Town passes three motions related to Bill C-69

The Town of Bonnyville and local municipalities is continuing to fight Bill C-69.

Bonnyville will support Lloydminster’s attempt to convince the Senate committee to stop in the border city.

The Senate committee will travel to eight communities to listen to feedback on the controversial federal bill.

The nearest places to Bonnyville so far planned on the tour is Saskatoon, Calgary, and Fort McMurray.

The Town has been trying to lead the municipal charge when it comes to fighting the bill. Mayor Gene Sobolewski says they’ll be going to Fort McMurray.

“We’re going to be taking a two-pronged approach to it as well. One hitting the roadshow in probably Fort Mac and encourage other members to go the nearest centre to hammer that message how Bill C-69 is going to be impacting municipalities, particularly resource communities or energy communities like ourselves,” said Sobolewski.

“Then hopefully around the second or third week in April, we’ll see whether or not we’ll get to appear before the Senate itself and then fan out with this lobby.”

The town also made a motion to support the AUMA’s efforts in uniting against Bill C-69.

Bonnyville agreed to join the AUMA’s Resource Communities of Canada which is meant to advocate for responsible resource industry, ensure municipal perspectives are being on issues impacting resource development, and share factual information regarding resource development interests.

“Again, it’s something similar to ours, but when we start talking about these larger organizations, they have a number of different issues that they lobby. They’re actually a lobby group to a certain extent.

“They are undertaking a similar program to ourselves and they’re encouraging us to make sure hammer home with our message because it’s direct. It’s right from mayors and reeves mouths to the senators not through an organization. They want to do something a little more pan-Canadian, so we did make a motion to support the AUMA as well in the same message because we’re all in this together.