The Community
Press 115 Years of Telling YOUR Story
Volume 115 Issue 37
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Wednesday, March 22, 2023 s
Province devises new strategy to address unpaid oil and gas taxes Leslie Cholowsky Editor
On Monday, March 20, the Province announced a new initiative designed to help Alberta municipalities deal with oil and gas property tax arrears. Companies will now have to confirm that their unpaid municipal taxes across the province do not exceed a maximum threshold allowed or that they have a repayment agreement in place whenever they apply for new licences or for licence transfers because they’re seeking to sell their assets. It’s a measure designed to help municipalities reduce the burden of unpaid taxes, and, the Province says, reassure municipalities and Albertans that companies are financially healthy and able to meet their tax obligations. The Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) says this is a positive step forward. “The RMA is pleased to see the province taking action to hold oil and gas companies accountable for paying property taxes. “Although only a small number of companies avoid their property tax payment obligations, this issue has had major fiscal impacts on rural municipalities across Alberta. As 41 per cent of unpaid taxes are owed by companies that are currently operating, we are optimistic that this change will have an immediate positive impact in rural Alberta. “We look forward to working with the AER and relevant ministries to determine how our members can support the AER in enforcing this new requirement,” says Paul McLauchlin, president, Rural Municipalities of Alberta. Under Alberta’s liability management framework, which launched in 2020, the AER revised their licence eligibility requirements to include a more holistic assessment of a company’s financial health that is applied through the life cycle of an asset. The new directive strengthens the AER’s approach by making payment of municipal taxes a necessary and mandatory condition for approval, based on available data. The maximum threshold will be determined after reviewing the AER’s analysis of current licensee information related to unpaid municipal taxes, and in consultation with Municipal Affairs and Energy. Municipal Affairs and the AER will work together to create an annual list of companies whose unpaid municipal taxes exceed the threshold amount. Companies on this list will be targeted by the AER to provide proof of tax payment. The departments of Energy and Municipal Affairs have worked together on this new initiative.
Curling Canada Volunteer of the Year Jeff Northey recently won an all expenses paid trip to the Brier, as well as the honour of being chosen as Volunteer of the Year by Curling Canada. Jeff and his wife Monica enjoyed the trip of a lifetime. See full story Page 2. CURLING CANADA PHOTO
Page 12 - The Community Press, Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Locals perform well at Tae Kwon Do Provincial Championships Adrenaline Tae Kwon Do has been run out of Viking for about 20 years now. Mr. David Andreson is the instructor, and he expanded to Killam last April. On Saturday, March 11, there were 11 Participants from the Killam area who attended the Taekwon Do Provincial Championships hosted by Apollo Taekwon Do in Airdrie. In total the club brought home 13 medals. For competition, each participant is required to do a pattern that goes with their level of belt they are, then they spar each of their opponents until they get to a gold medal match. At the beginning of each tournament every club lines up and bows in to the Master Instructors from the federation and all the other clubs. In total there were 421 competitors from all over Alberta. For most of the local kids it was their first tournament. Next up for the club are the Canadian Championships being held in BC in May. TaeKwonDo classes run on Wednesday nights in Killam and people are welcome to join anytime.
Of the 11 Killam Adrenaline Tae Kwon Do competitors who travelled to Airdrie last weekend to compete in Provincials, 13 medals were won. Clockwise from above left: McKayla Lewis (right) won Bronze; Keston Simons (second from the left) won Gold; The OʼHare family, where Colton won Bronze, Jessica won Gold and Bronze patterns, and Maci Lee won Bronze; Barrett Lewis won Bronze; and Andrea Bole won Silver.
