Council Highlights : Town of Bonnyville

Town of Bonnyville

Council Highlights

Regular Council Meeting

Nov. 9

DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT APPOINTMENT: Due to the departure of Bonnyville Regional Fire Chief Jay Melvin, a new director of emergency management had to be appointed as Melvin’s departure left the position vacant. Council passed a motion approving the appointment of acting Deputy Fire Chief Dan Heney as the Town’s Director of Emergency Management.

RCMP ANNUAL REVIEW: Bonnyville RCMP S/Sgt. Sarah Parke presented the quarterly Community Policing Report that covered the period from July 1 to Sept. 30, 2021. The detachment continued to focus on their two priorities, community engagement and crime reduction, during that timeframe through numerous different ways, including the August focus on New Drivers, the Bonnyville General Investigation Section (GIS) overseeing the Habitual Offender Management program, as well as focus on drug trafficking and possession enforcement. Although community engagement was impacted by COVID-19, local members still managed to participate in local events and to host a Bike Rodeo. Between July and Sept., there were a total of 104 persons crime reported, along with 359 property crime and 81 other criminal code offences in the Bonnyville detachment area.

GREEN SOLUTIONS CANNABIS: Council approved the development permit for Green Solutions Cannabis at 4809W 50 Ave. The location requested fell outside of the minimum 150 metre set back, apart from one park noted property. There were 61 notifications mailed out to adjacent landowners and the Town received one objection from those who were contacted. The development will have to comply with all federal and provincial legislation to obtain and maintain licensing.

INDIGENOUS LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Town administration will be reaching out to local Indigenous communities for their input and feedback on a proposed land acknowledgement that Council will read before each meeting. Council stressed the importance of the acknowledgement being phrased the way local communities would prefer as opposed to what Council would like it to be. This topic will come back to Council at a future meeting to be adopted and adjustments be made to meeting bylaws.

TRAIL PROGRAM UPDATE: Council was provided an update on the 2021 Trail Programs. Repairs along the north side of Jessie Lake and both phases of the 66^th St. Trail, which connects the MD of Bonnyville’s trail at 66^th St. to Gurneyville Road, were awarded for construction and are either completed or near completion. Additionally, two trail related projects that include the C2 to Beau Vista trail construction and lowering Jessie Lake analysis project have not been finished to date.