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INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES DIVISION
101 Avenue Water and Sewer Replacement (103 Street to 105 Street on Main Street Lac La Biche) – Phase 1 Township Road 690 Upgrade Nashim Drive Bridge Replacement
Engineering Services oversaw a number of major construction projects to completion in 2021, including: • Campsite Road Bridge/Culvert Replacement; • Gold River Bridge/Culvert Replacement; • Missawawi Creek Bridge Replacement; • Nashim Drive Bridge Replacement; • Old 46 Culvert Replacement; • 101 Avenue Water and Sewer Replacement (103 Street to 105 Street on Main Street Lac La Biche) – Phase 1; • County Centre Shop Expansion – Connector Building • Hamlet Resurfacing Program and Sidewalk Replacement
Program in the hamlets of Lac La Biche and Plamondon; and • Lakeland Drive Chip Seal.
Projects that were carried over from 2021 and will be completed in 2022 include: • Beaver Hill Road & 91 Avenue Intersection Improvement; • Installation of 2 new lift stations in Plamondon; • Bayview Beach Subdivision Water and Sewer Installation; • Highway 881 Crosswalk Lighting; • County Centre Parking Lot and Yard Extension; and • Richard Devonian Park.
Engineering was completed for the following projects: • Heart Lake First Nations access road; • Bridge replacement for the following bridge files: 8807, 85387 and 72382; • Phases 2 and 3 of the Main Street Lac La Biche
Revitalization Project; • 95 Street water distribution and storm sewer; • Sentinel Park Water and Sewer Installation/Airport
Reservoir Upgrades; • Sentinel East Stormwater Pond; • Stormwater Master Plan Revision; and • Mission Road Walking Trail.
FLEET SERVICES
Fleet Services continued to provide everyday repair and maintenance of the County’s inventory of 400+ fleet vehicles, heavy and medium trucks, trailers, off-road construction equipment, and small/medium equipment.
The County purchased the following new and replacement in 2021, among other purchases necessary for delivering services: • 10 pickup trucks; • 1 tandem plow truck; • Artificial turf maintenance equipment; • 2 lawn mowers; • 2 high-volume water pumps for flood control; • 2 motor graders; • 2 equipment trailers; • 1 landfill compactor; • 1 utility terrain vehicle; • 1 ride-on floor scrubber; and • Miscellaneous attachments and shop equipment.
Fleet Services assisted with tendering and procurement of new Fire Services and Community Peace Officer vehicles.
Surplus equipment and miscellaneous items have been listed on the www.govdeals.ca online auction site, allowing the County to list items no longer needed throughout the year, rather than all at once in an in-person auction. Mitchener Allen Auction was used for larger pieces of equipment.
The final phase of the County Centre repair shop addition was completed in November, which allows staff to complete more equipment and vehicle repairs in house. The addition houses tool and equipment storage rooms, a small shop, a shipping and receiving area, locker rooms, and a large meeting room.
The department continues to work with local schools to provide placement for work experience and Registered Apprentice Program (RAP) students.
Backlane Paving - Lac La Biche Lakeland Drive Chip Seal Project
Bayview Beach Subdivision Water and Sewer Installation Backlane Paving - Plamondon
TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
The Transportation Services department graded 1,189 km of gravel roads in 2021. As part of the annual road re-gravelling program, staff placed 53,000 tonnes of gravel over 275 km of roads. They also completed 50 km of shoulder pulling in the Rich Lake and Craigend areas.
To improve safety, the department replaced and installed over 180 road signs.
Staff sealed cracks along 121 km of paved roads, as well as rejuvenated 4.5 km of cold mix road. They also completed the equivalent of 4.5 km of cold mix spot repairs at various locations throughout the County. Staff patched potholes and completed other minor road touch-ups along 162 km of paved roads.
Transportation Services completed 244 residential dust suppression requests, each consisting of 200-metre strips of calcium chloride applications in front of residences. Dust suppression was also completed along key intersections and gravel haul routes.
Traffic line painting was completed on a number of paved roads, including main routes in the hamlets of Lac La Biche and Plamondon.
Staff completed the County Centre Parking Lot & Yard Reconfiguration project.
Blais Resort Drainage Plamondon Walking Trail OVerlay
UTILITY SERVICES
Utility Services staff assisted with the completion and inspection of Phase 1 of the Main Street Lac La Biche Water and Sewer Replacement project.
