysland this Wednesday, Nov. 27. See story P32.
Amalgamation report cautions: Doing nothing not an option Leslie Cholowsky Editor
The October 2019 Operation and Transition Plan for Proposed Amalgamation outright advises Flagstaff municipalities ‘Doing nothing is now truly not an option given the current state of the Flagstaff Intermunicipal Partnership (FIP).’ The 98-page report comes from years of ‘building block’ work and months of research by authors Shane Pospisil and Nolan Crouse of New West Opportunities. When presenting the report at the Flagstaff region’s fall forum, attended by elected officials from every municipality, Crouse and Pospisil told councillors and administration present, “Residents deserve to know where you stand as a Council.” Pospisil added, “In the last phase, most people agreed that you, and they, need more information to make a decision.
“Most residents will now expect you to make that decision.” The report asks each council, including Sedgewick, who left the regional governance project discussion back in early 2017, to consider 10 different options and to choose one or more options going forward, and to do so quickly, recommending every Council choose a path forward, then come together after Feb. 15, 2020. Crouse and Pospisil represent the 10 options as “the full range and spectrum of options available for Councils’ consideration.” These include: Option one, to receive this report and take no further action on amalgamation activities; option two - To request Alberta Municipal Affairs to complete a Viability Review for the municipality of [____]; option three - to begin the process to work with all other interested municipalities to form one amalgamated municipality; option four - to add a ‘question’ to the 2021 Municipal Election ballot
(plebiscite), on whether or not to proceed with amalgamation; option five - to proceed immediately with planning a 2020 ballot question (plebiscite) on whether or not to proceed with amalgamation; option six - to begin the process to work with all other interested municipalities to explore specialized municipality status; option seven to begin the process to dissolve FIP and replace FIP with a growth management board, newly permitted under the Municipal Government Act; option eight - to maintain the nine-member FIP and work to expand FIP while strengthening the current FIP model; option nine - to give notice to withdraw from FIP and work on matters that arise from time to time as one-off independent regional collaboration and cooperation opportunities, independent of FIP; and option 10 - to begin the process to do only the required intermunicipal collaboration framework and intermunicipal See AMALGAMATION P10
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Two break-andenters reported by Daysland businesses Leslie Cholowsky Editor with files from Cpl. Trent Cleveland Acting Commander Killam RCMP
For the period from Thursday, Nov. 14, to Thursday, Nov. 21, Killam RCMP members responded to 67 calls for service. Acting Commander Corporal Trent Cleveland notes that this is an extremely high call volume compared to surrounding detachments. Members were asked to check two abandoned vehicles. One of these
turned out to be a broken down vehicle, and was towed at the request of the RCMP. The other, also broken down, was removed by the owner. RCMP were called to two accident scenes where they were called to humanely euthanize a moose and a deer. Police dealt with two complaints of Assault. In Forestburg, charges were laid against a 31-year-old male. In Hardisty, a 39year-old male was charged with Assault and with Uttering Threats. Killam members were See RCMP P31
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