Rural Review - June 2023

June 2023

CLIMBING INTO SUMMER

KINOSOO RIDGE

What’s the surest sign of summer? Kinosoo Ridge Resort’s Aerial Adventure Park opening for the season!

From now until the end of the season, the Adventure Park will be open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The final climb time for each day is 4 p.m. Find

THE RIDGE

The Kinosoo Ridge Resort Restaurant has a new name and a new logo — welcome to The Ridge!

Our chefs will be serving up amazing food all summer long. Come for the day and take a climb on the Aerial Adventure Park or let us become your new date night destination. Featuring food from local producers, The Ridge is offering up an elevated dining experience to fit everyone’s tastebuds (and wallet).

Returning this year is our ever-popular Sunday Brunch. There’s nothing quite like The Ridge’s Breakfast Poutine or waffle selection! Top it off with a mimosa for that authentic brunch experience!

To kick off the spring season, The Ridge will be open as follows:

Wednesday to Saturday - 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday - 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sunday Brunch - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Follow The Ridge on Facebook for menu updates, promotions, and eventsfacebook.com/TheRidgeAtKR.

PARKS & RECREATION

Where can I find a playground? Are there any boat launches on this lake? I wonder where this trail goes?

If you’ve ever asked any of these questions about what is located and where in the Municipal District of Bonnyville, we have something that can help — our new, interactive Parks and Recreation map is now live.

Get ready to explore the M.D. in a whole new way! The mobile-friendly map can help you plan your adventures in our area.

Visit bit.ly/ParksAndRecMap to start exploring today!

The sun is shining, the boat launch is ready, and the doors to the Shaw House Visitor Information and Interpretive Centre are officially open!

Come by and check out the new Trading Post retail space loaded with some amazing locally made goods, grab an M.D. Adventure Guide, and pick up some information on how to make your weekend great!

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Telling the Story of Our Community Through an Economic Lens

One significant task from the M.D.’s 2023 Business and Industry Growth Strategy is creating the M.D.’s community profile to help attract new people and businesses to our area.

What is a community profile? It is a snapshot of information, resources, and trends within a community that establishes the context for decision making specific to personal re-location or business retention, expansion, and attraction.

Developing a community profile involves identifying community assets and attitudes, locating notable features in the community, and assessing social and economic conditions and trends in the region that have a bearing on personal and business projects.

This profile is an asset when we talk about successful economic development.

A community profile highlights what makes our municipality stand out. It provides valuable economic and demographic data to businesses and site selectors and makes it easy for residents and businesses to find and monitor trends.

This regularly updated document connects investors with important municipal publications such as Land Use Bylaws, Municipal Development Plans, Area Structure Plans, aerial photos, and other major documents.

Location advisors and corporate executives ask different questions at different stages of their business site selection process while compiling research, comparing locations, and creating short lists. A community profile can help a site selector manage this process and keep your community engaged in the investment process.

A strong concise profile will summarize local social and economic characteristics including population, property, and housing data. This is useful for understanding growth trends, while economic data provides insight into how the local or regional economy may be affected by a potential project. It will also showcase notable features and resources, businesses, activity centers, community facilities and services, and cultural and aesthetic resources.

All the key points researched, collected, and presented make up a community profile. When the right information is gathered and packaged properly it can and will create a unique image of the M.D. that makes investors want to call this place — our community — home.

For more information on Economic Development in the M.D., visit bit.ly/MDECDEV or call the Economic Development Specialist, Scott Kovatch at 780-826-3171

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE M.D.

The Cold Lake Oil Sands area is the second largest oil reserve in Alberta. The region, at its peak, produces over 500,000 barrels of oil. Imperial Oil’s project in the north portion of the M.D. is Canada’s largest in-situ oil sands operation, producing approximately 5% of all crude oil in Canada. The M.D. has over 17,000 oil/gas wells, which adds to the overall production.

P.E.I.

P.E.I.

