A local resident was not impressed by the Energy Resources Conservation Board’s (ERCB) call for public input on the regulation of future unconventional resource development. Patty Pearsall-Pickup, who owns a home in the Lochend area northeast of Cochrane, which has seen a large increase in oil and gas activity over the past two years, said the average Albertan doesn’t have time to study the possible implications of horizontal fracturing.
Dec. 22 was a special day for Jayden Phaneuf, 6, who watched as firefighters from 18 different departments and other emergency services drive past his home in Airdrie blowing their sirens and flashing their lights just for him. “He thought it was pretty cool,” said his mother Loralie. Members of the RVC Fire Services organized the event after an Irricana firefighter’s wife suggested the department offer something for Jayden, who has a rare form of childhood cancer. The boy passed away on Jan. 28.
A change in the West Bragg Creek logging plan left residents frustrated in January. Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (AESRD) approved a logging proposal in November. The deal gave Spray Lakes Sawmills the right to harvest more than 1,600 acres of trees. Residents said the plan was altered in December to allow logging on the east side of Block 13 in an area the AESRD admitted wasn’t needed for fire protection.
Cochrane High School’s five-kilowatt wind turbine project got the green light from Rocky View Schools (RVS) board on Jan. 10. The project, first presented to RVS on Nov. 15, 2013 is a 69-foot electricity-generating tower located on the Cochrane High School grounds.
Rocky View County (RVC) council approved a $250,000 grant for Chestermere’s regional recreation complex, pending matching funding from the Town of Chestermere. During a council meeting on Jan. 9, Dari Lang, recreation services coordinator for the County, presented a report to council on funding for the complex.
Approximately $7,500 of surplus recreation funds will be used to offset the operating cost of Beiseker recreation facilities on Jan. 14.
Council unanimously approved the motion, made by Deputy Mayor Al Henuset to have excess funds transferred to a Village account that provided maintenance for the facilities, which include Beiseker Arena, Friendship Park and the community hall.
Citizen tips led to the arrest of a 28-year-old man in connection with an alleged jewelry heist that took place in Cochrane around 2:30 p.m., Dec. 17. Members of Calgary Police Services arrested Catlin Cory Callahan on Jan. 10 after the public helped identify the Calgary man through an image taken from Goldtown Jewellers video surveillance camera.
The Boys and Girls Club of Airdrie (BGC) opened its first satellite office in the spring with registration for BGC programming at Irricana’s youth centre. “We are really excited about it,” said Denisa Sanness, executive director of the BGC. “It is a great arrangement and it will be great for the youth in the area.”
On Jan. 22, RVC council approved an $8.3-million contract for the new Bearspaw Firehall expected to open in the fall of 2014. During the meeting, councillors noted their concern for the ever-growing price tag for the facility, which was originally estimated to cost $4.5 million when first announced last year.
February:
RVC council approved a new master rates bylaw that established fees and penalties for services or products provided by the County on Jan. 29. Included in the bylaw was the addition of 15 new fees such as charging $150 for pre-application meetings, $800 per quarter section for a master site development plan review and a $500 fee for requests for council direction. The fees were meant to recover costs for providing the service, a staff report explained.
A third open house to discuss future upgrades of Highway 22 between Highway 8 and the Cochrane south boundary, including the interchange on Highway 1, was held at the Springbank Heritage Club on Jan. 31. “There has been significant growth on Highway 22,” explained Chris Delanoy, with ISL Engineering, the group hired to conduct the study and gathered feedback from the public for Alberta Transportation (AT). About18,000 vehicles travel the 14- kilometre stretch of road everyday. That number is expected to reach 32,000 in 20 years, and 45,000 in 40 years.
Airdrie’s Julie Stitt received a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal during the Alberta Beef Producer’s annual meeting in Calgary in December 2012. Stitt was among 19 Albertans honoured for their significant contributions to the beef industry, their communities and their country.
RVC council’s cost recovery bylaw came under fire after a couple received a $25,000 bill in February from the fire department for dousing flames on their farm last July.
A former Irricana councillor and former mayor received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal for his work within the community. Josh Taylor was mayor for two-and-a-half years, winning the position in a by-election in May 2009.
