NOVEMBER 2020
beaumont.ab.ca
Council’s economic development agenda delivering results for Beaumont by Mayor John Stewart Three years ago, Beaumont residents elected a council committed to the idea that things needed to change. While the steady stream of new residents reflects that Beaumont is a desirable community to live and raise a family, it hasn’t always been perceived as a great place to do business. That’s started to change and we’re now seeing results with noteworthy growth in our non-residential tax base in recent years and more opportunities ahead. The community used to have a reputation for making it hard for new businesses to set up shop. One of the consequences was a property tax base that remained heavily residential, at just under 94 per cent in 2017 with a non-residential assessment of only 6 per cent. By comparison, Edmonton’s tax base is about 75 per cent residential to 25 per cent non-residential. It simply is not sustainable. Growing our business community in Beaumont will help make sure our high standard of living can be affordable long into the future, bring more services for residents, and provide good paying jobs for our families. In the last three years, council has taken aggressive action on a number of initiatives and changes. Some were obvious, such as ELA, the autonomous shuttle on 50th Street
last year. Other changes have been more subtle, like streamlining our Land Use Bylaw from an overwhelming 37 separate zoning districts down to only seven. Today, our tax base sits at 92 per cent residential and 8 per cent non-residential, a change of 2 percentage points. That might not seem like a lot, but consider that it took place in a community with one of the fastest growing populations in the country. In fact, our non-residential tax base grew more than four times faster than our residential base. We’re moving in the right direction, but there’s still more to do. As a direct result of ELA putting Beaumont in the spotlight, council will be considering a proposal this fall from an international consortium looking to invest in and install a fibre-optic broadband network with the capacity to provide the highest speed internet service available commercially around the globe. Beaumont is also working with different levels of government and a number of private sector groups on some other exciting developments that may be coming to the forefront during the next months and in 2021. These changes are helping to make sure that Beaumont doesn’t just continue to be a great place to live and raise a family, but that it can also be a great place to work and do business.
5600 49 Street, Beaumont AB T4X 1A1 | 780.929.8782 | admin@beaumont.ab.ca
MAYOR AND COUNCIL CONTACT INFORMATION Mayor John Stewart 780.293.5650 Councillor Kathy Barnhart 780.721.5504 Councillor Bill Daneluik 587.357.5206 Councillor Perry Hendriks 780.929.5102 Councillor Sam Munckhof-Swain 780.690.0031 Councillor Martin Stout 780.904.9623 Councillor Steven vanNieuwkerk 780.991.0871 Email links for Mayor and Council are online at beaumont.ab.ca/council
OUR WASTE PROGRAM IS SMART,SAVVY, GREEN. Our city works hard to ensure we do our part for the environment. That is why Beaumont Waste Services encompasses a curbside collection program that includes waste carts, organics carts, and recycling. What does that mean for you? Sort your waste, put it in the appropriate carts and roll them to the curb on your scheduled day. Read on and you’ll see how easy it is!
THREE STEPS TO GREENER WASTE 1. Your WASTE cart will include most household items that aren’t organic or can’t be recycled (this doesn’t include items like batteries, electronics, or aerosols.) 2. Your ORGANICS cart will include all food and plantbased yard waste, and many items made from natural materials. 3. Your RECYCLING should be placed in blue bags, or in a clean, clearly marked blue bin. Hard plastic containers, tin/aluminum cans and plates, paper and cardboard are among what we encourage to recycle.
MANAGING YOUR WASTE
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE. STORE YOUR CARTS. The old tried and true still works! Other than sorting your waste, you can reduce what you throw out by donating, buying items in bulk or using refills, and avoiding as many disposable items as possible.
ANY DAY, ANY TIME TIPS: • Reduce your shopping waste by avoiding prepackaged
fruits and vegetables, as well as single-wrapped or single-use products.
