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COUNTY COUNCIL & SENIOR LEADERSHIP
COUNTY COUNCIL
Term started October 2021
Paul Reutov Mayor Darlene Beniuk Councillor, Ward 1 Kevin Paré Councillor, Ward 2 Colette Borgun Councillor, Ward 3 Jason Stedman Councillor, Ward 4 Charlyn Moore Councillor, Ward 5 Sterling Johnson Councillor, Ward 6 John Mondal Councillor, Ward 7 Lorin Tkachuk Councillor, Ward 7
Term ended October 2021
Omer Moghrabi Mayor Darlene Beniuk Councillor, Ward 1 George L’Heureux Councillor, Ward 2 Colette Borgun Councillor, Ward 3 Jason Stedman Councillor, Ward 4 Charlyn Moore Councillor, Ward 5 Sterling Johnson Councillor, Ward 6 Colin Cote Councillor, Ward 7 Lorin Tkachuk Councillor, Ward 7
From left to right: Charlyn Moore, Jason Stedman, John Mondal, Darlene Beniuk, Paul Reutov, Colette Borgun, Sterling Johnson, Kevin Paré, Lorin Tkachuk
SENIOR LEADERSHIP
Dan Small Acting Chief Administrative Officer Melanie McConnell Associate Chief Administrative Officer, Corporate Services Darrell Lessmeister Associate Chief Administrative Officer, Recreation & Community Services
John Andersen Director of Economic Investment & Retention
Kashif Ijaz Director of Human Resources
LAC LA BICHE COUNTY’S VISION AND STRATEGIC PLAN
In 2018, Council set a vision for our community:
Lac La Biche County is proud to be a diverse, healthy, and safe community. Our citizens are engaged and enjoy enhanced social and recreational amenities. We are economically resilient as we continue to invest in top-quality infrastructure and services. We are environmental stewards who promote our natural assets, making Lac La Biche
County the destination choice of northern Alberta. This vision has guided both Council and Administration throughout 2021.
In order to meet that vision, Council has set five strategic goals, which help us prioritize our community’s most important projects, programs, and services. Below is a list of those goals, along with a few ways that we’ve made progress in each area.
1. Economic Development
• 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. • 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 provided many residents in the hamlets of Plamondon and Lac
La Biche the opportunity to hook up to fibre optic broadband.
2. Recreation and Culture
• In addition to continuing work on the
Bold Center’s sports field development (which saw the opening of an artificial turf and multiple baseball diamonds in 2021), staff created a new campsite at the Bold Center, which will attract families visiting the Bold Center for sports tournaments. • 60 individuals from 16 families used the Fair Access Fee
Assistance Program, which helps those with financial barriers access County recreation programs and services. A total of $3,637.50 was redeemed.
PLEASE NOTE:
Council is currently in the process of updating the County’s Strategic Plan. More details will be available at a future date on www.laclabichecounty.com. 3. Social Wellness
• Beyond the Reaching Home grant for the Transitional Housing program, staff continue to look for other funding opportunities to help our homeless and unstably-housed residents. With Métis
Nation of Alberta, staff supported the setup of a temporary homeless camp, which includes daily bus service between the camp and the hamlet of Lac La Biche.
4. Tourism
• 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. • Staff established the Lac La Biche County Sport Tourism
Terms of Reference and Working Group in February, which will guide the County’s efforts to attract major sporting events to our community. The Working Group completed a community assessment, and research for best practices and hosting policies has been ongoing throughout 2021. Staff continue to work on items like a community highlight sheet, detailed inventories of facilities and accommodations, and venue bookings.
5. Environment
• 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.
