CAO DIVISION

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The COVID-19 pandemic continued to present both challenges and new opportunities. Despite tradeshows and many other networking opportunities being cancelled, the Economic Development department has continued to market Lac La Biche Region through all available channels.

Our annual tourism campaigns were once again hugely successful. The #TakeItToTheLake campaign, in partnership with four other northeastern Alberta destinations, reached over 1 million people on social media. Go East of Edmonton’s Roadtrip Adventure Game drew hundreds of travellers to explore and visit “sticker stations” in participating communities. Lac La Biche Region had two stations, one at the local Visitor Information Centre and one at North Country Co-op’s gas bar. The Visitor Information Centre, managed by the Lac La Biche & District Chamber of Commerce, called it the best promotion they had ever joined.

To guide future activities and investments, the department completed a Museums Sustainability project to benefit the Lac La Biche Museum, Lac La Biche Mission, and Plamondon & District Museum. Staff also began a bilingual signage project in partnership with the Conseil de développement économique de l’Alberta to encourage bilingual tourism and highlight the added value that bilingualism provides the community.

The first meeting of the County’s Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) was held in December. EDAC has representatives from business, industry, non-profit, and other sectors. The committee’s ongoing role will be to make highlevel recommendations to Council on economic development matters.

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

Lac La Biche County continued to take quick action on the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 Response Team and Senior Leadership Team explored solutions to lessen the impact of the pandemic on our community and County staff.

Back in 2020, the County announced a partnership to bring TELUS’ fibre optic network to the region, along with a new cell tower to improve wireless coverage in the Hylo area. Throughout the County in 2021, construction by TELUS and their contractors gave many residents in the hamlets of Plamondon and Lac La Biche the opportunity to hook up to fibre optic broadband.

Phase 1 of the Main Street Lac La Biche Revitalization Project was completed successfully. Administration continues to plan and work towards Phases 2 and 3 to complete Main Street. During 2022 budget deliberations, Council passed a bylaw to debenture the Revitalization Project.

The County continues to work diligently on short and longterm plans for transitional housing. Administration was able to secure $150,000 in funding from the Rural Development Network’s Reaching Home Grant. In 2021, the County and Métis Nation of Alberta Region 1 signed an agreement for a short-term lease property to ensuring that our most vulnerable residents had a place to stay while a long-term plan is developed.

In 2021, the County conducted a community engagement plan for the future Aquatics Centre at the Bold Center. The engagement was completed successfully, with information brough back to Council. During 2022 budget deliberations, Council passed a bylaw to debenture the Aquatics Centre project.

HUMAN RESOURCES AND HEALTH & SAFETY

Human Resources assisted all County departments with recruitment, including 100 competitions for regular positions, and 60 for summer/seasonal jobs.

The department organized training on equity, diversity, and inclusion, along with a separate course that promoted awareness of Indigenous peoples and cultures.

Staff completed the compensation review and job description projects. They also reclassified volunteer firefighters to casual employees.

Human Resources and Health & Safety implemented and updated a number of work practices to promote safety and wellness in the workplace. They also provided COVID-19 related staff support and communications.

Staff ran the County’s annual internal pedometer challenge and partnered with Alberta Health Services to provide a mental health presentation.

WONDERING WHY?

WHY DO WE CALL IT LAC LA BICHE REGION?

Visitors don’t really care about municipal boundaries when they travel, so we promote tourism in Lac La Biche County as well as neighbouring Indigenous communities. We have more to offer, and we stand out more, when we market ourselves as one great destination.

LAC LA BICHE COUNTY AND TELUS PARTNER TO BRING PUREFIBRE TO HAMLET RESIDENTS

Lac La Biche County and TELUS partnered to bring TELUS’ PureFibre network to residents in and around the hamlets of Lac La Biche and Plamondon. Throughout 2021, TELUS and its contractors built out the network, outfitting homes and businesses with ultra-fast connections and making Lac La Biche County a leader in connectivity in rural Alberta.

TELUS will complete remediation work in spring 2022, restoring lawns, yards, and other infrastructure affected by the network build. As part of this project, TELUS will also be building a new cell tower near the Hylo community to improve rural connectivity.