M.D. OF BONNYVILLE

ASSET MANAGEMENT

Definition - asset management is the process of managing a municipality’s assets in a cost-effective manner, by analyzing the life cycle of all the assets in a community to develop information about future maintenance, new developments, and capacity resource.

(Source: bit.ly/ABAssetManagement)

To put it more simply, asset management is a way of thinking about how assets are used, fixed, maintained, replaced, or acquired to deliver the many services we provide to our community. It is about using systems and processes to balance cost, risk, and level of service to make informed decisions that make sense for our community.

So, what is an asset? In the M.D., we have a wide variety, including:

• Roads

• Buildings

• Bridges

• Campgrounds

• Trails

• Playground Equipment

• Skating Rinks

• Water and Sanitation Systems

• Rental Equipment

• Fleet Vehicles

• Heavy Equipment

To realize Council’s goal of Building a Viable and Diversified Regional Economy (as detailed in the 2022-2027 Strategic Plan), asset management attempts to forecast an asset’s life-cycle cost so that we can financially plan for its future. We consider the costs of an asset at each stage of life.

The M.D. of Bonnyville has an active Asset Management Team that works with all departments to ensure the services provided are sustainable for years to come. They work towards this sustainability by asking:

1. What do we own?

2. Where is it?

3. How old is it and what condition is it in?

4. How long will it last?

5. How much will it cost to maintain, operate, and/or replace?

6. What services are we or should we be providing?

7. What assets do we need to provide these services?

The answers to those questions become individual Asset Management Plans for all our asset categories (i.e., buildings, paved/unpaved roads, bridges, fleet vehicles, etc.).

The new Asset Management Team has been in place since Spring 2022. In that time, we have completed several projects — developing a Program Implementation Strategy, conducting formal condition assessments on all facilities throughout the M.D., and presenting State of the Infrastructure reports for our buildings and bridge structures to Council.

The future of the M.D.’s Asset Management Program includes developing and implementing processes around collecting data, communication, and evaluation. We will continue to gather information on our levels of service delivery, condition of assets, and operation and maintenance activities.

How this benefits M.D. residents:

• Stretches tax dollars further to provide more services

• Fewer outages in services like water and sanitation delivery through active risk management

• Increases transparency of operating costs

• Prioritization of critical assets and services

• Creates a clear and systematic approach to decision making

• Improves maintenance to lengthen lifespan of core assets.

Keep an eye on the Rural Review and the M.D.’s website for more Asset Management news and updates.

Did you know? 60% of Canada’s core public infrastructure is owned and maintained by municipal governments.

LIVESTOCK PLAN

Livestock Emergency Preparedness

Are you prepared for an emergency or disaster such as a fire, flood, or severe weather? These are common risks that affect agricultural communities. Being prepared will help you protect your property and livestock.

If you are forced to evacuate, there are a few things you can do to prepare in advance.

Identify where you will go if you must evacuate — Identify family, friends, or neighbours who could house livestock during a disaster.

Determine how you will evacuate yourselves and your livestock — Set up safe transportation. You may need multiple trucks, trailers, or other vehicles depending on the type and how many animals you have. Be ready to leave early or as soon as an evacuation order is given.

Develop an emergency plan — This plan should have a list of emergency contact numbers including fire departments, RCMP, neighbours, veterinarians, transport resources, etc. Your emergency plan should include a map with all building and equipment locations, animal locations, in and out access points, water sources, locations for shut offs (gas, electricity, and power), and a muster point. Post your emergency plan in every building on your property and review the information regularly.

If livestock cannot be evacuated, move them to a pre-selected location. In a flood, this may be higher ground, or in the event of a wildfire, move livestock to a heavily worked field, heavily grazed, or green pasture. Leave enough feed and water for a minimum of three days and cut fences so livestock can escape if necessary. Make sure your livestock has some form of identification (tags, paint, etc.).

Emergencies and disasters can last a few hours or a few days. It is a good idea to keep enough supplies on hand to last a minimum of 14 days.

Livestock emergency supplies:

• List of all animals, descriptions, and their locations.

• A list of feeding records, animal medications, and veterinarian records.

