VOLUME: 2014 • EDITION: 1
COUNTY CHRONICLE
Improvements at New Sarepta Agri-Plex unveiled FEATURED ARTICLES Annexation update Road permit pilot project huge success Managing livestock predators Warburg Seed Cleaning Plant 50th anniversary Snowfall statistics ‘50 for 50’ geocache winners announced Upcoming annual youth conference
Local hockey players, MLA George Rogers, Mayor John Whaley and division one councillor Rick Smith at the New Sarepta Agri-Plex on January 10. article on page 2
Leduc County 101, 1101-5 Street, Nisku, AB T9E 2X3 780-955-3555
1-800-379-9052
communications@leduc-county.com
www.leduc-county.com
@leduccounty
facebook.com/leduccounty
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Improvements at New Sarepta Agri-Plex unveiled The new year brought great changes to the New Sarepta Agri-Plex. After nine months of intensive construction, the New Sarepta and District Agricultural Society, in partnership with Leduc County, unveiled the first component of the facility’s overhaul: the dressing rooms. The upgrade, revealed on January 10, more than doubles the size of the previous dressing rooms, increasing the space from just 227 square feet to 540 square feet. This enhancement was much needed for local users and will help attract sporting clubs from around the region to the facility. “Community stakeholders should be commended for their commitment to this project and to their community,” said Rick Smith, division one councillor. “The enhancements at this facility will entice county residents and those from around the capital region to come to New Sarepta.”
At the dressing room unveiling, Leduc-Beaumont MLA George Rogers presented the New Sarepta and District Agricultural Society with a $125,000 grant from the Community Facility Enhancement Program to be used towards the expansion. “I’m very pleased the provincial government had the opportunity to contribute to this important project to serve the people of New Sarepta,” said Rogers. “I applaud the organizers for having a regional vision for this project.” The dressing room improvement is just one component of the facility overhaul, which includes the creation of a seniors’ centre, fitness facility and community event space. The New Sarepta Agri-Plex Expansion project is expected to cost $6.848 million. Leduc County has committed up to $6.7 million, to be offset by grant funding, sponsorship commitments and community funding. Community groups have raised more than $250,000 to date. The New Sarepta Agri-Plex was established in 1972 and has undergone a series of renovations since its initial construction. The current facility expansion, which began in April 2013, is expected to be completed in June 2014.
PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40858010 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Leduc County, Suite 101, 1101 - 5 St., Nisku, AB T9E 2X3
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Road permit pilot project a huge success In 2012, Leduc County Enforcement Services implemented a partnership with Alberta Transportation to automatically process and approve local road permits within the Nisku Industrial Business Park. This was done using the Province’s internet-based program called TRAVIS. Later that same year, a manual permitting system was piloted by RoaData Services for all local roads within Leduc County. Enforcement Services employed RoaData Services to receive, process and approve manual local road permit applications from commercial vehicle carriers on behalf of Leduc County. Permits that weren’t manually processed by RoaData Services were processed through TRAVIS. There is no cost to Leduc County to use these systems; applicants pay for permits on a per-use basis. This project was designed to test the efficiency and quality of service provided to the transportation industry seeking permits from Leduc County. Users had (and now continue to have) access to 24-hour permitting services through TRAVIS and RoaData Services.
Results from the pilot project were extremely successful. From October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2013, the following permits were processed: Manual permits processed by RoaData Services: 2,778 Auto-approved permits processed by TRAVIS: 7,723 Total permits: 10,501 This number far exceeds the permits that were processed in 2011, which was 3,241. By using RoaData Services, Leduc County’s level of service has increased dramatically. In addition to providing the transportation industry with higher quality service, Leduc County Peace Officers have 24-hour access to permit details through the RoaData Services website. This system also allows for increased expertise for special projects, such as coordinating construction projects. Because of the high success rate, Leduc County will continue its partnership with RoaData Services. For more information on RoaData Services and permits, please call Leduc County Enforcement Services at 780-979-2110.
enforcement services
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Prevention is the key to managing predators Livestock owners must engage in preventative predator management As calving season gets underway, livestock owners should assess their predator management practices. Coyotes are highly motivated scavengers possessing an inborn ability to recognize and take advantage of distressed or defenseless animals. They rarely attack and kill healthy livestock, but they will readily take advantage of sick or injured stock. Calves and lambs less than two-months old, particularly those in a weak or sickly condition, represent the majority of livestock prey. Dead animals are coyotes’ main winter diet. The presence of carrion on farms attracts coyotes and teaches them to return to the site looking for the same and other prospects. Improper disposal of carrion by one neighbour can cause problems for others in the area. The Alberta Livestock Diseases Act requires dead animals to be disposed of within 48 hours. Under the Livestock Diseases Act, acceptable methods of disposal include rendering, composting, burial and burning. Special direction is required for an animal suspected to have died from an infectious or reportable disease. Copies of the Alberta Livestock Diseases Act or Livestock Mortality Management (Disposal) can be obtained from Alberta Agriculture and Food Publications by calling 1-800-292-5697 or online at www.agric.gov.ab.ca.
