M.D. OF BONNYVILLE – A local oilfield company is getting some room to grow north of La Corey.

M.D. of Bonnyville council has approved plans from LSC Industrial to build a new 5,350-square-foot shop on its existing property about two miles north of the Hamlet of La Corey.

The company already operates in the area, providing construction, repair and maintenance services for pipelines, facilities and equipment in the oil and gas industry.

The new shop will replace an existing structure that no longer meets current requirements.

Local operation employs up to 40 people

While much of LSC Industrial’s work happens out in the field at customer locations, the La Corey property serves as an operational home base for a company doing a pretty wide range of oilfield work.

LSC Industrial works in facility construction and maintenance, pipeline and structural fabrication, along with specialized services including in-service pipeline welding and exotic-metal fabrication.

The company also handles screw, driven and concrete piling, crane and picker services, pipeline integrity digs and heavy-duty recovery.

That means the La Corey operation supports everything from fabrication and welding to major construction and maintenance jobs happening throughout the oil and gas industry.

At the local site, crews use equipment including forklifts, cranes and trucks, with steel, piping, fittings, tools and construction equipment stored on the property.

LSC Industrial currently employs at least 12 people, with its workforce growing to as many as 40 employees when contracts are underway.

The business generally operates from the La Corey-area site Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., although much of the actual work is carried out at clients’ locations.

The new 5,350-square-foot shop will provide a compliant building on site to support those operations and replace the existing structure.

No concerns from neighbours

The 141-acre property is zoned agricultural, so the industrial operation needed council approval as a discretionary use.

The M.D. notified neighbouring landowners about the application in August. Administration told council it hadn’t received any letters or calls raising concerns.

There wasn’t much concern around the council table either.

Ward 2 Councillor Caroline Palmer asked for clarification on where the existing non-compliant structure was located and administration confirmed it sits on the previously subdivided parcel.

Reeve Barry Kalinski managed to work in a little farm humour, asking whether there might be room in the new shop for a reeve’s combine.

“No, sorry,” came the answer from administration.

Maybe no combine parking — but the shop itself got the go-ahead.

Council gives its approval

Ward 4 Councillor Ed Duchesne moved to approve the development, and council carried the motion.

A handful of standard conditions are attached to the permit. Outdoor lighting can’t interfere with neighbouring properties or traffic, required setbacks must be maintained, and the company will need the proper building, electrical, gas, plumbing and septic permits.

Construction waste must also be properly contained on site.

With council’s approval in place, LSC Industrial can move ahead with plans for its new shop and continue building its operation from its longtime base near La Corey.