BONNYVILLE – The Town of Bonnyville is not ready to dissolve the Regional Sports Tourism Committee without first hearing from its municipal partners.

During its October 27 regular meeting, Town Council discussed a request from the Municipal District of Bonnyville to consider dissolving the committee, which has been inactive for several years.

Rather than immediately support its dissolution, Council directed administration to seek input from the regional municipalities about the committee’s future.

M.D. questions need for inactive committee

In a letter dated September 23, M.D. of Bonnyville Chief Administrative Officer Ben Berlinguette asked the Town to consider whether maintaining the committee was still necessary.

The M.D. acknowledged the committee’s original purpose and the importance of regional cooperation but noted that it had not met or conducted other business for several years.

The letter also indicated there was no expectation that committee activity would resume in the near future.

According to the M.D., dissolving the committee could reduce administrative requirements while still allowing municipalities to collaborate on sports, recreation and tourism opportunities.

The M.D. suggested that future partnerships could be managed directly through municipal councils, administration or working groups established for specific projects.

Importantly, the M.D. emphasized that it was not proposing an end to regional cooperation.

Instead, it questioned whether a permanent committee was necessary to maintain those relationships.

Town Council wants partners involved

During the October 27 discussion, Town Council expressed reservations about dissolving a regional committee without further consultation.

The Regional Sports Tourism Committee was established to encourage municipalities to work together to attract sporting events and support regional recreation and tourism opportunities.

The Town recognized the value of maintaining those partnerships, particularly following regional cooperation surrounding events such as the 2026 Alberta Winter Games.

Council ultimately directed administration to contact the M.D. of Bonnyville, the City of Cold Lake, and the Village of Glendon to discuss the committee’s future.

The decision leaves the door open to determining whether the existing committee should be revived, restructured or dissolved.

What happens next?

The Town will seek feedback from its regional partners before determining its position on the proposed dissolution.

The M.D. had originally requested feedback by October 9, although the matter was considered at the Town’s October 27 meeting.

For now, the Regional Sports Tourism Committee has not been dissolved, and the Town has not committed to dissolving it.

The next step will be determining whether the participating municipalities see value in maintaining a formal regional committee or prefer to work together on individual projects as opportunities arise