Coyotes are opportunists that prey on the weak such as newborn calves and lambs, or cows in difficult labour.
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What can you do? Engage in responsible management practices. proactive supervision of animals during calving will help producers reduce the threat of predation. Livestock owners concerned about nuisance coyotes can shoot them on their own property or may give permission to permit holders of trapping licenses to trap, snare or shoot coyotes on their property. For more information about trapping licenses, please contact your local Fish and Wildlife office by calling 310-ESRD (3773). Leduc County’s Agricultural Services department can provide guidance to assist livestock producers with management choices as well as aiding in the removal of coyotes where permissible. You can contact Leduc County’s Pest Control services through the Agricultural Services department by phone at 780-955-4593 or 1-800-379-9052.
Quick disposal of all dead livestock, stillborns and afterbirth is important in reducing attractants to the calving/cattle feeding area.
agricultural services
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50 years is cause for celebration Agriculture is an ever-changing industry. Faced with challenges in climate, disease, pests, urban development and changing consumer demand, producers must continually adapt their farming practices and operations. The emergence of rapidly-evolving science and technologies definitely support the sustainability of the agriculture industry, but sometimes the simplest solution is also one of the best solutions. It’s a basic concept: if something is dirty, you clean it. Enter the Warburg Seed Cleaning Plant. For 50 years, the Warburg Seed Cleaning Plant has supported local agriculture producers by offering the following services:
• Cleaning cereal grains • Selling grains and forage seed • Renting seeding equipment In 2011, with the support of Leduc and Brazeau Counties, they added a colour sorter to their plant and upgraded their old wind-and-screen; this allowed them to sort and separate seed by size, colour, imperfections and type more efficiently. The practice of seed cleaning has endured the tests of time. Having the ability to clean their own seed benefits producers by allowing them to save money, realize better germinations rates, reduce the amount of weed seeds in their seed source, prevent the spread of disease (ergot) and have a sense of pride in growing their own seed. In late March, the Warburg Seed Cleaning Plant will host a celebration in honour of their 50 years of success. Everyone is invited to celebrate their past successes, applaud their ingenuity in remaining sustainable and learn about their plans for the future. Check your local papers for more information on a date and time. For more information, please contact the Warburg Seed Cleaning Plant at 780-848-2365.
agricultural services
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County and City of Leduc partner on future sustainability solutions Municipalities formalize a mutually-beneficial and established practice On February 4, Leduc County officially approved their intent to partner with the City of Leduc with an agreement to share services, goods and equipment, which identifies intermunicipal support and cooperation for effective and cost-efficient methods to supplement existing municipal resources. This agreement is a first of its kind for both municipalities. While both municipalities have been working together for several years, this just formalizes their intermunicipal efforts and provides clarity by setting out clear protocol where each municipality may call upon the resources of the other. Each municipality will use reasonable best efforts to respond to the other’s request; however, with the understanding that resources will only be made available if they’re not required by the primary municipality. “This is the first step in what we hope will be an ever-evolving partnership with the city to share goods, services and equipment,” says Des Mryglod, director of Public Works and Engineering with Leduc County. “Not only does this agreement allow us to share with and support one another, but it also allows both municipalities to more effectively manage resources by avoiding duplication, learning from each other and saving money.” This agreement identifies the following elements: • Mutual benefit • Safety • Request procedure for service, goods and equipment • Procedures for invoicing and terms of payment • General insurance and liability covenants • Per municipality, service cost maximum of $75,000 per year • Operating and service covenants This agreement shows both the County and City are thinking regionally. Future deliverables will include
an integrated strategy for the joint development of both municipalities including: • prioritized projects for transportation, water, sanitary sewer and storm water • potential growth scenarios for 5/15/25-year thresholds • prioritized highway network improvements required to support growth in the above thresholds • potential operational efficiencies through joint integration for utilities, road operation, parks maintenance, etc. • review of existing and proposed planning and engineering documents and identification of areas for future joint planning/ engineering initiatives between the County and the City “This agreement just makes sense,” says Leduc County Mayor John Whaley. “We’ve been working together for years and this initiative allows us to take our partnership to the next level – the regional level – in an effort to do what is not only in the best interests of our respective municipalities, but also in that of the entire region.”