He mentioned the contributions of staff, other councillors and members of volunteer groups during his time as mayor, and also those of current mayor at the time, Lisa Constantini, who Taylor said helped guide council through a very difficult time.
“We were in a municipal affairs investigation, which has turned out to be excellent, but we didn’t know at the time how it would turn out,” said Taylor. “There was extreme infighting in council.”
A longtime Rocky View resident, Harvey Buckley also won a Diamond Jubilee medal for his work a chairperson for Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council, a board he sat on for 15 years.
Buckley also won the Alberta Achievement Award of Excellence in Agriculture and in 1992 he was awarded the Confederation of Canada 125th Anniversary Medal
Garry Bell wanted to challenge students to do their best work when he moved into the permanent position of principal for W.G. Murdoch School in August. Bell, holds a masters in education specializing in educational leadership.
A clean sweep at the Rocky View Sports Association (RVSA) curling divisional gave way to a trio of medals for the Cochrane High School’s team at the South Central Zone tournament in Drumheller on Feb. 8 and 9. At the divisional tournament, which was held in Airdrie on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, Cochrane topped the podium in all four of the categories: Grade 9, boys, girls and mixed.
During an appearance at the Crossfield and District Community Centre, Feb. 19, Wild Rose MP Blake Richards announced a $21,000 grant to go towards upgrades to the centre’s heating system.
RVC Fire Services began to discuss a new contract with the County through the arbitration process on Feb. 24. International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) president for Rocky View Jeff Cragg was hopeful the process would only take a few days to reach an agreement, indicating that several issues need to be addressed.
March:
Transcripts from a two-day public hearing held in RVC council chambers late last year were available to read on the municipality’s web-site in March. On Feb. 26, council unanimous-ly agreed to publish the 1,300-page document from the Oct. 30 and Nov. 1 Bingham Crossing hearing. Members of Springbank, includ-ing the Springbank Community Planning Association, took Rocky View took to court, ask-ing for a judicial review of the County’s approval process of the Bingham Crossing development.
Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills MLA Bruce Rowe went to the head of the class at a Beiseker Community School assembly to award Grade 5 student Stephanie Bell with the People’s Choice award for the Uptown Olds Art for Kids Contest. “This is the kind of thing I enjoy the most,” Rowe said of the presentation to Bell. Bell’s artwork was selected as People’s Choice winner out of 161 entries in the contest. Her painting of the northern lights with the silhouette of two trees will remain on permanent display in Rowe’s Olds office.
Plans for Airdrie and District Agricultural Society’s new 150-acre park, located west of the city, were put on hold in March. The society’s board of directors received the completed sustainability evaluation study for the $35-million project. Businesses and local and provincial governments being considered to donate funds had concerns about the sustainability for the completed park, prompting the reportedly $70,000 study last year.
Mother Nature reminded Albertans that winter wasn’t over in March when a storm moved in March 3 bringing heavy snow and winds. Environment Canada reported winds as high as 97 kilometres per hour (km/h) on March 3. The Calgary International Airport (CIA) recorded 83 km/h winds. West Calgary received 23 centimetres (cm) of snow fell, the CIA had 12 cm and Springbank had 20 cm.
Operation costs for RVC Fire Services went under review following negotiations with the fire union under review. Then-acting County Manager, Ted Gard said it needed to be done as the County waited for an arbitrator’s decision on a first contract with the County fire union.
County council approved a revised terms of reference in preparation for the Chestermere and Rocky View Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP) on March 5. The request appeared on the agenda as an emergent item and council-lors initially hesitated to approve the revised terms for an IDP that is now three years behind schedule. According to Chestermere Mayor Patricia Matthews, the IDP has been in the works since the Town annexed 6,500 acres of land from Rocky View in 2009.
Three Springbank Middle School mathletes placed in the top three for the province in their grade level with the Caribous Mathematics Competition. Richard Sheng placed first for the Grade 5/6 math exam while Jenna Crowell placed third. Julie Shore placed third in the Grade 7/8 math exam.
Crossfield council received a $10,000 donation from TransCanada Pipelines for the Town’s Highway 2A Berm Beautification Project March 5. The donation was part of a deal allowing the private seismic imaging firm Thompson and Associates Exploration Services Inc. to map the natural gas reservoirs kilometres under the town.
