14
ANNUAL REPORT 2020
Report from the General Manager
INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES
Infrastructure Services (IS) is home to the Transportation,
Also in 2020, IS along with Council began creating the flooding
Utilities, and Infrastructure departments, and is the largest
and drainage project priority map to help identify, alleviate, and
department in the M.D. Just over $69 million of the M.D.’s 2020
mitigate flooding in the M.D.
budget went to IS. In 2020, the department updated the Roads
At the end of 2020, the M.D. took over operations and
Classification Map (originally created in 2019) which assigns a
maintenance responsibility of the Bonnyville Regional Airport.
category to each M.D.-owned road. Each category outlines the
There was minimal impact on the 2020 budget for this new
specification of each road — taking into account location, traffic
endeavour, with upgrades being planned for 2021.
volume, and surface type — and sets a standard for future
Meanwhile, in Utilities, we saw the continued progress of the
capital road projects. This classification system goes hand-in-
regional waterline from Cold Lake to the Town of Bonnyville.
hand with the capital road project priority map, which outlines
In Infrastructure, work on the new grader shop/fire hall in
road construction projects for the next five years.
Ardmore and the fire hall in Fort Kent was well underway, while
The Transportation Department has equipment to help with
the M.D. also took possession of the old Kopala building at the
all of the maintenance and construction projects handled over
southwest end of Bonnyville to become the new home of the
a year, including graders, loaders, excavators, and heavy-duty
Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority administration centre, as well
trucks that are used to deliver aggregate in the summer and
as Station 5 (Bonnyville), EMS, and the 911 call centre.
plow snow and apply sand in the winter.
DRAINAGE & FLOODING
It will be rescheduled in 2021. The plan will be finalized
Work on a drainage map began in 2020, with the final map
after receiving public input. The plan identifies problem
being passed in January 2021. The map outlines projects to
areas, as well as improvements to be undertaken, in phases,
be undertaken by the M.D. and how to tackle the identified
on a priority basis.
issues in a systematic manner. In the spring of 2020, Transportation staff put a significant focus on culvert steaming
HARDSHIP PROGRAM
to mitigate flooding and assist in drainage from the melting
Residents who, due to circumstance or life conditions can-
snowpack. A draft Master Drainage Plan
not perform snow removal, can enrol in the M.D.’s Hardship
for Crane Lake was created. Due to
Program. This program sees M.D. staff clear out driveways
COVID-19, a public engagement session
of residents who cannot after a large snow event. This is a
was unable to be held.
free service that is conducted after all M.D. roadways have been cleared. In 2020, there were 185 people utilizing the service.
INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES info@md.bonnyville.ab.ca 780.826.3171 Ext. 9300
INFRA-