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Evaluate what you do waste and create your own personalized
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Avoid buying or consuming products that have
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Start a game with your family to see who can waste the least for a chance to win a fun family prize!
waste-reduction plan. excesses packaging.
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CARTS CANNOT BE STORED ON THE BOULEVARD. Unfortunately, not complying means you may face a $100 (or more) fine. On non-collection days, we suggest to store your carts: • inside your garage • neatly against the side of your house • on your porch • in your backyard • against a wall or fence Fortunately the footprint of your carts is not much larger than an average-sized garbage container, and they roll and manoeuvre easily.
ORGANICS
RECYCLING
Organics are collected weekly in the summer and every other week in the winter.
Recycling is collected weekly throughout the year. • Your blue bags/bins should be at the curb by 7 a.m.
on your scheduled collection day, but no earlier than 5 p.m. the day before. Recycling bags/bins should be placed one metre away from anything to allow for automated collection.
• Your organic cart should be at the curb by 7 a.m. on your
scheduled collection day, but no earlier than 5 p.m. the day before. Cart should be placed one metre away from anything to allow for automated collection.
• You can purchase a recycling bin from any hardware store. • There is no limit to the amount of blue bags you can
leave out for collection.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Blue bins must be under 20 kg (44 lbs).
Your organics, waste, and recycling can also be dropped off at the Leduc and District Regional Waste Management Facility, free of charge! Limit of 1,000 kg per household per year.
• All items must be clean. • Fold tin can lids inside the can if the lid is still attached, or place
detached lids inside the can. Never recycle a loose, sharp lid because of the safety risk to sorting staff. • No single-use plastic film such as plastic bags. • Break down all boxes so they are flat.
WASTE
• Cut up larger boxes to less than three feet in length. • Glass and Styrofoam CANNOT be recycled.
Waste is collected every second week. Your waste cart should be at the curb by 7 a.m. on your scheduled collection day, but no earlier than 5 p.m. the day before.
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OTHER WASTE MATERIALS Oversized, hazardous, and electronic waste is not collected at the curb.
Cart should be placed one metre away from anything to allow for automated collection. • All waste must fit inside the cart with the lid completely closed, otherwise it will not be collected. Overflowing items can fall out when they are being collected making a mess on the street and can attract birds and animals. • If you regularly have extra waste or organics, you can get an extra cart (additional fees will apply). Email waste@beaumont.ab.ca or call 780-929-4306 to inquire. •
• Take the materials to the Leduc and District Regional Waste
Management Facility, free of charge. If you do not already have a member card, be sure to bring proof of Beaumont residency so you can obtain one.
• Alternatively, Beaumont residents can bring additional waste to the
Leduc Eco Station, where they accept: blue bags, cardboard (flattened), organic waste, household waste (first bag free, additional bags $2 each), household hazardous waste, and electronic waste. • Reminder: The Beaumont annual household hazardous waste and electronic waste roundup event is held on the Saturday after the May long weekend!
Materials left outside the cart will not be collected. Carts must weigh less than 220 lbs otherwise the cart cannot be lifted and emptied. Make sure to put nothing but waste in the waste cart. If other items are included, the cart will not be emptied.
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DOWNLOAD THE APP:
SMART, SAVY, GREEN.
It’s got everything you need to know to make curbside collection easy! Have your collection schedule on hand, get notified of updates on service, learn tips and tricks, and find anything else you might want to know, or visit beaumont.ab.ca/150/Solid-Waste-Services
WHAT DO I PUT IN MY ORGANICS CART? Think it’s just about grass clippings and leaves? Think again—you can put all sorts of natural materials in your green cart: food scraps eggs and egg shells • facial tissue • flour, grains, and dough • cooled and solidified grease
pasta and rice paper towels • jack o-lanterns • baked goods • fruit and vegetable peels
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bones, meat, and fish
corn stalks • greasy pizza boxes • soiled paper • coffee filters and grounds
plant material (no soil) twigs, leaves, and yard waste • pet waste (loose or in a compostable bag) • tea bags
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These, and other compostable materials are turned into valuable compost. Put them in a landfill and they may never break down! Remember placing your organics in a plastic bag of any kind doesn’t meet the collection guidelines. Rather, place your organic material in the cart directly or buy compostable bags or paper bags to help reduce odour and mess. Green carts with non-organic materials will not be collected as they contaminate the rest of the organics in the truck. This increases processing costs and the final compost may not be usable.