RVS staff were disappointed with the funding the division will receive in 2014 from the Province. RVS received 3.01 per cent, $5.1 million, less than it did last year, according to Darrell Couture, associate superintendent of business and operations for RVS. The school division received the numbers through the Alberta 2013 budget announcement on March 7.
Chestermere residents saw a rise in property taxes this year. The town of about 15,000 residents received word the Province implemented a 53 per cent tax hike on the school requisition portion of Chestermere’s property taxes. For the average $480,000 household, the tax hike means a $400 annual increase in property taxes.
In a 7-2 vote, RVC council agreed that taxpayers will pay for $1 million of the County’s debt. This decision was made during a special council meeting March 12. The impromptu meeting announced on the County website March 8 was called so the public would still have time to comment on the proposed bud-get before approval, staff explained.
A Crossfield cattle breeder sold the top-selling black Angus bull at the 2013 Calgary Bull Sale on March 6. The bull, purchased by a Balzac area buyer for $7,500, sold for a higher price than the price earned by the black Angus grand and reserve champions, chosen at the same sale.
(Then) Irricana Deputy Mayor Larry Martin reported to council on the Aqua 7 Regional Water Commission committee, which included concerns about the cost of replacing valves, March 4. According to Martin, the commission will replace the main valve near Acme at a cost of $2,745 to the commission Martin said the same type of valve was replaced by the commission near Irricana last year.
The redesigned conceptual plan for a residential development in Bearspaw had passions flaring at an open house at RockPointe Church on March 11. Dubbed Lochend Corners, the devel-opment is planned to crop up on two quarter sections of land on the north-eastern and southeastern corners of Lochend Road and Township Road 262. Turned down by RVC council in 2011, the concept scheme was reworked, numerous public engagement sessions have been held and the new proposed plan was unveiled.
Public information sessions came to an end on March 27, but RVC staff collected feedback on the first draft of the County Plan until April 8. Seven open houses have been held throughout the county starting March 18 to gather feedback from residents on the document, which guides the municipality’s future growth.
Dustin Piper, a 23-year-old Olds man charged with first-degree murder, made his first court appearance in Airdrie Provincial Court via closed circuit television from the Calgary Remand Centre on March 21. His case was adjourned until April 4 as Piper is currently in the process of obtaining legal aid. Piper was arrested March 16 in Olds and is charged in connection to the death of Garland Curtis of Airdrie in January.
Longtime Airdronian Edwin Eggerer died suddenly at the Peter Lougheed Hospital, in Calgary, March 17. Eggerer, 69, was an active member of Airdrie and the surrounding communities, having lived in the city for more than 30 years.
In a unanimous decision Irricana council increased the budget for the water treatment plant upgrade from $500,000, allocated in the 2012 budget, to $674,905.50. The project went to tender in February and the increased budget reflected the lowest bid, which came from Brisbin & Sentis Engineering Inc. located in Calgary.
RVS trustees unanimously approved the Airdrie Christian Program, which serves children in kindergarten through grades 2 or 3 on March 21. The program will began in the fall.
RVS district voted to increase in fees in the fall. The RVS board voted unanimously to hike instructional fees $10 and busing fees $50 for students within the division on March 21. The move was made in response to a decrease in provincial funding, the result of cuts made to education in the 2013 Alberta Budget, which was tabled on March 7.
April:
RVC council approved 10 questions that were asked to Rocky View Count residents during a municipal census in May on March 26 While approving the base budget last December, council approved funding a $100,000 census.
Council approved a subdivision application to start the first phase of a four-phase development, which included a Walmart warehouse located in the Wagon Wheel business district in East Balzac. The total project area is about 155 acres and will include six commercial/industrial lots, municipal reserve lots and a public utility lot.
A Chestermere resident started a petition after the Provincial government recently enacted what he called an “unreasonable and unfair” tax increase. After the 2013 Alberta Budget was announced in early March, town residents received word they would see a 53 per cent tax hike on the school requisition portion of their property taxes. Chestermere resident Peter Tindall was not willing to accept the lump sum tax increase without a fight. “People in Chestermere have no objection to paying their fair share,” said Tindall.