Current sharing examples include: our bobcat recently worked in the City’s snow dump. The City does street sweeping for the County
Another critical element to this partnership is the ability for both municipalities to jointly set priorities for future growth, development and transportation. This is especially important when presenting regional priorities to other levels of government or when applying for grants. Regional strength truly is in collaboration and the more municipalities and other key stakeholders work together, the more they can achieve.
regional collaboration
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Current annexation proposals and approvals (as of February 1, 2014)
V U
D
St. Francis
Telfordville
V U 622
Calmar
770
V U
Buford
795
V U
Thorsby
V U
Sunnybrook
Warburg
770
V U
778
V U
20
V U
39
V U
W iz ar d L a ke 771
V U
616
Sundance Beach Itaska Beach
Pig e on La k e
V U 616
Golden Days Argentia Beach
For details on these four annexations, see page 10.
V U 60
Devon
V U
Nisku
V U
Looma
Beaumont 625
19
Jo s ep h La k e New Sarepta
V U 623
Rolly View
814
V U
21
V U
V U
Leduc
39
Kavanagh
V U 616
822
V U
2
2A
V U
V U
2
V U
795
V U
mar
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Proposed Annexations within Leduc County: Edmonton Beaumont Devon Leduc (Complete)
annexation
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Current annexation proposals Town of Beaumont • April 30, 2013: Town of Beaumont announced its intent to annex 24 quarter sections of land (3,796 acres) from Leduc County. • The proposed annexation would more than double the Town of Beaumont’s current size. • The proposed annexation area is identified as a priority growth area in the Capital Region Plan. • Leduc County and the Town of Beaumont have held a series of mediated discussions since the notice was issued. • Next steps: Leduc County will host an open house in March to update the public on the proposed annexation. Town of Devon • November 2013: Town of Devon announced its intention to jointly amend the Leduc County and Town of Devon Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP). • January 27, 2014: The Town of Devon submitted is formal letter of intent to annex roughly three quarter sections of land from Leduc County. • To date, the proposed annexation area has been considered for industrial and commercial development within the IDP. With potential industrial development to the south of Devon, both municipalities agree these lands should be reconsidered for residential development with a commercial corridor along Highway 19. • NEXT STEPS: an amendment to the IDP will be required to identify these lands as residential in order to support the annexation bid. This amendment must be approved by the Capital Region Board. • Discussions between Leduc County and the Town of Devon are ongoing. City of Edmonton • April 11, 2012: Leduc County and the City of Edmonton signed a letter of intent, detailing a one-year collaborative process the two municipalities would engage in to coordinate growth. Prior to the expiration of the one-year period, the City of Edmonton submitted its annexation proposal. • March 5, 2013: The City of Edmonton announced its intent to annex roughly 38,000 acres from Leduc County, including the airport lands and a portion of the Nisku Industrial Business Park. • The proposed annexation represents a 17-per-cent reduction in Leduc County’s current tax base (not including future growth). • Leduc County residents and neighbouring municipalities will be significantly impacted if the proposed annexation proceeds – tax increases and service level decreases are probable. • The proposed annexation area includes all priority growth areas for Leduc County, as outlined by the Capital Region Plan, significantly impeding Leduc County’s ability to grow. • Leduc County believes there are alternatives to annexation and encourages residents to get informed about the proposed annexation and get involved in the annexation process. • Next steps: Leduc County will host a series of open houses in April to update residents on the proposed annexation process. • For more information, visit www.leduc-county.com/annexation. City of Leduc (complete) • January 1, 2014: City of Leduc successfully annexed 1,300 acres of land from Leduc County. • City of Leduc and Leduc County followed a three-year joint-planning process, together completing: o A growth study o A joint intermunicipal plan • The model process the two municipalities engaged in led to an annexation approval with no objections received by the Municipal Government Board.
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Social-emotional kits to address need in Leduc region Leduc County and its regional partners are committed to ensuring children in the region have the tools needed for strong emotional development. Social-emotional kits were distributed in January by the Leduc Regional ECMap Coalition to various community facilities to address a need in the community, as outlined in the most recent Early Development Instrument (EDI) findings. “These findings detail how roughly one in three children in Leduc County, or 32.6 per cent, are experiencing difficulty with emotional maturity,” says Tonya Sabourin, Parent Link coordinator and chair of the Leduc Regional Early Childhood Development Mapping project (ECMap) Coalition. “This signals a need in the community that we feel is vital to address early on in life.” Each social-emotional kit contains resources for children and adults, including five children’s books focused on identifying and communicating emotions, as well as a resource package designed to help parents understand the importance of developing these skills.