• First aid kit supplies.

• Supplies for temporary identification, such as permanent markers, animals spray paint/markers, and tags.

• Sale records and proof of ownership.

• Handling equipment (ropes, halters, blankets, and appropriate tools for each animal).

• Feed and water supplies that do not require power.

If you are affected by a disaster and an evacuation order is issued, it is important that you first and foremost follow the directions of first responders.

There are many resources available to you to develop your own emergency plan.

Get a copy of our Livestock Emergency Response Guide at bit.ly/MDAgPlan or by scanning the QR code above.

RENTAL EQUIPMENT

Did you know that the agriculture services department has over 30 pieces of rental equipment for farmers and acreage owners?

Producers can rent equipment from the Public Works shop located at 61330 RGE RD 455. Reservations are highly recommended, especially during spring and fall, and can be made by calling 780-826-3951.

There are also three satellite sites (with select equipment) located in Therien, Iron River, and Cherry Grove.

Please note: Our Cherry Grove satellite site has moved to Diamond S Farms located at 41403 TWP RD 615.

EQUIPMENT

Broadcaster (PTO)

Calf Turntable

Castrator Rubbers

Cattle Scale

Cattle Squeeze

Corral Panels (2) gates

Land Roller 15’ (2)

Land Roller 30’ (1) (Delivered)

Loading Chute only

Loading Chute with Corral Panels

Portable Tub, Alley & Squeeze (Delivered)

Portable Tub, Alley & Squeeze (Delivered)

Post Pounder with Gas Engine (2)

Trucker Sprayer (2) herbicide/insecticide 300L

Spraying – Custom Spraying

DAMAGE DEPOSIT ONLY

Backpack Sprayer

Bloodless Castrator

Castrating Knife & Emasculator

Dehorner

Hand Seeder

Hoof Trimmers

Magpie Trap (4)

Moisture Tester

Scare Cannon (6)

Skunk Trap (11)

Gopher Traps (3 kits with 4 traps)

For more information, please call 780-826-3951.

CHERRY

Changes coming for pesticide and fertilizer container recycling.

Last year, CleanFarms announced it was transitioning its pesticide and fertilizer container recycling program (for containers larger than 23 litres) from a municipal-based collection model to a retail-based collection model across Alberta. This change harmonizes the collection system across Canada.

Currently, producers in the M.D. of Bonnyville can still recycle their empty containers at our Bonnyville location, located at the Bonnyville Seed Cleaning Plant. This location will remain open until December 31, 2023. As of January 1, 2024, producers will have to return their larger than 23-litre pesticide and fertilizer containers to the retailer.

Producers can pick up free plastic bags at the Bonnyville Seed Cleaning Plant and the Goodridge landfill to make collecting, storing, and transporting containers easier and more efficient. All containers must be bagged before they can be returned to the retailer.

If

you have

September 8 to 10, 2023

the Alberta Trappers Association at 780-349-6626 for more information or to register.

DUGOUTS

Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation Water Pumping Program

With this springs extreme dryness coupled with a dry fall in 2022, producers in the Municipal District of Bonnyville may be experiencing water shortages.

The Alberta Agricultural and Irrigation Water Pumping program is intended to assist producers in obtaining water for domestic, livestock, or agricultural purposes. For a nominal fee, producers can apply to rent pipe and pumping equipment to fill dugouts or other suitable catch basins from nearby water sources. Full-time Alberta agricultural producers experiencing water shortages for domestic and livestock have priority for the use of equipment.

When applying to the program be prepared to provide the following information:

• Name

• Phone number

• Address/legal land description

• Municipal District/County

• Water source

• Distance to be pumped

• Estimated lift

• Date equipment wanted

• Days required

Applications can be accessed by visiting www.alberta.ca/water-pumping-program.aspx.

Once your application has been received and approved, a coordinator from the water pumping program will be in contact with you to coordinate the equipment delivery.

For more information contact the Agricultural Services Department at 780-826-3951.