Beiseker learned on April 9 that the Village did not receive an expected $3,200 in provincial grant funding. The Summer Temporary Employment Program (STEP) was suspended after the Alberta 2013 Budget was tabled on March 7, leaving council with the problem of covering the funds needed to hire summer students to assist with the public works department. “For little municipalities like us, it really hurts,” said Mayor Ray Courtman.
RVC council rejected, for the second time, a conceptual scheme for a residential community in Bearspaw. Developer John Bachynski said at the time that the decision is ‘bad news’ for RVC. “This is a sign for businesses to run away,” he said on April 9.
Two suspects were arrested after ramming a police car on Highway 2 near Carstairs on April 8. Police laid 10 charges, including impaired driving, hit-and-run and assault against a peace officer with a weapon, against Calgary resident Ralph Franson, 37, and four charges including robbery and assault of a police officer to Edmonton resident Justin Franson, 22.
RVC Communications Manager Grant Kaiser presented a strategy to improve internal and external communications to council on April 23. The strategy was created in place of 19 recommendations made from a RVC communications audit that took place over 2011 and 2012. The $100,000 audit was conducted by an outside company contracted by the County. The project included personal interviews with 47 internal and external individuals including County staff, councillors, four employee focus groups and five focus groups with residents, according to an executive summary of the Communications Audit and Strategy final report.
A CP Rail train was responsible for a grass fire that burned about two acres of land for roughly two hours in Balzac, just off Highway 2 on April 24. The call came into the Balzac Fire Station at about 11:52 a.m. and two engines and 14 firefighters were sent to the scene. No injuries were reported because of the fire.
Five residents aired their concerns on April 30 during a public meeting regarding RVC’s 2013 budget. Some said the draft budget provided to the public wasn’t clear and left out information. Others were hoping council would consider including their group’s fund-ing request in the final budget. Council approved the draft budget in December 2012 and approved addition-al adjustments in March. It included $37.5 million in capital projects and $136 million in operation-al spending with an expected three per cent increase in taxes.
May:
An audit on RVC financial statements for 2012 showed an $8.4-million drop in debt from the previous year. The audit was completed and presented to council by Price waterhouse Coopers group on April 30.
RVC council approved the 2013 budget and set the tax rate for the county in their May 7 meeting. Taxpayers saw an overall 8.5 per cent increase in taxes from 2012. It was due in part due to a 5.5 per cent increase in the provincially man-dated portion of property taxes, which include the Alberta School Foundation Fund and the Rocky View Seniors Foundation.
RVC council approved funding requests totalling $171,050 for recreational construction costs and upgrades to community facilities in the county on May 7.
Police began to investigate the discovery of human skeletal remains located on a rural property east of Langdon on May 17 “We believe the bones are human,” said RCMP Spokesperson Sgt. Patricia Neely during a media scrum on the property May 14. A landowner made the discovery when cleaning his land near Range Road 275 and Township 232 May 13 and immediately contacted the RCMP.
Residents of Sharp Hill expressed their concerns to RVC council on May 14 about the ongoing traffic issues in their community. Complaints over the increased traffic flow and speed, particularly on Stage Coach Lane and Sharp Hill Drive resulting from development in the East Balzac area, first came to the attention of staff in the Infrastructure and Operations Department in June 2011.
County officials issued a heavy rainfall advisory on May 23, as the area was predicted to receive up to 70 mm of rain by May 25 and wind gusts up to 50 km/h, according to Environment Canada.
The final version of Cochrane’s Growth Management Strategy was carried unanimously on May. 13. The high-level document encompasses all of Cochrane and addresses the management of the town’s property and employment growth for the next 50 years.
The Parole Board of Canada was split on whether to grant full parole to Cochrane cement truck driver Daniel Tschetter, who was convicted of killing five people in a 2007 collision in Calgary.
Appearing before the board in Calgary on May 16, Tschetter was seeking full parole, despite being eligible for statutory release approximately one month later. Tschetter was originally sentenced May 2009.