“These kits are designed to support parents and children, through educating parents on the importance of sound emotional development while providing children with resources to build these important skills,” Sabourin says. A total of 80 social-emotional kits were made available in the region at facilities such as libraries, FCSS offices, kindergarten classrooms and daycare facilities. For a full listing of facilities with social-emotional kits, please visit www.leduc-county.com/ecmap/findings/kits. The Leduc Regional ECMap Coalition is comprised of service providers, early childhood professionals and community members from Leduc County, the City of Leduc, the Town of Devon, the Town of Calmar, the Village of Thorsby, the Village of Warburg and the Graminia area of Parkland County. This group plans and promotes community-based supports for young children and families, in accordance with ECMap. ECMap is an Alberta Education initiative, which conducts research on early childhood development in communities across the province. This research is shared with various communities so families, service continued on page 12
fcss
12 continued from page 11
providers, educators, communities and policy makers can respond appropriately to the needs in their community. The EDI is a standardized tool used to assess kindergarten-aged children whereby teachers complete a questionnaire for each child in the classroom and submit the data for analysis. The most recent EDI report, which can be viewed at www.leduc-county.com/ecmap/findings, was released in September 2012. Since then, the Leduc Regional ECMap Coalition has studied the results and determined that social-emotional kits would be an effective method to address this need. Leduc County’s Family and Community Support Services department, through Parent Link and Early Childhood Resources, offers programs throughout the year to promote and foster healthy emotional development.
“(I) just heard about Ish being selected as part of the social-emotional development kits…(Peter) says he is truly honoured! Thank you for all the critically important work you are doing.” – Paul Reynolds, twin brother to Ish author Peter Reynolds
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Diversity: Dare to Stand Out! Annual youth conference to be held in Warburg Leduc County’s youth will once again gather for the annual Leduc County youth conference. This year’s conference, to be held on Friday, March 14 at the Warburg School, is part of the Dare to Stand Out! national conference series sponsored by Jeremy Dias and Jer’s Vision (jersvision.org). Jeremy and his organization work with youth to address issues surrounding homophobia and transphobia in their schools and communities.
For Youth: The workshops at the March 14 conference will focus on cultural, racial and gender diversity as well as bullying prevention, friendship building, team-building, sexual health and healthy choices. Participants will walk away from this conference with tools and
resources to take back to their schools and communities for discussion and possible implementation. Student participation is coordinated through their respective schools. The target student group is those in grades 9-12.
For Families: On March 13, families, friends and other members of the community are invited to a special evening presentation by keynote speaker Jeremy Dias. This is an opportunity for all those people who support our youth to hear of the challenges some youth face when expressing their diversity or supporting others. This is a great conference for our entire community to come together to not only understand these
For more information, please contact Judy Dumont, Family Support and Youth Services worker at 780-955-6421.
challenges, but to also have an open discussion of ways to address these challenges and support our youth. Please join us at the Thorsby Junior-Senior High School on March 13 at 7 p.m. Leduc County is pleased to support this event. Thirty-five students have worked through many lunch hours with the support and mentorship of Judy Dumont, with Leduc County Family and Community Support Services, to organize and host this event. The dedication and maturity of the youth should be applauded for coordinating an event of this nature and magnitude. In total, approximately 160 youth from across Leduc County will have the opportunity to come together to learn more about the positive effects of diversity, how to celebrate diversity and even make a few new friends.
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Winner announced for geocache event ‘50 for 50’ Geocachers from across Alberta participated in Leduc County’s geocache event, ‘50 for 50,’ which saw 50 treasures hidden throughout the region to mark Leduc County’s 50th anniversary.
Some of the geocache locations included:
Leduc County is pleased to award Shelley and Cody Davis of Warburg the grand prize for finding all 50 geocaches. The grand prize included a barbecue set, Leduc County binoculars, a pedometre and various other items that were geocache-related. “We congratulate Shelley and Cody Davis, and thank all participants of ‘50 for 50’ for celebrating Leduc County’s 50th anniversary,” says Rick Thomas, General Manager of Community Services. “This unique and fun challenge allowed residents to explore their community and encouraged geocachers from all over to discover Leduc County for the first time.”