Roadside Spraying Program 2023

The Agricultural Service Board of the Municipal District of Bonnyville No. 87 and/or contractors have started spraying roadside ditches along provincial highways and municipal rightof-ways, as required to control the spread of weeds and brush at the beginning of June. Spraying will continue throughout the summer until the end of September.

Landowners who wish to control the weeds adjacent to their property, on municipal right-of-ways may do so by signing a Weed Control Agreement. This agreement allows the landowner to control weeds instead of using herbicide. If you fail to administer control, the M.D. may control them with methods they deem appropriate. A copy of the Weed Control Agreement can be found on our website at md.bonnyville.ab.ca.

Landowners living along Primary or Secondary Highways should contact Emcon, the provinical maintenance contractor, with any questions related to weed control.

Landowners are reminded that the road allowances are owned by the M.D. or by the province (in the case of provincial highways), and any activity carried out within the road allowances are done at their own risk.

For more information contact the Agricultural Services Department at 780-826-3951.

During the first week of October, residents will see changes in the operation of the Fort Kent and Ardmore landfills.

Fort Kent will be transitioning to a bin site, which will allow M.D. residents to drop off their household waste and recyclables 24 hours a day, seven days per week. This makes things a little more convenient for residents — the Fort Kent landfill is currently open three days a week, with limited hours and access. The change will bring the Fort Kent site into alignment with the level of service offered at many of the M.D.’s 30 community bin sites. Items such as Class 3 waste, appliances, metal, paint, electronics, and burnable wood will now be directed to the Ardmore Landfill.

Of note, 74% of visits to the Fort Kent Landfill in 2022 were to drop off household waste and recycling.

At the Ardmore Landfill, there will be a few updates.

The days of operation will expand to five days per week — Tuesday to Saturday — while maintaining the same hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. An automated entry gate system will also be installed further into the site. This system will allow landfill access to M.D. ratepayers using a proximity card or a cell phone app. The purpose of this is to free up landfill staff to be more hands-on with assisting and educating residents on the proper use of the landfill, while automatically tracking the usage of the site, as required by the Code of Practice of Landfills.

M.D. ratepayers will be able to register for a waste utility account for one or both access tools at no additional charge once the cards arrive. Stay tuned to md.bonnyville.ab.ca and our socials for updates.

Under Construction

Township Road 610 from Highway 28 to Range Road 460 will be under construction from May 22 to October 30, 2023.

During this time, this portion of Twp. Rd. 610 will be open to local traffic only. Intersections along Twp. Rd. 610 may be closed intermittently. However, access to residents will remain open. The contractor completing the road re-construction will have traffic accommodations in place. Please follow all traffic signs and drive slowly and carefully through construction zones.

Please see the map to the right for details.

For more information, contact the Prime Contractor at 780-293-9419

CONSTRUCTION NOTICES

The M.D.’s 2023 Roadside Brushing Program began May 15, 2023.

Contractors will be on site at various locations around the municipality until October 31, 2023.

Please note — there could be local traffic delays during this time. The contractor completing the brushing will have traffic accommodations in place.

See the map to the right for brushing locations and keep an eye on the M.D.’s Facebook page for updates.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call 780-826-3951

Did You Know...?

Q – How many kilometres of each type of road (ACP Surfaced, Cold Mix Surfaced, Gravel Surfaced) are in the M.D.?

A – The M.D. of Bonnyville is responsible for all the roads in the M.D., with the exception of primary and secondary highways and private (industry) roads. We currently have 320 kilometres of ACP (Asphalt) roads, 680 kilometres of cold mix roads, and 1,315 kilometres of gravel surfaced roads for a total of 2,315 kilometres!

Q – How long does it take to clear the M.D. roads after a snowstorm?

A – This number varies dependent on the duration and intensity of the storm, but the plow trucks can usually have all the main arteries cleared in two days and all the roads are complete in three to four days.

Q – How does the grading schedule of gravel roads work in the summer?

A – Gravel roads are typically graded on a 10-day cycle depending on weather conditions. If it is too dry, we cannot effectively remove washboard sections. If there has been excessive amount of rain, we delay the maintenance until there is no risk of damage to the structure of the road.