The department replaced the 12-3 regulation station, which supplies natural gas to our franchise area. With this upgrade, staff were able to remove the 9-5 station and modify the 6-10 station for greater efficiency.
Utility Services installed insulated covers on the bio-trains of the wastewater plant to achieve better performance in the biological nutrient removal process.
The contract with the operator of the wastewater plant is ending in 2023, and Utility Services will be participating in its review.
Staff replaced approximately 1,200 metres of steel natural gas pipe to poly, which has a 100-year life.
The exterior of the water treatment plant was upgraded, including parging, landscaping, and new downspouts.
Staff built a new storage shed at the Utility Services Shop yard—the existing sheds were getting old, and becoming a safety hazard.
Utility Services built a new hydrovac waste receiving station, which is registered with Alberta Environment. This station will help prevent illegal dumping in Lac La Biche County.
The Drainage Services department was created to manage surface drainage throughout our region. They have hired two seasonal trappers and a full-time Drainage Coordinator. Drainage Services replaced and repaired approximately 100 culverts within the County.
An RV sanitary dumping station was installed at Rich Lake and will be ready for the 2022 camping season.
Agricultural Services
Staff successfully implemented the County’s new Clubroot Agreement Policy, which aims to reduce the spread of clubroot throughout the County. The policy was applied once with a local producer.
The County inspected 70 brassica (canola) fields for clubroot, with none testing positive. As part of our prevention program, staff held several workshops for clubroot to better educate the public. Staff also completed 750 weed inspections on public and private lands to prevent the spread of plant species that affect local producers.
Enhancements were made to the community garden at Alexander Hamilton Park, including soil adjustments and adding watering tanks. New raised bed plots are planned for 2022.
Staff mowed 5,367.1 km of roadside vegetation along County roads, ditches and right-of-ways throughout the summer, with some areas getting a second pass. This was 20.7% higher than 2020.
The department sold 509 tree seedlings in 2021, which are offered each year to encourage residents to plant more trees throughout Lac La Biche County.
Environment
Staff continued the lake water quality monitoring program, which includes lake sampling (19 events), beach sampling (17 events), and inflow/outflow sampling (4 events) to measure lake health in the County. All data is available on the County’s website, or upon request. Lac La Biche County also partnered with the Alberta Lake Management Society and University of Alberta to correlate lake samples with satellite imagery of algae blooms (which are used to determine the severity of algae blooms.
Staff began the Environmental Stewardship Awards in 2021, and winners were chosen for each category (individual, business, organization, and agriculture). Each award recipient received a $500 cash award, plus a framed certificate to display.
Environmental Services’ Mad About Science program partnered with Recreation’s Summer Shack program, holding day camps for children every Friday in July and August. More than 160 participants learned about science with fun activities and games throughout the summer.
The County is participating in Alberta Environment and Park’s Wetland Replacement Program, which will construct wetlands that have been historically infilled. Locations for restoration include the Bold Center and Field Lake.
The Lac La Biche Watershed Management Plan, which guides the County’s strategies to protect our lake and entire watershed, was updated and approved by Council in May 2021. The updated plan is now ready to be implemented.
Waste & Recycling Management
Staff completed bear fencing at the Beaver Lake Landfill to help minimize the entry of wildlife at the site.
The County installed a tire bunker at the Craigend Transfer Station to enable tire recycling.
Work continued on the compost pad at the Beaver Lake Landfill, which will allow residents to bring in compostable materials. It is anticipated to be complete in summer 2022.
The department held several waste and recycling workshops for local schools, community organizations, and the public. They also created an educational video tour of the Beaver Lake Landfill, which helped viewers better understand general site rules, recycling programs, and more.
CONSTRUCTION SPOTLIGHT: PHASE ONE OF MAIN STREET LAC LA BICHE REVITALIZATION
Phase 1 from 103 Street to 105 Street on Main Street Lac La Biche kicked off this multi-year revitalization project with road surfacing and water & sewer services completed on schedule. Throughout Phase 1, biweekly public information sessions were available to keep all interested parties updated and provide feedback on Phases 2 and 3.
Phases 2 and 3 of the project, which include water & sewer service replacements and a more complete aesthetic overhaul further east down Main Street, will happen in the summers of 2022 and 2023. More information about the project will be available on www.laclabichecounty.com.