Yardley Jones Park, New Sarepta
More than 200 geocachers of all levels participated in the six-month challenge, logging a total of 2,697 finds. Leduc County partnered with the LeducCountyCachers, a local geocaching group, to host ‘50 for 50.’ “Leduc County’s 50th anniversary gave the LeducCountyCachers an opportunity to share the world of geocaching with residents and share Leduc County with geocachers from all over,” says Hugh Walford with the LeducCountyCachers. “We are extremely pleased with the success of the event and congratulate Shelley and Cody!” Geocaching is an outdoor recreational activity which requires participants to hide and seek objects – referred to as “geocaches” or “caches” – using a Global Positioning System (GPS) and other navigational techniques.
Welcome to Leduc County signs
Wizard Lake
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Snowfall statistics Leduc County responded to 22 online snowplow requests during last year’s winter (October to April). So far this year, Leduc County has responded to 22. Leduc County crews have been hard at work this winter ensuring all Leduc County roadways are plowed in a timely fashion to allow residents and commuters safe travel to and from their destinations. To request snowplowing services or to inquire about Leduc County’s snowplowing procedures, please call 780-979-6185. To request snowplowing services on all provincial highways, please call Carillion at 1-800-390-2242.
2013-2014 First snowfall: October 27, 2013 (1.1 cm) Last snowfall: TBD Month
Snow (cm)
High (C)
Low (C)
Average (C)
Extreme high (C)
Extreme low (C)
October
1.1
11.8
3.5
4.2
19.4
-15.1
November
45.0
-3
-13.5
-8.3
10.4
-33.6
December
40.6
-8.8
-21.1
-15
5.3
-39.0
January
16.7
-1.9
-14.2
-8
8.8
-38.3
February March April
2012-2013 First snowfall: October 12, 2012 (3.4 cm) Last snowfall: April 29, 2013 (1.4 cm) Month
Snow (cm)
High (C)
Low (C)
Average (C)
Extreme high (C)
Extreme low (C)
October
3.4
9.5
-3.2
3.2
21.5
-13.5
November
15.6
-4.2
-13.4
-8.8
9.3
-25.5
December
19.2
-11.3
-23.6
-17.3
-0.2
-32.1
January
29.8
-6.4
-17
-11.7
6.4
-28.1
February
11.3
-0.7
-12.4
-6.6
5.5
-20.2
March
22.8
-2.2
-15.1
-8.7
7.1
-27
April
13.6
3.4
-6.7
-1.7
SOURCE: Environment Canada, Edmonton International Airport
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Upcoming agriculture events: March 4: Warburg Seed Cleaning Plant breakfast meeting Time: 8 a.m. to noon Please RSVP for the breakfast, as seating is limited. Location: Sunnybrook Community Hall (1110, 49019 Range Road 22, Leduc County) Cost: no charge To register: phone 780-955-4593 or email lucinda@leduc-county.com
March 6: Solar Energy Information Session in partnership with County of Wetaskiwin Time: supper at 6 p.m. followed by presentation Location: Millet Agriplex (5290-45 Avenue, Millet) Cost: $10 (payable at the door) To register: contact Kim at 780-387-6182, kimb@leduc-county.com or kbarkwell@county.wetaskiwin.ab.ca
March 11: Farm Dugout Construction with Darcy Talma, Water Specialist, Alberta Agriculture Time: 6 to 9 p.m. Location: Pipestone Community Hall (472038 Range Road 265, County of Wetaskiwin) Cost: no charge To register: contact Heather Dickau at 780-955-4593 or heatherm@leduc-county.com
March 19: Riparian Workshop: “Is Your Crick Sick?” in partnership with County of Wetaskiwin Time: 7 to 9 p.m. Location: Yeoford Community Hall (465076 Range Road 31, County of Wetaskiwin) Cost: no charge To register: contact Kim at 780-387-6182, kimb@leduc-county.com or kbarkwell@county.wetaskiwin.ab.ca
March 20: Farm Dugout Construction with Darcy Talma, Water Specialist, Alberta Agriculture Time: 6 to 9 p.m. Location: Sunnybrook Community Hall (1110, 49019 Range Road 22, Leduc County) Cost: no charge To register: contact Heather Dickau at 780-955-4593 or heatherm@leduc-county.com Corrections: Winter 2013 edition Page 17: Ruth Harrison should have been designated as Councillor Ruth Harrison in the photo caption. Page 19: the date of the Rolly View Community Association’s Drawdown dinner and dance will take place on Saturday, November 1.
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Leduc County, Suite 101, 1101 - 5 St. Nisku, AB T9E 2X3