M.D. OF BONNYVILLE – A proposed 300-person work camp south of Highway 55 will not be moving ahead after M.D. of Bonnyville council rejected the application, despite the company coming back with a redesigned site plan aimed at easing concerns from its closest neighbour.

Northgate Equipment and Supply Ltd. was looking to establish the temporary work camp on a 9.98-acre property along Highway 897, about 2,000 feet south of the Highway 55 intersection.

The application first came before council in July but was tabled after concerns were raised about putting a camp of that size next to an existing rural residence.

When Northgate returned to council on August 11, the company came with changes.

Northgate goes back to the drawing board

“We heard loud and clear the questions and concerns raised at the initial hearing,” Northgate representative Paul Dugay told council.

The company redesigned the site to move much of the activity away from the neighbouring property to the south.

Employee parking was moved toward the centre of the development, water and sewer servicing was relocated to the north side and the internal road system was changed to direct traffic into the centre of the site.

Dormitories were moved around the outside of the camp, while higher-activity areas such as the kitchen, dining and recreation facilities were concentrated in the middle.

Dugay said the revised layout created more than 115 feet of separation from the southern property line and the company also proposed security fencing and controlled access around the site.

Northgate committed to making the facility a dry camp, with alcohol, illegal drugs and recreational cannabis prohibited on the property.

The changes were all made with the neighbouring residence in mind.

However, Ward 2 Councillor Caroline Palmer noticed the new plan still showed 48 parking stalls along the southern boundary.

Dugay agreed those stalls could be removed, with parking moved farther into the centre of the development.

Neighbour still had questions

For the neighbouring landowner, the redesign helped, but it didn’t answer all of her concerns.

She returned to council with questions about increased traffic, lighting, sewage and waste management, environmental impacts, how the property would be managed around the clock and what would happen to the site once the camp was no longer needed.

The original concerns submitted to the M.D. centred around what a camp housing hundreds of workers could mean for the peace, quiet and privacy of the neighbouring home.

Administration told council that third-party contractors would handle water, wastewater, and domestic waste. Highway 897 falls under Alberta Transportation’s jurisdiction and the project would require provincial approval.

Council also heard an environmental impact study was not required under the M.D.’s Land Use Bylaw for a development of this scale.

Industrial growth meets rural living

The bigger question around the council table was whether the location was the right fit.

Northgate has owned the property since 1986, and the site sits next to the West 55 Industrial Park. The proposed camp was intended to accommodate workers connected to industrial development and CFB Cold Lake infrastructure projects.

Deputy Reeve Ben Fadeyiw said council had to weigh both sides.

“We built these industrial parks for a reason to keep a lot of the noise away,” Fadeyiw said, while also pointing out Northgate has owned the property for decades.

“It’s a fine balance.”

Ward 5 Councillor Brian Koluk questioned why the camp couldn’t remain within the industrial area.

“I think it should be back where they originally started myself,” Koluk said.

Northgate argued the project would also benefit the local economy, telling council the camp could create up to 50 local jobs while using area contractors, suppliers and services.

Council ultimately says no

Administration had recommended approving the 300-person work camp as a discretionary use.

The proposed permit would have allowed the camp to operate until August 11, 2031, after which Northgate would have needed another permit or would have been required to reclaim the property.

Palmer ultimately moved to approve the application with an additional condition removing the remaining parking stalls along the southern boundary.

But after the lengthy discussion, the motion was defeated.

That means Development Permit 2026-D-119 will not move forward under the application considered by council.

For Northgate, it marked the end of an application that had undergone a redesign and a second trip to the council table. For the neighbouring landowner, council’s decision means the proposed 300-person camp won’t be setting up next door.