Tschetter’s truck slammed into a vehicle stopped at a red light, killing all five occupants – Chris Gautreau, 41; his 33 year old girlfriend, Melaina Hovdebo; his two daughters, Alexia, 9; and Kiarra, 6; and Hovdebo’s 16-month-old son, Zachary Morrison.
Excessive rainfalls in RVC towards the last weeks on May led to severe flooding in Conrich, blocking residents of a cul-de-sac from driving in and out of their properties. Kaiser confirmed there was flooding to an access road serving 10 homes on a cul-de-sac in Conrich, as a result of the heavy rains.
June:
RVC delivered the final draft of the County Plan to council on May 28, and held an open house to introduce the highlights of the 105-page document to residents on May 29. The document was presented by Senior Planner and Project Manager Richard Barss, the new master plan will guide Rocky View council in decision-making regarding development, services and issues in the County over the next 10 years.
RVC officials’ reduced fire service staff on each shift and halted firefighter response to non-emergency medical incidents struck a nerve with the firefighters union which said the outcome would “result in less than industry standards,” according to Lorne West, International Association of Fire Fighters 6th District vice president. “This is alarming and concerning and I can assure you, it will not be safe for residents,“ said West.
Balzac residents continued to receive water to their homes despite the Alberta government issuing an enforcement order to the company that provided drinking water to residents near the hamlet. Dockman and Associates Ltd., which operates the East Airdrie Waterworks System was ordered to cease all operations on June 2. The company’s original approval to operate a water treatment and distribution system was signed in 2002 and expired on June 1, 2012 with no application for renewal. The company was given a one-year extension to submit an application but has failed to do so.
RVC cut 12 full-time firefighter positions after a meeting with representatives of the Rocky View County Fire Fighters Association Local 4794 on June 13. The news came four months after the County announced that operational costs for fire services would be reviewed in anticipation of the arbitrator’s decision on a first contract with the fire union.
Two children were hospitalized after a welding truck collided with a school bus on Highway 567, one kilometre east of Symon’s Valley Road on June 11 at 7:30 a.m. The children were transported to Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary where they were treated for minor injuries and later released.
About 25 residents attended a Community Safety Awareness Meeting on June 6 at the Langdon Fieldhouse to voice their concerns about issues in the community. Members of the Langdon Fire Department, Citizens on Patrol (COP), RCMP, County Bylaw Enforcement and former Reeve Rolly Ashdown was present and addressed questions mainly about ongoing traffic concerns in the area.
Heavy rains wreaked havoc throughout the county on June 20, when the municipality declared a state-of-local- emergency and residents of Bragg Creek were alerted to a mandatory evacuation. “The river is flowing down main street on White Avenue,” said area Councillor Liz Breakey of the heavy flooding in the hamlet during the early morning hours on June 20. The Elbow River was flowing 15 times its normal volume and rose two metres above its normal levels.
An Irricana town councillor resigned after he was charged with possession of crack cocaine with the purpose of trafficking. Wayne Niblow, a 36-year-old father of two young children aged three and 18 months, announced his resignation from council in a press release on June 14. The release stated “personal reasons” for his decision. However, the announcement came three weeks after Niblow was arrested on May 25 when Medicine Hat Police Service and RCMP seized a total of 149 grams of crack cocaine with an estimated street value of $15,000 during their investigation of a drug trafficking ring.
July:
County officials lifted the state of local emergency for RVC on June 26. The Hamlet of Bragg Creek was under mandatory evacuation and West Bragg Creek under voluntary evacuation as heavy rain fell in the area between June 19 and 21.
Thirteen people were rescued from floodwaters in Bragg Creek by Cochrane Fire Services’ water rescue team on June 20. Captain Jory Jenson, a 13-year-member of the local crew, said those rescued included an infant, a toddler and 11 adults. Three rescues took place with one involving eight people along Balsam Avenue, two men were rescued from a car roof from Burnside Drive and an adult was rescued from the current along White Avenue.
Residents of Bragg Creek began the long road to recovery on June 22 as water levels receded and the mandatory evacuation was lifted to allow people to return home and inspect the flood damage to their once-picturesque community. “It makes me cry. The whole thing does, I feel gut-punched. Everybody does,” said local Councillor Liz Breakey, who added at the time a note of optimism that members of the community and “hundreds” of volunteers had come together to begin cleaning up. She said the damage was “incalculable” but could “easily be estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars.”
