St. Paul Regional Partners to Receive $379,500 in Funding

Projects approved under the Alberta Community Partnership Program.

Residents in the St. Paul Region will benefit from new and upgraded municipal servicing thanks to funding from the Government of Alberta for three projects through the Alberta Community Partnership Program. These projects represent important investments that will enhance community preparedness in the Region. Once complete, the work will significantly improve key municipal services for residents and help boost regional development.

The objective of the Alberta Community Partnership Program is to improve the viability and long-term sustainability of municipalities by providing support for regional collaboration and capacity- building initiatives. The Program provides funding to partnerships of two or more municipalities to develop or expand regional municipal service delivery while enhancing inter-municipal relationships through joint and collaborative activities.

“The Provincial Government has created an extremely valuable program that allows the St. Paul Region to capitalize on the strong relationships that we have with our neighbouring municipalities. We are always looking for ways to create economies of scale and get better value for our dollar. The ACP Program greatly aids us in accomplishing these goals and we appreciate the opportunity to access this funding” asserts County Chief Administrative Officer Sheila Kitz.

The following projects were approved in the St. Paul Region with the County of St. Paul, Town of Elk Point, Town of St. Paul, and Summer Village of Horseshoe Bay all participating:

• Paul Urban Multi-Jurisdictional Intermunicipal Development Plans Project ($200,000)
• Parks and Recreation Needs Analysis and Master Plan Project ($105,000)
• Street Lighting Retrofit Feasibility Study Initiative ($74,500)

“These initiatives further solidify our Region’s desire to continue working collaboratively with our neighbours to enhance programs and services for our residents. These grants validate and reinforce the work we are doing” states Reeve Steve Upham of the County of St. Paul.

The St. Paul Urban Multi-Jurisdictional Intermunicipal Development Plan Project will result in updated IDPs between the County and the Towns of Elk Point and St. Paul as well as a new IDP with the Summer Village of Horseshoe Bay. These IDP documents are being required under changes to the Municipal Government Act and the municipalities are aiming to be proactive by getting started on these plans.

The Parks and Recreation Needs Analysis and Master Plan Project will define the state of parks and recreation services in each respective municipality and the needs in each community moving forward. The Master Plan will aid the municipalities in making future recreation and parks servicing decisions and help foster a regional approach to recreational servicing compared to the more individualistic approach that has traditionally been followed.

The Street Lighting Feasibility Study and Strategy Initiative is being carried out to better understand each partner’s street lighting assets and the municipalities’ capacity to influence changes for improved energy efficiency and environmental stewardship through lighting improvements. With the recent Carbon Levy taking effect in Alberta, it behooves municipalities to find innovative ways to reduce their carbon footprint and reduce energy costs.

“I would like to thank the respective Councils and administrative personnel for their dedication and initiative in pursuing these funding opportunities. To innovate, you need collaboration. These projects demonstrate the Region’s continued commitment to being creative when delivering municipal services” declares Mayor Parrish Tung of the Town of Elk Point.

“It takes skilled leadership to make regional collaboration successful. As a small community, we do not always have the capacity to carry out the large-scale projects that we desire, but with our partners we have decided to persistently seek out collaborative and mutually-beneficial opportunities and we will continue to do so moving forward. The Summer Village is very proud to partner with our neighbours on these projects” opines Mayor Gary Burns of the Summer Village of Horseshoe Bay.

“By pooling resources with our neighbours, we have been able to make critical infrastructure investments that have positive and lasting effects on the quality of life for our residents. The Town is proud of the Region’s success with these grants as well as the strong and fruitful relationships we share with our neighbouring municipalities” says Mayor Glenn Andersen of the Town of St. Paul.