5600 49 Street, Beaumont AB T4X 1A1 | 780.929.8782 | admin@beaumont.ab.ca
Good Neighbours Great Neighbourhoods
5 ways to be a good neighbour and help to create a great neighbourhood
Nominate your Good Neighbour today!
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Organize or participate in neighbourhood clean-up efforts. Lead or volunteer in Neighbourhood Watch program Plan or participate in neighbourhood block parties. Practice random acts of kindness in your neighbourhood Get to know your neighbours
Beaumont Family and Community Support Services encourages being neighbourly by: • Supporting Block Parties • Hosting a Good Neighbour Awards Night • Providing Micro-grants for Neighbourhood based projects For more information go to beaumont.ab.ca or call FCSS at 780.929.1006.
Do you have a neighbour who: • Helped out in a time of need • Shoveled your walk or cut your grass • Delivered you groceries or picked up your medicine • Cleaned up your yard or garden • Checked on you to see if you needed anything, especially during isolation
Visit beaumont.ab.ca/503 for more info or to nominate your neighbour. Nomination Deadline is Dec. 31, 2020..
Coats for Kids Free gently used winter coats for infants, children youth and adults. The United Way and FCSS will be distributing coats starting on October 27-January 29 by appointment. Email FCSS@beaumont.ab.ca or call 780.929.1006 to make an appointment.
Electric portable heater safety from Beaumont Fire Services When the weather turns cold, it can bring a chill into our homes. Portable space heaters have become a popular way to supplement central heating or heat one room. If you plan to use portable electric space heaters, make sure to follow these tips and recommendations: Purchase a heater with the seal of a qualified testing laboratory. Keep the heater at least 3 feet (1 metre) away from anything that can burn, including people. Choose a heater with a thermostat and overheat protection. Place the heater on a solid, flat surface. Make sure your heater has an auto shut-off to turn the heater off if it tips over. Keep space heaters out of the way of foot traffic. Never block an exit. Keep children away from the space heater. Plug the heater directly into the wall outlet. Never use an extension cord. Space heaters should be turned off and unplugged when you leave the room or go to bed.
Beaumont Nisku Christmas Elves Beaumont Nisku Christmas Elves is looking for donations. Donations suggestions: STEM toys (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) particularly for boys 8-12 yrs (always challenging to get enough toys for them) Board games for children/families Books Craft kits Toiletries for teens Gift cards for teens, $25 or $50 denominations preferred, but will accept all donations. Ideally items in enclosed boxes that can be wiped down. NOTE: Refrain from any soft items such as stuffed animals and clothing. These particular items require isolation and special handling due to COVID 19 precautions. Deadline for intake for hampers will be Friday, Dec. 11. All referrals will go through FCSS. Residents can call 780.929.1006 for an intake. Delivery Date will be Wednesday, Dec 16 starting at 6 p.m. Please visit bnchristmaselves.com for more info.
Support the future of the environment in Beaumont The City of Beaumont is maintaining its commitment to environmental sustainability by conducting a planned update to its Environmental Master Plan, first approved in 2013. The City of Beaumont is looking for extensive public input to help shape the direction of the plan. During the month of November 2020, you can provide your thoughts on the key issues impacting the environment in Beaumont and how the City can help support sustainability in the community. Participate via online and print questionnaire and an interactive webinar. To learn more about the project, please visit beaumont.ab.ca/EMP or email joannes.wong@beaumont.ab.ca for more information.
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