The Flood of Relief event held at the Bragg Creek Community Centre (BCCC) on June 29, demonstrated the out-pouring of support to get families and businesses back on their feet. More than 500 residents and flood-recovery volunteers attended the event but also donated about $20,000 towards the Bragg Creek Emergency Relief Fund.
The Alberta Labour Relations Board (ALRB) decided, in a preliminary hearing July 3, to remove Edmonton lawyer Dwayne Chomyn as Rocky View County counsel. The decision comes after a longstanding dispute between the firefighters union and the County. Chomyn, who works for Newman Thompson, was hired by the County at the end of March.
Premier Alison Redford, Banff- Cochrane MLA Ron Casey and Associate Minister of Recovery and Reconstruction Kyle Fawcett visited Bragg Creek on July 2 to see the impact of the damage to the hamlet from the June flooding in Southern Alberta.
Five people were hospitalized, including one in critical condition, after a two-vehicle collision on Highway 567 and Range Road 252 on July 1 just after noon. A Pontiac Sunfire was travelling east on Highway 567 when it stopped to make a left turn and was struck in the back end by a Dodge minivan.
Beiseker RCMP welcomed Sgt. Glen Demmon to the village in June, and it’s a return to community policing for Demmon. The “not yet 50” year-old has spent the last 10 years in the commercial crime division with the RCMP, a role that saw him work closely with the Bank of Canada.
Residents of Irricana, cleaned up after a monster thunderstorm rolled through town July 6, leaving more than a foot of hail in its wake. Life-long residents were stunned as photos showed the devastation of the storm. “Never in all my years,” David Butters, resident of Irricana since 1974 said, while showing off the flooding and destruction along First Street. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
An 18-year-old man from Three Hills died after being hit by a truck as a result of a three vehicle collision in a near Beiseker on July 15. Police investigation confirmed a transport truck was travelling northbound on Highway 21 and failed to stop for a posted stop sign at a controlled intersection and collided with a Honda Civic travelling eastbound on Highway 9.
A pay-per-usage levy aimed at recovering water and wastewater infrastructure costs in East Rocky View was adopted by council on July 23. The increase was 725 per cent over the original fee. The County rescinded the previous bylaw, which was based on acres of development, after determining it was unable to recoup the remaining $66 million still owing on the $100-million investment made into water and wastewater infrastructure. Less than $11 million was generated through the bylaw since its inception in 2006.
The human remains found in a rural area near Strathmore in May were identified as a Calgary woman who went missing over seven years ago. Thirty-five-year-old Maria Rose Ciciolla went missing in July 2006 and was last seen at 19 Avenue and 44 Street SE in Calgary.
Bragg Creek home and businesses owners who were impacted by the June flood were looking for answers, but many said they left a flood information session last week with questions. On July 25, the Province held a public flood information session at the Bragg Creek Community Centre and about 75 local residents affected by the June 20 flash flood attended.
August:
The Rocky View Weekly took an indepth, month-long look at the issues facing RVC, in advance of the October municipal election. Our series – unraveling the issues – looked at the RCMP and Fire Services relationship with the County, the municipalities debt load and development facing the county.
A crude oil pumpjack near Bearspaw caught fire early in the evening on Aug. 1. Cochrane and Rocky View County fire crews responded to the fire at around 8 p.m. after receiving a call from a passerby who spotted the blaze.
The Town of Cochrane saw a slight increase in population, according to the results of the 2013 Municipal Census. The second largest town in Alberta is now home to 18,750 residents. The new number is only an increase of 108 residents since the Cochrane Planning Department conducted a development report in November 2012, when the town’s population was 18,642.
Crossfield’s newest Peace Officer Scott Maurice was sworn in on Aug. 22. Maurice was an Alberta Sheriff for almost five years before making the move to a peace officer.
The Rocky View Motorsports Corporation unveiled a diagram of the planned layout for the Rockyview Motorsports Park complex proposed to be built northeast of Airdrie, at Cam Clark Ford.
