Barb Castell – Division 3
As I write this I am happy to be out of the deep freeze we have suffered through in December and January. I am sure the farmers and ranchers are too!
Council had its last meeting for 2021 on December 22 ending with another presentation from the Calgary Metropolitan Region Board (CMRB). In my opinion, nothing much has changed to persuade me this is a plan we want to buy into. A partnership where one member has a Veto is not very productive.
On January 6th, Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) held a virtual meeting concerning the proposed Alberta Provincial Police Service (APPS). An excellent presentation was made helping elected officials and staff understand how this will affect municipalities should it be adopted.
Rural Alberta will be affected the most by this proposal. In response to a 2020 poll from the National Police Federation, the statistics revealed that 94% of respondents to the poll do not support an outright change and the majority said replacing the RCMP was the least helpful measure proposed by the Fair Deal Panel.
As part of the engagement, we were presented with 5 Themes:
Theme 1: Governance and Oversight
Theme 2: Staffing and Human Resources
Theme 3: Mental Health and Deployment
Theme 4: Integration
Theme 5: Costs
Reaction to the presentation was constructive and thoughtful. RMA has not taken a formal position of support or opposition to a provincial police service. Many members have formally supported the continuation of the RCMP contract policing model, but no members have formally taken a position supporting a transition to APPS.
As for myself, I need to see more on the costs, the transition, as well as have an opportunity to hear more details on the staffing and integration. If you have an opportunity to attend one of the presentations by the Government of Alberta, please email me with your thoughts. This will affect how council forms its stand.
Upcoming public engagements will be available soon on this website: www.alberta.ca/provincial-police-service-engagement.aspx
I sure enjoyed getting back to work again on the Foothills Historical Committee on January 10th. The One-room School site markers are in place and now the information needs to be updated on the website and work on an interactive map will begin. During the round table, members of the committee got to discuss their interests and share information as to where we want to go in the future. Watch for more to come from this group.
Council got back to work on January 12, 2022 and reviewed the amendments to the Land Use Bylaw and gave first reading to the document. Updates will be posted on the Foothills County website once it has been given third and final reading.
If you are new to the area, why not investigate joining and volunteering for one of the many committees at the Millarville Racing and Agricultural Society (MRAS). Some of the many volunteer opportunities that might interest you are:
• Golf Tournament
• Half Marathon
• Millarville Races (on Canada Day)
• Priddis & Millarville Fair
• Chuckwagon Races, Chariots, and Bulls
• Millarville Heritage Rodeo
For more information go to the MRAS website: www.millarvilleracetrack.com
The Leighton Arts Centre is always looking for volunteers too. It is just up the road and around the corner from the Millarville Race Track. Check out their website at: www.leightoncentre.org
The Millarville Horticultural Club (facebook.com/millarvillehortclub) recently had an interesting presentation on Alpine gardens. Gardening is one of my passions. By the time you read this I will have started my tomatoes, peppers, and a few flowers.
Looking forward to Spring!
Barb Castell
Phone: 403-931-3690
E-Mail: barb.castell@foothillscountyab.ca Website: www.barbcastell.com
FaceBook: facebook.com/barbcastell.ca
