VOL. 69 NO. 11
66 YEARS OF SERVING THE COMMUNITY
Lakeland REA charges forward
Joe Machney Reporter Over the past week from March 7 to March 10, the members of the Lakeland REA were asked to step up to the voting station to decide whether the works of the Lakeland REA should be sold to ATCO Electric or if it should remain in the hands of the co-op. This landmark decision determined the future of Lakeland REA. “We had an overall 70% participation turnout with a 44% no vote and a 56% yes vote. That means that the members voted to retain the REA. Overall our board and staff are anxious to get back to operating the REA and we’re going to strive to make the REA stronger for the benefit of all of our members. There has been lots of REAs and co-ops from across Alberta watching this vote
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2016
Lakeland REA 0210 Members of the REA gather to cast their vote at the polling stations in the Vegreville Elks Hall.
and the positive outcome will benefit all REAs and co-ops in the province. What we went through has the potential of happening to other co-ops,” Lakeland REA President Bernie Klammer said. “I think a lot of our members realize that if they were customers of big utilities they wouldn’t have had the right to vote as an option. This voting process gave them the opportunity to exercise their democratic right and decide on the future of their co-op.” “Members had two votes and the yes vote had the dollar signs and was their attraction and gave a little better incentive for members to participate verses the philosophical no vote which offered the understanding that the ownership is vitally important to the long-term sustainability,” Klammer concluded. CONTINUED TO PAGE 11
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