Two Springbank residents who filed for a judicial review of a RVC public hearing about a commercial development project received the verdict from the Court of Queen’s Bench, Aug. 29. Justice Ron Stevens gave his verbal summations at a court house in Calgary, dismissing claims that a public hearing held on Sept. 11, 2012 was unfair. After the controversial 12-hour hearing, in a split vote, RVC council approved the conceptual scheme for Bingham Crossing and amended the North Springbank Area Structure Plan(ASP).
September:
RVC then- reeve threw his hat into the ring for a second term. Rolly Ashdown, 54, announced his candidacy for the upcoming municipal election, saying he hopes to continue his work representing the county. “All and all, I think the last term was a good one.”
New and incumbent candidates announced their platforms and visions for RVC leading up to the Oct. 21 municipal election.
According to a semi-annual financial summary report presented to council on Sept. 10, roughly 37 per cent of the amount slated to be put towards paying down Rocky View County’s long-term debt has been collected to-date. According to the 2013 budget, RVC council has slated $7.6 million to go against the County’s debt this year.
RVC submitted a $2.39-million application to the Provincial government under its Southern Alberta Disaster Recovery Program to help with the bill of rebuilding damaged infrastructure during the June floods. “June 19 to June 26, 2013 saw RVC under a state of emergency as a result of the dramatic and sudden increase in the flows along the Bow and Elbow Rivers and many of the rivers’ tributaries,” an administration report presented to RVC council on Sept. 10 outlined.
Ted Gard, former general manager of community services with Rocky View, retired from his position on Aug. 30.
The Government of Alberta pledged $9.8 million in support of water and wastewater systems in the hamlet of Bragg Creek to assist with recovery of damaged infrastructure resulting from the June flood, officials announced during a press conference at the Rocky View County (RVC) office on Sept. 19.
Lawyers presented their case before the Court of Queen’s Bench in Calgary on Sept. 19 for a judicial review of a Bingham Crossing hearing held by Rocky View County (RVC) council last fall. The judicial review was requested by Springbank residents Doug Bulger and Nancy Desai for the Oct. 30 and Nov. 1, 2012 public hearing where council approved redesignation of land located kitty corner to Calaway Park in Springbank to allow for an 80-acre commercial development.
A 5,000-square-foot high-end luxury home in the Watermark neighbourhood in Bearspaw was destroyed by a fire in the early hours of Sept. 20. The fire was caused by the “careless discard of a smoker’s material” as determined by Rocky View Fire officials.
A 65-year-old man from Cochrane died while taking part in a motorcycle poker rally on Sept. 22 on Highway 1A about four kilometres west of the Morley townsite. The man was riding his motorcycle along with a few other riders when he left his lane and went into the north ditch.
October
RVC approved final draft of the County Plan – which dictates growth for the next 10 years – on Oct. 1.
Fire departments throughout RVC have teamed up with ConocoPhillips to provide three new programs aimed at maintaining safer communities. The Airdrie Fire Department, Chestermere Fire Services, Cochrane Fire Services and Rocky View County have formed the Regional Fire Safety Education Coalition (RFSEC) with its corporate sponsor – ConocoPhillips.
A Chestermere man was arrested and charged with trafficking methamphetamine in early October, following an investigation by the Calgary Police Service. Members of the Chestermere RCMP Detachment working with the Guns and Gang Unit of the Calgary Police Service executed a Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) search warrant at a Chestermere residence in the Rainbow Falls Lane area in the last week of September.
Nose Creek Elementary School in Airdrie students harvested more than 1,500 pounds of potatoes for the Airdrie Food Bank from a farm in Crossfield as part of their GROW (Gardens Replenish Our World) project on Oct. 4.
The Springbank Community Planning Association (SCPA) was hit with a $100,000 bill Oct. 17 after the first of two judicial reviews was not ruled in the group’s favour by Court of Queen’s Bench presiding judge Justice Ron Stevens. Two Springbank residents, with the support of the SCPA filed a judicial review against the County calling into question the fairness of council’s procedure during two public hearings.
Aquilla Homes Ltd. was announced as the home builder for the Grasslands of Beiseker residential development slated for the west side of the village.