Q – How much water do M.D. residents and bulk water users go through in one day? In one year?

A – The M.D. uses about 257,000 litres per day, which amounts to about 94,000,000 litres per year. This usage is primarily through the hamlets of Ardmore and Fort Kent, bulk water terminals, and several rural residents that are connected to the regional line.

Q – How many subdivisions are in the M.D. of Bonnyville?

A – We currently have 86 subdivisions within the M.D. of Bonnyville where we look after snow removal, crack sealing, street sweeping, and more.

Q – How many buildings does the M.D. own?

A – The M.D. owns and maintains 50 buildings throughout the municipality such as the Public Works shop, Main Administration Office, The Public Safety building, Kinosoo Ridge Resort, the Shaw House Visitor Information and Interpretive Centre, grader shops, water distribution facilities, and storage facilities.

Q – What is the cost of installing a dust control?

A – For a cold mix dust control section that is 200 metres long, the cost is between $20,000 and $25,000 depending on the width of the road. For a MG30 treatment on a gravel road that is 200 metres long, the cost is $3,000.

Q – How much road surfacing material (gravel and cold-mix asphalt) does the M.D. use in a year?

A – In 2022, the M.D. used 34,000 tonnes of cold-mix asphalt to construct rip-and-re-lays, 2,300 tonnes of cold-mix for dust control strips, 39,000 tonnes of gravel for the annual gravelling program, 7,000 tonnes of gravel for the shoulder pull program, and 4,100 tonnes of patching material on M.D. roads.

Q – How many pieces of heavy equipment does the M.D. Public Works Department have?

A – The M.D. owns, operates, and maintains:

• Six loaders

• Three dozers

• One scraper

• Four excavators

• 28 packers

• Six heavy trailers

• One hydrovac truck

• 30 heavy trucks (11 that can be equipped as snowplows)

• One street sweeper

• Three reclaimers

• Four tractors

• 17 graders

• Four skid steers

DID YOU KNOW?

Does your rural address sign need a replacement?

Take a look at your blue address sign. Is it faded or damaged? Do you need a new one? Take a look at the picture above. Does it look like the one on the left? If so, you probably need a new one.

The M.D. has a new online program which allows property owners to request a new or replacement sign online. Simply fill out the form here bit.ly/MapsAddressing, and your sign will be ordered.

You will be contacted via phone when your sign is ready to be picked up from the M.D.’s Main Administration Office (4905-50 Ave.). Once you have picked up your sign from our office, you can also upload a photo of it to through the form, which lets us know you’ve installed it.

Please call the Planning and Development Department at 780-826-3171 with any questions.

NOTE IT!

Did you know you can receive a voicemail with emergency alerts from the M.D.?

If you sign up for an account at bit.ly/MDVoyentAlert you can choose how you receive information — by downloading an app, via email, through a text message, and even an automatic call to your phone number. You can even choose to get information from all four sources.

You can also find a map which shows where active alerts are currently in place, find out more information on the Voyent system, and submit information to be sent out via Voyent (for example if you have a lost pet) at bit.ly/MDVoyentAlert

Have questions? Contact our Public Safety Department at 780-812-3332 or via email at voyent@md.bonnyville.ab.ca

Council Highlights

Tax and assessment notices in the mail!

M.D. property owners should be receiving their 2023 Tax and Assessment Notices in their mailboxes soon.

If you have not received your tax notice by mid-July or if you have questions about your notice, please contact the Tax Team at 780-826-3171.

Remember – the deadline to pay your M.D. property taxes is September 15, 2023.

Highlights from all Regular Meetings of Council are published on our website, md.bonnyville.ab.ca, by the end of day Thursday following the meeting.

Recordings of the meetings can also be found at bit.ly/ MDBvilleYouTube.

Agendas are published on our website on the Friday evening before each meeting, unless there is a long weekend, and then it may be delayed. Watch facebook. com/MDBonnyville or follow @mdbville on Twitter to find out when agendas have been published.

