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County of Stettler funds $2.5K for Stettler Regional Board of Trade’s Canada 150 event

County of Stettler council voted in favour of $2,500 sponsorship for Stettler Board of Trade's Canada 150 event on Wednesday, March 8.

The County of Stettler held its regular council meeting this past Wednesday, March 8 and the council voted in favour of $2,500 sponsorship for the Stettler Regional Board of Trade’s (SBOT) Canada 150 event.

As part of Canada’s 150th anniversary celebrations, SBOT is planning “Open Farm Days on Saturday, Aug. 19.

SBOT will be hosting an educational bus tour of local farming operations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., prior to the supper.

Following the tour, a long table sit-down supper will be held on Main Street in downtown Stettler for 150 people from 5 to 9 p.m., showcasing locally raised and grown ingredients prepared by chefs and served plate-style.

SBOT is looking for approximately 90 volunteers to assist with this event.

Stettler Agricultural Society facility will be a back-up facility in the event of unexpected weather.

SBOT has also applied for additional Canada 150 funding, but yet to know whether it has been approved.

Councillor James Nibourg was particularly enthusiastic that the Board of Trade is developing this event here.

“Open farm days has been around for quite awhile and we are a farming community and I think this is hugely appropriate that we get on board,” Nibourg said. “As farmers and producers we need to start telling our own stories and this is a great opportunity for the County of Stettler to get involved and share our stories that we already have going on, especially in this community.”

Council votes down review of Erskine electoral boundary change prior to 2017 municipal elections

County ratepayer Chris Rider was among the delegations present at the council meeting on March 8.

Rider presented a request to council to change the electoral boundary in the Erskine-Buffalo Lake Ward to include his street, which sits in the Stettler Ward.

Explaining that he is planning to run for councillor, Rider said that he would prefer to run in the Erskine-Buffalo Lake Ward where his community and neighbours reside.

Two motions were lost to review Erskine electoral boundary changes prior to the 2017 Municipal Election.

The motion moved at council by James Nibourg stated: “that the County of Stettler No. 6 direct administration to complete an Electoral/Hamlet Boundary Study (to consist information on properties, taxes, permitted animals and ramifications if included in the Hamlet and notify ratepayers that would be affected), considering possible electoral provisions, for the Hamlet of Erskine to be presented at the April 12, 2017 County of Stettler No. 6 Council Meeting.”

The motion was opposed by all councillors except councillor Joe Gendre who voted in favour. The councillors who voted against were Ernie Gendre, Greggory Jackson, Dave Grover, James Nibourg, Les Stulberg and Wayne Nixon.

Council acknowledged if the Village of Botha dissolves and joins the County of Stettler, a full electoral boundary review will need to be conducted after the 2017 election.

“The basic process to change an electoral boundary is outlined in the MGA, and has a strict deadline, which is looming very close,” explained Shawna Benson, Legislative Services Advisor for the county. “To be thorough and fair, council has an obligation to study electoral boundary changes for the county as a whole, and given the time frame we have and the complexity of an entire electoral boundary review, a significant investment would have to be made by council. They chose to postpone the electoral boundary review to gather and review a more complete picture of electoral boundary equality.”