June already? Wow. How time flies. I hope you and yours are managing through the pandemic and are taking the necessary steps to help alleviate this blight in our lives. With everyone, (hopefully) getting their vaccinations and adhering to the measures set out by Albert Health Services, we’ll be hugging each other in no time. Fingers crossed.
Spruce Budworm Infestation
I want to personally thank residents who reached out to me regarding the potential infestation caused by the spruce budworm and their effects on our community’s forests. As was pointed out to me by concerned residents, the Townsite of Redwood Meadows, with an endorsement from Health Canada and Alberta Environment and Parks, has implemented an aerial spray program to combat these pesky critters.
Spruce budworm infestation leads to stands of spruce trees being defoliated as
the budworms feed on the new needles of a variety of spruce and balsam trees native to the foothills. Should infestation occur repeatedly over 4 to 5 years, the trees can die after each defoliation. Because I’m no bug expert, please refer to the Government of Canada website for information at www.nrcan.gc.ca and type in “western spruce budworm” in the search bar. There you will find everything you need to know about this bug and the damage it can afflict on us.
You may be asking, since the spruce budworms wouldn’t know one boundary to the next, what is Rocky View County (RVC) doing about this? As RVC follows provincial guidelines in which there were no plans to fight spruce budworm this year, a budget was not allocated. That’s not to say RVC isn’t doing anything. In fact, RVC will be closely monitoring Redwood Meadows’ aerial spray program this month and will be conducting a survey to get an estimate of the population density of the spruce budworms in the hamlet and surrounding area. The survey will determine where pheromone-baited traps will be set in order to help us identify and assess how to go about implementing an action plan to best manage future infestations.
If you have any questions or concerns about this matter, please contact Rocky View County Agricultural Services at agservices@rockyview.ca or phone 403-230-1401. As of this writing, the spraying in Redwood Meadows was contingent on the larvae stage of the budworms and weather conditions.
Gateway Village
It was a unanimous Council decision that helped bring Dick Koetsier’s vision of creating a lifestyle location for locals and visitors alike, one step closer to reality. Following the award-winning Bragg Creek Revitalization Plan commissioned by RVC in 2015 that set forth plans to create a commercial, residential and hospitality destination, the moniker of Bragg Creek being the “Gateway to Kananaskis” is more than ever solidified.
Council was very supportive of seeing change in Bragg Creek as it was long overdue. While some locals were less than ecstatic over this project, many, especially in the business community, welcomed the development. There has been much coverage over the past month in the media and there will be more to come. If everything goes as planned, we will be seeing activity as early as September with road construction and servicing.
As a reminder, since AdMaki Creative is associated with Dick Koetsier’s Gateway Village project, I have recused myself from any voting on any applications for pecuniary reasons. That being said, if you have any inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact any other councillor or administrative staff for information.
RVC Municipal Election
With only 3 months to go before election nominations will be closed, unlike our neighbours to the east, there have been very few folks throwing their names into the race for a RVC Council seat. You have until September 20th to be nominated.
Finally
This community means a lot to my family and I, so when folks I haven’t even met face to face from not only Bragg Creek and area but from Jumping Pound, the rest of Rocky View County, and beyond send their warm wishes, it gives me great pride in representing you. Thank you.
Until next month, hug those closest to you (within covid rules) and stay safe.
– Cheers, Mark
checkMarkk.ca