YOUR M.D. COUNCIL

WARD 1

Josh Crick

jcrick@md.bonnyville.ab.ca

780-545-5961

PRODUCED AND PRINTED BY THE MUNICIPAL DISTRICT OF BONNYVILLE NO. 87

4905 - 50 Avenue Bag 1010 Bonnyville, Alberta

T9N 2J7

CONTACT US: Main Administration

780-826-3171

Public Safety/Bylaw Concerns

780-812-3332

24-Hour Concern Line

780-812-5000

FIND US ONLINE

web - md.bonnyville.ab.ca email - info@md.bonnyville.ab.ca

Sign up for a digital copy of the Rural Review at md.bonnyville.ab.ca

COPYRIGHT - The articles, logos, and photos in this publication are the copyright of the Municipal District of Bonnyville No. 87 and may not be reproduced without consent.

WARD 2

Darcy Skarsen

dskarsen@md.bonnyville.ab.ca

780-201-3478

WARD 3

Mike Krywiak

mkrywiak@md.bonnyville.ab.ca

780-573-6093

WARD 4

Don Slipchuk

dslipchuk@md.bonnyville.ab.ca

780-545-8443

WARD 5

Dana Swigart

dswigart@md.bonnyville.ab.ca

780-573-9095

WARD 6

Ben Fadeyiw

bfadeyiw@md.bonnyville.ab.ca

780-826-1462

From fields to forests, we spent a lot of time looking for rain in the forecast during May.

My and Council’s thoughts are with our neighbouring municipalities who have been affected by the devastating wildfires this spring. Whether you live in the M.D. or are visiting, please make sure to follow all of the fire bans and restrictions that are in place. These bans/restrictions are set to protect the safety of you — our residents and visitors.

I’ll once again take this opportunity to urge you to make sure your rural address sign (AKA Blue Sign) is in good shape. If it is faded, damaged, or missing, it is imperative for you to have it replaced. This can be done through the Planning and Development Department and comes with no extra cost. Please call 780-826-3171 to order a new sign or use the request form at bit.ly/MapsAddressing to order online.

NOTES FROM THE CAO

Well, the summer fire season is in full swing. Although we have only seen a few fires in our area, other parts of the province are facing significant challenges related to fire and smoke. This is a good time to say thank you to all our firefighters here and throughout the province for their service. Rain would be a huge help to alleviate our fire situation and for our ag community.

Speaking of the ag community, this is a reminder that at this time of year, we will often see heavy ag equipment on our roads. Please be patient as these farmers and ranchers are our “breadbasket”. The food you eat is because of their labour. Kindness and patience as they move from field to field goes a long way in making their day better.

With the summer season and the unusually dry conditions, our gravel roads are dusty. Dust control applications are in full swing

When minutes count, the rural address sign will help emergency services personnel find you and get you the help you need, whether it be from police, firefighters, or emergency medical services.

With summer right around the corner, I’d like to encourage you all to take advantage of all the M.D. has to offer.

From summer camps and the restaurant at Kinosoo Ridge Resort to campgrounds and hiking trails, there is a lot of fun (and food) to be had. Be sure to flip through this newsletter to find out more information about what’s happening at Kinosoo and how to find our new Parks and Recreation map. The map is a new tool in helping you explore the M.D. and can help you plan all of your summer fun!

and should provide some relief for those impacted. Also, due to the dry conditions, you will not see as many graders on the road. It is difficult for the Transportation Department to make much headway on our gravel roads when they are this dry. Washboard, which is the most common complaint at this time of the year, is virtually impossible to remove when the roads are this dry. Once the M.D. receives some rain and the roads soften up, our crews will be able to make some progress.

Our recreation facilities, campgrounds, and the Adventure Park at Kinosoo are now open for your enjoyment. We encourage you to use and enjoy these facilities. As well we invite everyone to visit our new Visitor Information and Interpretive Centre at the Shaw House.

Please be fire safe when camping and have a wonderful summer spent with family and friends.

Barry