Strome Curling Club would like to THANK the following sponsors for their generous donations throughout the 2022-23 Curling Season • 49th Street Liquor Store • Kal Tire • ATB Financial Heisler • Killam Chiropractic Clinic • ATB Financial Strome • Killam Feed & Farm • Ball Family Dental Clinic • Killam Home Hardware • Battle River Implements • Myo Kinetics • Bill Wildey • Nutrien • Bob & Judy Hayes • Paterson Grain • Budding Ideas • Purple Scissor Salon • C & C Tire and Auto • Rawes Ranches • Calvin Herder Auctioneer • Revamp Welding • Campbell McLennan Chrysler
• Reverse R/Diamond Leather Works • CNS Construction • Rocky Mountain Equipment • Country Girl Greenhouse • Rusty Daisy • Crop Management Network • Shannon Bendfeld • D & K Custom Spraying Ltd. • Strome Post Office • Daysland Auto & Farm • Strome Seed Cleaning Plant • Daysland Golf Course • Strome Service • Daysland Meat & Sausage • Sunridge Signs • Daysland Pharmacy • Tee & Co. Salon • Double Z Farms • The Glam Shack • Dwayne Seiferman
• Town of Killam • Eclipz Hair Salon • Vision Credit Union Daysland • Edge On Ventures • Vision Credit Union Killam • Guardian Drugs Killam • Viterra • Hair By Stef • Vivid Edge Salon • Heisler Hair & Massage • Wanda Hihn Jams • Heritage Heating • Wavy Lake Colony • HOM of Well Being • Wayne & Darcie Thompson • Iron Creek Truck & Trailer • Wetaskiwin Co-op • J & B Toth Farms • Whirlwind Farms • Willow Hill Design
We apologize if we have missed anyone, thank you again!
The Community Press, Wednesday, March 22, 2023 - Page 13
March 2023 Meetings
Council Meetings Flagstaff County Co ouncil M Meetings eetings aare re conducted the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month commencing at 9 a.m. unless u otherwise planned. Council and Committ ommittee meeting agendas aare re aavvailable at the County’’ss websit ebsiite te at: flagstafff fff...ab.ca/c .ca/council/mee .ca/ council/meeetings-ande minu utes tes
780-384-4100 1-877-387-4100 Email: Stay Connected with Us:
Monday to Friday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Closed Noon - 1 p.m.)
Address: e
12435 TToownship w Road 4442 PP..O. Box 35 358 Sedgew e wi wic icck, AB T0B 4C00
flagstaff.ab.ca
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Invitation to Tender Tender for the Sale of 1 Tax Recovery Property SEALED TENDERS, marked “Sale of Property Tender” will be received until 11:00 a.m. MST on April 19, 2023 at the FLASTAFF COUNTY Administration Office, 12435 TWP Rd 442, Box 358, Sedgewick, AB T0B 4C0.
#1: Property is located in the Hamlet of Strome at 5012 49th Street, totaling 6000 square feet with buildings. The property is to be sold as is with no warranties. Legal Description – Plan RN67; Block 3, Lot 35 • Tender opening will follow immediately after tender closing at the Flagstaff County Administration Office in Sedgewick, AB. • Tender must be accompanied by a Bank Draft or Certified Cheque in the amount of ten percent (10%) of the Tender Price, made payable to Flagstaff County, and will be returned if the Tender is not accepted. • Any submission, revision or modification made by email or facsimile to the Flagstaff County Office will NOT be considered. • The highest or any tender many not necessarily be accepted. • The County reserves the right to refuse or reject any or all tenders. • Tenders may not be withdrawn after the Tender Closing and will be irrevocable and open for acceptance by the PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR BID ON THE FOLLOWING FORM IN A SEALED County for a period of thirty (30) days following the end of ENVELOPE MARKED “SALE OF PROPERTY TENDER” the day of the Tender Closing. _____________________________________ (+ GST) • The Tender results will be presented to County Council for Bid: approval at the April 26, 2023, Council Meeting. Name:
_____________________________________
Complete Address:
______________________________________
Phone Number:
