Neighbourhood Notes October 2017

NEIGHBOURHOOD NOTES October 2017

October 16 Marks Election Day in our County th

Kneehill County will have elec ons in 6 out of the 7 Divisions on municipal elec on day taking place across the province. Glen Keiver in Division 4 has been acclaimed and will be sworn in at the Organiza onal Mee ng Tuesday, October 24, 2017, along with the rest of the elec on winners.

Elec ons for the remaining Divisions will take place from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm at the following loca ons: Division 1 Candidates: Paul Andrew Faye McGhee Division 1 Vo ng Sta on: Carbon Community Hall 718 Glengarry St, Carbon

Division 3 Candidates: Jerry F Wi stock (I) Tara Sawyer Division 3 Vo ng Sta on: Acme Community Hall 139 Allison St., Acme

Division 2 Candidates: Division 5 Candidates: Reg Wiebe Robert Long (I) Debbie Penner Jim Hugo Division 2 Vo ng Sta on: Division 5 Vo ng Sta on: Swalwell Community Hall Kneehill County Office 214 Main St., Swalwell 1600 2nd St. NE, Three Hills For elec on informa on, please contact: Maureen Chalack, Returning Officer returningofficer@kneehillcounty.com or visit our website www.kneehillcounty.com

What’s Inside... 

Scholarship

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Winners  

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Transfer Site Hours

Ag Programs

Rural Awareness

Taxes Due

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Operations Update

Division 6 Candidates: James Wade Chris e Richard M. Vickery Laura Michielsen Division 6 Vo ng Sta on: Wimborne Community Centre 109 1 St., Wimborne Division 7 Candidates: Bobby Painter (I) Kenneth King Joseph Allen Wohl Division 7 Vo ng Sta on: Huxley Community Centre 205 Main St., Huxley

Trochu Flapjack Fiesta and Community Showcase Providing residents with information about local resources and programs. Free pancake supper provided by the Town of Trochu.

October 25 from 5:30-7:30 pm at Trochu Community Centre Volunteer Forum: November 15 from 5 - 8pm in Three Hills Representatives of volunteer organizations are invited to attend. To register, please call 403-443-3800 or email programassist@krfcss.com by November 10th.

Plant and Pest Identification Did you know that Ag Services can help you iden fy plant diseases and pests at your loca on?

Ag Service staff are happy to assist in the following ways: 1. Send an email with pictures to fallon.sherlock@kneehillcounty.com 2. Call Ag Services to schedule an on‐site visit, 403‐443‐5541. 3. DO NOT bring plants or pests to the Kneehill County Office or Shop.

Congratulations Scholarship Recipients Out of the 5 applica ons received, two scholarships of $2000 each were awarded, based on the following criteria:

Kelly Stockwood, Recipient of Kneehill County’s Community and Leadership Scholarship

Academic Scholarship Awarded to Evan Bell:  70% Academic Achievement 20% Wri en Essay 10% Le ers of Reference Community and Leadership Scholarship Awarded to Kelly Stockwood:  70% Wri en Essay 20% Le ers of Reference 10% Academic Achievement

Evan Bell, Recipient of Kneehill County’s Academic Scholarship

Taxes Due October 31, 2017 Kneehill County taxes can be paid at the County office by cash, cheque or debit, by cheque through the mail, at your financial ins tu on, online or by telephone banking. (Choose “Kneehill County Taxes” as the payee online. Roll number is the account number). We do not accept credit cards for tax payments. It is important to note the following:  Failure to receive or loss of the Property Tax No ce cannot be accepted as a reason for non‐payment or exemp on of a late penalty.  When paying your Tax Bill through on‐line banking, please allow adequate processing me before the due date as noted by your financial ins tu on (typically 3‐5 business days). Payments submi ed by mail must be CLEARLY POST‐MARKED on or before the due date. TAXES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 31, 2017. Kneehill County Office: 1600 2nd Street NE, Three Hills, AB Mail to: Box 400, Three Hills, AB, T0M 2A0. PLEASE NOTE: All charges on a tax account are the responsibility of the registered owner of the property. When you purchase a property, adjustments for taxes are made between the vendor and the purchaser and the taxes are expected to be paid in full by the current registered owner, by the due date, if outstanding.

Alberta Environmental Farm Plan This self‐assessment tool aids producers in iden fying and mi ga ng environmental risks. By comple ng an Environmental Farm Plan producers can become eligible for addi onal funding opportuni es and show consumers that they and the agriculture industry are commi ed to environmental sustainability. Now available online, comple ng and upda ng your Environmental Farm Plan has never been easier. Contact Kneehill County’s Land Care Coordinator, at 403‐443‐5541 or visit www.albertaefp.com for more informa on. Workshops are being planned for this winter so stay up to date by visi ng www.kneehillcounty.com.

Vintage Kneehill Look what we found in the archives: Historical slides! Watch Kneehill County’s Facebook page for more

Connect with Us! www.kneehillcounty.com Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @kneehillcounty

Affordable Energy Efficiency There are many technologies and prac ces farmers and ranchers can implement in their opera ons to reduce their energy footprint and protect (and possibly even increase) profit margins. Increasing energy efficiency o en requires an up‐front investment in order to obtain equipment that will save energy and money. The Government of Alberta, through Growing Forward 2 (GF2) a federal, provincial and territorial ini a ve, offers two incen ve‐based programs aimed at helping Alberta farmers and ranchers reduce energy consump on and thus, costs. The GF2 On‐Farm Energy Management Program (OFEMP) and the GF2 On‐Farm Solar Photovoltaic (OFSPV) Program offer farmers and ranchers the opportunity to become energy efficient by sharing the cost to purchase energy efficient or renewable technologies.