Seven incumbents returned to Rocky View County (RVC) council as a result of the Oct. 21 municipal election. Jerry Arshinoff and Bruce Kendall are the two new additions and represent Division 2 (Springbank) and Division 9 (northwest Rocky View County), respectively.
Many RVS trustees returned for another term, but they were joined by two fresh faces. Representing the City of Airdrie was newcomer Todd Brand and Fiona Gilbert will represent Ward 6 – the Town of Cochrane.
The Town of Irricana replaced its council with an entirely new one on Oct. 21. Representing the Town for the next four years will be: Kim Schmaltz, who collected the most votes with 241; Dennis Tracz, earned 194 votes; Lora Peterson, earned a seat with 166 votes, Valerie Squires took the fourth seat with 164 and Laura Thiessen rounded out the fifth seat with 158 votes.
Crossfield council welcomed one new face to chambers for the next four years. Councillor Hadi Feltham added his name to the list of the five citizens who represent Crossfield residents after being elected in on Oct. 21 with 443 votes.
All Beiseker councillors returned except Fred Walters who choose not run for re-election, David MacKenzie joined the Beiseker council on Oct. 21.
The Alberta Labour Relations Board (ALRB) reached the decision that Rocky View County (RVC) had been bargaining in bad faith regarding the June layoffs of 11 full-time firefighters on Oct. 25.
The New Horizon mall was announced in late October and will be a 280,000-square-foot shopping centre that will house 500 retail stores, services and restaurants with underground parking and will be located east of Highway 2, south of CrossIron Mills mall.
RVC newly-elected council members were sworn in at the Organization Meeting held at the County Office on Oct. 29. Council unanimously agreed to appoint returning Division 3 Councillor Margaret Bahcheli as reeve and re-elected nine-year Division 6 Councillor Greg Boehlke as deputy reeve.
Valerie Squire was appointed mayor of Irricana by council on Oct. 25, with Denise Trasz as the town’s deputy mayor.
Ray Courtman returned again as the mayor of the Village of Beiseker, and Nathan Anderson returned as mayor of The Town of Crossfield.
A 26-year-old man from Calgary died after RCMP determined that he intentionally drove his car into Waiparous Creek, northwest of Cochrane on Oct. 29.
November
Provincial grant funding totalling about $116 million was committed to flood-impacted communities across Southern Alberta, including RVC, on Nov. 8, through the government of Alberta’s Flood Recovery Erosion Control Program.
In late November, local Wildrose MLAs called on the Alberta government to address rural ambulance wait times, which they say are “putting patients at risk.”
One suspect was arrested in connection with a series of break and enters in Chestermere between Nov. 5 and Nov. 10. The break ins occurred along West Chestermere Drive, on Aspenmere Place and the Hawkmere Road areas of the town of Chestermere.
A motion presented to RVC council requesting the County waive court-awarded costs of $47,000 was shot down on Nov. 26. The awarded costs were the result of two judicial reviews filed by two Springbank residents – Doug Bulger and Nancy Desai - with the support of the Springbank Community Planning Association (SCPA) on Oct. 22 and Dec. 20 last year.
December
An intense winter storm hit RVC on Dec. 2 and 3, blanketing the county in a thick layer of snow. Major highways around the county were closed down due to poor driving conditions including Highway 1A from the Stoney Trail Junction to Highway 21. The RCMP discouraged travel on Highway 2 due to snowdrifts – some reported to be as high as 10-feet tall.
RVC’s base operating and capital budget was approved by council on Dec. 10, and rate payers should expect about a three per cent property tax increase.
A 19-year-old man from Saskatchewan was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries following a two-vehicle crash on Dec. 11 at the intersection of Highway 9 and Highway 564, just outside Beiseker, at around 9:30 a.m.
A $24-million dollar project slated for Balzac that’s been touch-and-go for more than a decade has made its way out of the gate. The Century Downs Racetrack and Casino is expected to be completed by late next year, as was announced by project officials at a news conference at the Century Casino in Calgary on Dec. 3.
Officials from Crossfield United Church said she was shocked and felt violated with the disappearance of Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus from their nativity scene.
The Town of Chestermere prepared to discuss a massive 2,396-acre residential and business development proposed for the town – Waterbrdige is gearing up to accommodate up to 46,000 new residents.