______________________________________
Signature:
______________________________________
For further information please contact: Lisa Bonnett, Tax/Utility Clerk, 780-384-4132
Sale of Used Equipment
For Tender
TENDER FOR SALE OF USED MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT
Invitation to Tender Daysland Grader Shed Concrete Floor Replacement
Flagstaff County invites bids for the sale of the following used equipment: 1. TL08 – 2008 Castleton Super B Crossclam Gravel Trailer – Serial #: 2C9B3S5D68S133101 & 2C9B3S5D68S133102. This trailer has had a CVIP Inspection in January/23. 2. ASB118 – 2018 John Deere R280 Disk Mower – Serial #: 1E0R280XJHJ440485. 3. Two 1,500-Gallon Water Tanks – These tanks have very small water leaks. They were pressure-tested and the leaks could not be found. Please bid separately for Tank A or Tank B. 4. WT112 – 2012 Massey Ferguson ZT33 Zero Turn Mower w/72” deck – 507 Hours, Serial #: JWC75102. 5. WT010 – 2000 John Deere F935 Front Mount Mower w/76” deck – 311 Hours, Serial #: M0F935X185793. Comes with front mount snowblower. 6. WT113 – 2013 John Deere Z915B Z-Track Mower w/60” deck – Comes with a new battery, 769 hrs, Serial #: 1TC915BCVDT012264. 7. ASB112 – 2012 Kubota RTV900 G9-A UTV 4x4 – Comes with diesel engine, canopy, speedometer and manual dump box, 725 hrs. This unit has no diff lock as diff lock pin is sheared off. Serial #: B0055. • This equipment can be viewed on our website at www.flagstaff.ab.ca/opportunities/tenders or at the County Shop in Sedgewick and will be sold on an “as is basis”. Hours may vary slightly depending on time of sale. • Download a tender form from our website at www.flagstaff.ab.ca/opportunities/tenders or contact our Administration Office at 780-384-4123 to receive a tender form. • Please send bids in a sealed envelope marked “USED EQUIPMENT” to Flagstaff County Administration Office, Box 358, 12435 Twp Rd 442, Sedgewick, AB. •Closing date for bidding on items is Wednesday, April 5th, 2023 at 11:00:00 a.m. MDT. The highest or any tender not necessarily accepted. For further information, please contact: Kevin Kinzer, Shop Supervisor, at 780-390-0312.
SEALED TENDERS marked “2023 DAYSLAND GRADER SHED TENDER” will be received until 11:00:00 a.m. MST on Tuesday, April 18th, 2023, at the FLAGSTAFF COUNTY Administration Office, 12435 TWP RD 442, Sedgewick, AB T0B 4C0.
For more information, please visit: www.flagstaff.ab.ca/ opportunities/tenders.
Page 18 - The Community Press, Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Province ends MSI program and forecasts LGFF future funding Municipalities welcome news of long-term capital funding from Province Leslie Cholowsky Editor
Alberta’s Provincial Budget “Budget 2023” doubled the operating funding, to $60 million, provided to municipalities under the Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI), supplementing $485 million in capital funding also provided through MSI allocations for 2023-24. MSI funding will end in 2023, and be replaced by Local Government Fiscal Framework (LGFF), which is set to $722 million for the 2024-25 fiscal year. “An update to the LGFF Revenue Index Factor, from 50 per cent to 100 per cent will mean that annual capital funding for municipalities as provided by the province, will rise or fall by the exact same percentage as provincial revenues from three years prior,” announced the Province on Tuesday. “The 50 per cent revenue index factor was meant to provide stability in municipal funding in a resource-based economy. “However, municipalities said that they wanted full partnership – in good times and in bad – and we’ve listened. “This will mean a 12.6 per cent increase in funding for the second year of