Eligible projects of OFEMP include: Construc on projects that install high‐efficiency equipment from the program’s Funding List;  Retrofit projects that improve opera on energy usage per unit of produc on; and  Installa on of submetres to monitor on‐farm electricity and/ or natural gas usage. Eligible OFSPV systems must be:  Grid‐ ed, not off‐grid;  Approved under Alberta's Micro‐Genera on Legisla on;  Posi oned to op mize sunshine and minimize shading;  Have manufacturer‐warran es on: Solar modules, Racking, Inverters and/or Micro‐inverters; and  Producing power that is used in the produc on of a primary commodity. 

Energy Outreach Officers are available to a end community events, talk about energy efficient technologies, as well as answer ques ons about the OFEMP and OFSPV Program and explain the benefits of these programs to farmers and ranchers. Regional Contact Informa on SouthGrow Regional Ini a ve: SouthGrow’s mission is “To accelerate and enhance quality of life, development and sustainability for the communi es of the SouthGrow region of Alberta.” Energy Outreach Officer: Vern Steinborn Phone: (403) 894‐0050 vern.steinborn@southgrow.com To learn more visit www.growingforward.alberta.ca

Growing Forward 2 Since the launch of the Growing Forward 2 program, 38 Kneehill County producers have par cipated in projects totaling over $267,000 collec vely! This government program is nearing the end but there is s ll some funding available. Check out www.GrowingForward.Alberta.ca to view program availability and apply to improve your farm, through programs such as the On‐Farm Solar Photovoltaics or Traceability Technology Adop on. Stay tuned for new programs coming in 2018!

Upcoming Ag Events 

Off‐Site Waterers & Watershed Management October 19, 2017

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Tools to Build your Cow Herd October 23, 2017

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Cow Calfenomics November 16, 2017

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Western Canadian Conference on Soil Health and Grazing December 5‐7, 2017

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Ladies Livestock Lessons, January 20, 2018

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Ranching Opportuni es February 8, 2018

Visit the Event Calendar at www.kneehillcounty.com for more informa on on these events.

200,000+ Visitors entered the lookout from May 1 ‐ October 5, 2017 7,188 Visitors throughout the August long weekend (Sat ‐ Mon) 125,000+ Vehicles from July 22, 2016 to October 5, 2017

Report Suspicious Vehicles: Be “Where” Aware! With the on the rise in Alberta, Kneehill County Peace Officers urge residents to report all suspicious ac vity to police. If repor ng a past event, call the RCMP in your jurisdic on.

For all crimes in progress, call 9‐1‐1. Do not follow suspicious vehicles. Know your loca on, and be ready to give the following informa on to Police:  License plate number, and province  Number of occupants and descrip on of occupants  Vehicle model, make, color and approximate year  Direc on of travel  Other descrip ons, ie. bumper s ckers, dents/damage/rust  Weapons seen or men oned

In an Emergency, can we find you? More and more people are ditching a home phone and relying on their cell phone instead. But did you know that emergency dispatch cannot trace cell phone calls as quickly as landlines?  ALWAYS KNOW YOUR LOCATION!  Make sure your house number is highly visible from the street (in Hamlets, Villages, Towns)  Make sure your blue rural sign is visible to First Responders  Write down your address for easy relay to dispatch.  When you’re away from home, note landmarks, and be conscious of highway numbers and direc ons, including the Range and Township roads.  BE “WHERE”AWARE! Every second counts. We are looking for Ci zens who believe in the importance and power of community. Ci zens in Ac on members will receive secret missions throughout the school year, via mail. These missions will develop, empower, and #catchkindness. These members will have the opportunity to represent their community as an Agent of Awesome, and they will #MAKEAWESOMEHAPPEN!

The CIA Is a leadership development program, built to enhance current and future leaders in our community. “Doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right me, for the right reasons.”

How do you become an Agent of Awesome? It's easy! Are you between the ages 5 and 105? Do you have an AWESOME a tude? Are you ready to make a difference in your community? Visit kneehillcounty.com and look for our secret symbol to get started!

Please note: Burning Barrels are not allowed in Hamlets.

AlbertaFireBans.ca provides informa on on all ac ve fire bans, restric ons and advisories in Alberta. The informa on is current, reliable and available to the public. www.albertafirebans.ca

Transportation Projects 

Slide repairs at SW 5‐28‐20 complete

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Shoulder pull completed in 2017, totaling 72 miles

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Range Road 26‐0 (Keiver’s Lake Rd) has had asphalt applied to road top from Hwy 583 to park entrance

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Total gravel used across all divisions, to the end of August, is 94,743 tonnes

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Micro‐surface applied to Buffalo Jump Road and Range Road 25‐1

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Fall work includes:  slide repair on Range Road 25‐5 at NW 5‐32‐25  Range Road 25‐1 realign dirt trail  Culvert replacements and two bridge culvert repairs  Install sidewalk

from medical clinic to hospital  Ditching and new

culverts for 2 miles on Range Road 24‐1 south of Township Road 31‐0  Grass seeding of

shoulder pull and dirt trail improved roads

Tire Recycling Tires are accepted for recycling at the following transfer sites:  Torrington Transfer Site (SW 20‐32‐26 W4)  Linden Transfer Site (NE 19‐30‐25 W4)

Allowable Tires  All passenger/light truck res  All semi res  Any OTR re with a rim size 39” or less  AG res

Non‐Allowable Items  Tracks for snowmobiles, skid steers or large equipment  Forkli res that have either a steel band inside or are solid  Foam filled res  Plas c  Bel ng  Rubber Hosing

Kneehill Area Solid Waste Transfer Station Facilities * Summer Hours May 1 to September 30. ** Winter Hours October 1 to April 30.

Unacceptable Materials will be refused!

Box 400 Three Hills, AB. T0M 2A0

Thank you to our volunteer firefighters!