the new formula,” says Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Municipal Affairs. The change means, too, that funding under the LGFF will increase to $813 million in 2025-26. That’s a three year total of $2 Billion. The Province says that Budget 2023 includes ‘top up funding’ that will ensure no Alberta municipality will receive a decrease in funding as the shift from MSI to LGFF occurs. Of the $721 million budgeted for 2024-25, $382 million is reserved for Calgary and Edmonton, the remaining $340 million is allotted to remaining municipalities. When the Province changed budgeting requirements for municipalities, to create and report long-term capital budgets under a revised Municipal Government Act, municipalities pushed back, demanding a long term funding plan to replace the expiring MSI plan, that would allow municipalities to plan for grant funding that would allow them to create long-term budgets by providing information about upcoming funding, instead of year-over-year announcements. In 2017, in response to the proposed draft of the corporate planning require-
Unreserved Real Estate & Retirement Auction Sale for Nick's Oilfield Welding Starts Opening March 31, 2023 & Closes on April 4th, 2023 Real Estate & Equipment Located in Killam, Alberta Street Address: 5607 51st Ave MACHINERY ***All Major Electrical Machinery is Single Phase*** Welding Truck
1988 Dodge 350 1 Ton 2wd Welding Truck w/ 360 V8 Gas Engine, 4 Spd Manual Trans, 6,000 Kms on a New Engine. Original Owner, Only 81,000 Kms Total on the Truck & Extremely Nice Condition. Sells with a 11' Welding Deck, Lincoln SA 200 Welder & Cables, Large Cabinets, Showing 6916 Hrs on the Welder & Supplies Welding Tools & Supplies
Lincoln SA200 Trailer Mtd. Portable Welder w/ Only 486 Hrs & Cables
Miller Dial Arc 250 Amp AC/DC Welder w/ Cables Acklands 1200 Mig Welder w/ Alum Welding Attach 2 - 2"x4" Pipe Bevel Machine 1 - 4"x8" Pipe Bevel Machine Several Oxy/Acetylene Cutting Torch Sets (No Bottles)
2 - Air Arc Gouger Attach Large Assort of Welding Rod Welding Rod Oven Assorted Welding Tables & Vices Iron Large Assort. of New Iron on Racks New Plate Iron Quantity of Round Shaft - Assorted Sizes & Lengths Assorted Used Iron Assorted Pipe Stands & Racks
Drill Press & Stand Nider 50B HD Drill Press (Condition Unknown) 9' High Warehouse Ladder on Wheels Westward Tap & Die Set Cut Off Saws, Bench Grinders Power Tools, Pipe Wrenches & C Clamps, Jack Stands & Floor Jacks, Creeper, Gear Pullers & Grease Guns Shop Supplies & Fluids Plus Much Much More
Miscellaneous Metal Cabinets, Commercial Shelving & a Shelving Unit 6 - Mercury Vapor Shop Lights Work Lights Trailer Assorted Truck Hitches 1996 Trail Tech 16' T/A Car Assorted Fuel Transfer Pump Hauler Trailer w/ Ramps & Bumper Jack Rear Stabilizer Stands 2 - Chain Come-A-Longs Shop Tools & Equipment Chain & Boomers Mac 20 Drawer Tool Box & Set of 5 School Lockers Chest w/ All Contents, Tools, Tiger Torch Air Tools & Sockets 4 - P215/65R17 Tires 12'6"W x 11'4"H Steel Gantry Onan 3500 Watt Gen Set on Wheels w/ 2 Ton Chain - Needs Carb Work, Hoist Presently Not Running Dominion Industrial Band Saw Car Ramps, Nuts & Bolts, Dayton Upright 2 Stage 5 Hp Fire Extinguisher, Brooms & Air Compressor Shovels, Pipe Clamps & Summit 11x13 Lathe Jerry Cans w/ Attachments & Chucks Office Furniture & Desk HD 50 Ton Shop Press Plus Much More
Owners Phone Numbers: (780) 385-2342
ment, then Alberta Urban Municipalities Association, now Alberta Municipalities, said, “It is difficult for municipalities to prepare three- and five-year financial plans without having the certainty of funding over these timeframes since the Province changes grant funding without notice.” In a 2017 submission outlining municipality’s frustrations with budgeting requirements without information on future grants, the Association asked the Province of a minimum of three years with regards to funding changes affecting capital and operating funding provided by the Province to municipalities. Tuesday’s announcements appear to be a big step in that direction. As the funding changes over from MSI to LFGG, municipalities will also face the challenge of a requirement to refund any unspent portion of operating funding back to the Province. Any amount that a municipality was unable to spend must now be repaid by Dec. 31, 2024, if it can’t be spent before then. In a summary of changes issued by the Province, it says or MSI Capital funding, the Province is saying that the time limit to use unpaid and unspent MSI funding will be strictly enforced
when MSI ends in 2023. “This means municipalities that have not spent their 20017-18 allocations, including credit items, on or before Dec. 31 will be required to refund the unspent portion. If any of those allocations (2007-18) remain unpaid when MSI ends, municipalities will permanent forfeit those unpaid allocations.” Further, municipalities will not be able to submit new projets and amended projects after Dec. 31. There are other changes that will require precise and prompt reporting of MSI expenditures and projects so as not to affect a municipality’s receipt of its 2022 allocation. Local 2023 MSI allocations include: Daysland $117,148 Capital funding and $117,070 operating funding; Hardisty, $107,234 capital funding and $36,308 operating; Killam, $136,534 capital and $87,562 operating; Sedgewick $120,718 capital and $76,984 operating; Alliance $57,932 capital and $59,426 operating; Forestburg $119,992 Capital and $207,472 operating; Heisler $58,001 capital and $60,592 operating; Lougheed $66,409 capital and $80,466 operating; and Flagstaff County $1,144,021 capital and $472,508 operating.
Legal: Plan 6031MC, Block A, Lot 1 & 2 Selling a Behlen 40'x60' Commercial Building on a 110'x158.5' Double Lot with Hwy #13 Frontage. The Building has 2 - 12'W by 13'H Over Head Doors on the North Side and 1 - 14'W by 13' H Overhead Door on the East Side, Plus 2 Man Doors. It also has a Natural Gas Boiler with Cement Floor & Radiant Heat, 125 Amp Service, Exhaust Fans, Office Space, Storage Above the Office & Washroom plus Eavestroughs & Telephone Service. 2022 Taxes: $2,452.33 Viewing by Appointment - Please Contact Nick at (780) 385-2342 Killam is a thriving, vibrant town with a population 989, located within the Flagstaff County, at the busy intersection of Hwy 36 & Hwy 13 in east central Alberta. The Town offers a full range of all the amenities you are looking for! Including an active hospital, public school, RCMP office and a strong, competitive retail sector. Real Estate Transactions are being Handled by Morrison Realty Kim Hughes (403) 704-3141 & Allen Olson (403) 783-0556 Real Estate Terms & Conditions: 10 % Down on Sale Day. Balance & Possession on or before May 4th, 2023. If Balance is NOT RECEIVED by May 4th, 2023 the Deposit will be Forfeited as Liquidation Damages. All measurements are approximate and need to be verified by the purchaser. Online Bidding Fees Apply - 4% up to a Max. of $800.00 per Item. License No. 165690
Viewing is Available from March 27th, 2023 to April 4th, 2023 9:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by Appointment The Office Trailer will be on Location on April 5th, 2023 Only from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Otherwise Payment must be made by coming directly to our Hwy #16/Rge Rd 185 Office or Rimbey Office. Load Out will be Available from April 5th to April 8th, 2023 from 9 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. or by Appointment. All Items Must be Removed No Later than April 8th, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. Machinery Terms & Conditions: Cash, Cheque or Debit Card. Online Bidding Fees Apply - 4% up to a Maximum of $800.00 per Item. 3.5% Admin Fee Will Be Charged on Credit Cards. G.S.T. Will Apply On All Items, All Items Must Be Paid For Prior to Pick Up. Listings are Subject to Additions & Deletions
Allen B. Olson Auction Service Ltd. Rimbey & Hwy #16 East/Rge Rd 185, Alberta (780) 208-2508 - Hwy #16 East/Rge Rd 185 (403) 843-2747 Rimbey - Toll Free 1-855-783-0556 Email: abolson@telusplanet.net - Homepage: allenolsonauction.com