MD of Opportunity Council notebook – June 11, 2025 meeting in Wabasca

Docks

Councillor Darlene Jackson asked if the Public Works department had been able to do anything about boats bottoming out at the docks.

“There’s not a whole lot we can do with the lake low,” said Chad Tullis, MD CAO.

Reeve Marcel Auger mentioned that wind had caused some damage to the dock at Eli Cardinal Park, and asked that it be fixed.

Councillor Tahirih Wiebe asked that the M.D. build a swim area on Sandy Lake using docks as it had in the past.

State of local emergency

Council extended the state of local emergency because of wildfires for two weeks. The first for Chipewyan Lake and the second for all hamlets. Chipewyan Lake, Red Earth Creek, Peerless Lake, and Trout Lake were evacuated on May 28 because of wildfires and remained evacuated as of June 17. A fire destroyed an estimated 49 per cent of the structures in Chipewyan Lake on May 30, with a full evaluation delayed because of safety concerns.

“The focus has been on the evacuations and wildfire situation,” said Tullis in his CAO report. However, he added, that normal MD operations were still running.

Jackson asked when the next meeting with provincial ministers would be.

After the M.D. and Bigstone Cree Nation have decided on a disaster recovery consultant for Chip Lake, was the answer.

“I’m guessing early next week,” said Tullis.

In related news, the M.D. and Bigstone are setting up a steering committee to oversee the disaster recovery. At the first steering committee meeting, Reeve Auger and Councillors Jackson, Courtorielle, Wiebe, and Roy Yellowknee were informally appointed to the committee. On June 11, at the regular M.D. council meeting, council passed a Councillor Robin Guild motion to add the committee to the list of committees.

Wabasca Rodeo Association golf tournament

Council decided to pay for six teams for the Wabasca Rodeo Association golf tournament fundraiser. These may be two staff, two Calling Lake, and two council teams, but staff and Calling Lake will have precedence over council.

Councillor Jackson made the motion saying that $600 per team was a very low price, compared to other tournaments.

Council passed the motion.

Fire

In May, the M.D. fire service was helping with structural protection for communities threatened by wildfire, said Regional Fire Chief Lee Bissell. These included in Chipewyan Lake, Red Earth Creek, and Swan Hills. On top of that, in May, firefighters responded to 162 calls. They also had interacted with elementary students either at the hall or by going to the schools.

As of June 11, M.D. firefighters are providing structural protection in Red Earth, added Bissell. The department is rotating the crew members, so no one does a full 21-day shift.

Councillor Wiebe asked if the department is keeping track of lessons learned from the deployments in the M.D. and in other areas.

The answer was yes.

“It was such a great set up,” said Courtorielle of the structure protection in Red Earth Creek.

This includes large oilfield tanks with water, sprinklers on the buildings, etc.

Firefighting equipment

Wiebe added firefighting equipment to the agenda. She suggested that the M.D. invest in structure sprinkler kits that could be at the station, that cost around $6,500. They don’t have the pump, but have everything else. A full set up with pump is $310,000.

Some in every community would be good, said Bissell.

“I think it’s kind of unrealistic to have everything in every hamlet …,” said Councillor Jackson. “It just seems to be getting more and more expensive.”

“There’s not an unlimited budget,” said Tullis. “These wildfires unfortunately are here to stay.”

In the forest protection area, wildfires are a provincial responsibility and municipalities are responsible to protect structures.

Alberta Wildfire recommends evacuations and structural protection, said Bissell, but the M.D. can be proactive. The M.D. fire department may be the first on the scene and will fight fires a few feet into the bush, basically the length of their hose.

Courtorielle suggested that administration look into if the state of local emergency could help get some more equipment.

“The fire department is a mandate,” she added.

Council passed on their thanks to the fire department.

“The crews know,” said Bissell in response, “and they really appreciate your support.”

Recreation and Culture

The Recreation and Culture department are overseeing the emergency social services and emergency command centre, said Regan Auger, assistant director of Recreation and Culture.

Courtorielle was concerned that the large capital project for beautification would be stalled.

“We still have a municipality to run …,” she said. “Yes, we have these wildfires and these evacuations. This stuff needs to get done.”

All of the normal programming is still happening, said Regan.

Jackson was pleased with the programming for Chip Lake evacuees, but would like to see more programming in Wabasca in general.

Regan mentioned baseball and soccer programs, drop-in sports, and the pool being open.

Sports drop-in is not a program, said Jackson.

Wiebe asked about the temporary program coordinator for Sandy Lake.

The job was to be posted on June 11, said Regan.

The M.D. and Bigstone have a powwow planned for June 21 and Canada Day events on July 1. They are also holding a golf tournament fundraiser for the food bank. This is July 24 at Eagle Point Golf Course.

Community grants and graduation gift

Council approved $49,300 in community grants, and added a gift basket to the $200 cheque it gives graduates from schools in the M.D. Reeve Auger was also invited to speak at the Bigstone high school, and requested something to give the graduates.

Finance

Jackson asked how much hosting the Chipewyan Lake evacuees was costing and how long it would take for the province to reimburse the M.D. Also, what money is being used in the meantime?

The province reimburses the municipality for 90 per cent of eligible expenses, said Tullis. The M.D. has learned from previous years and is getting itemized receipts from hotels and restaurants and submitting early.

“We do have substantial reserves,” added Tullis.

The M.D. uses reserves, says Trina Mineault, chief financial officer. There is enough money there, and the M.D. will have to keep spending it. In the past, it has takes about a year or two to be reimbursed. Mineault said she’d look into if the M.D. has received the money from the 2023 or 2024 Chip Lake evacuations.

Council passed the mill rate bylaw.

Fundraising committee terms of reference

Council passed a Jackson motion to approve the fundraising committee terms of reference.

“We talked about it yesterday,” said Jackson, while making the motion.

The fundraising committee will have both Bigstone and M.D. councillors so the M.D. will wait to appoint members to the committee until after Bigstone has approved the terms of reference.

The terms of reference says that the committee will consist of one to three members of each council, and two staff members from each. Each council will appoint members annually and the committee will meet at least four times a year. The committee’s primary responsibility is the annual golf tournament fundraiser. The councils can also assign other fundraisers to the committee in writing. Recipients for the fundraiser will be selected before the event.

Corporate and Regulatory Services

Councillor Darlene Jackson asked Rolanna Auger, director of Corporate and Regulatory Services, if the M.D. had been approved for any of its fireguard applications.

No grant funds yet was the answer.

Reeve Auger mentioned that he’d heard that there may be an option to double the width of existing fire guards.

First reading on bylaw amendment

Council was asked to give first reading to a bylaw amendment to change 2180 Waskway Drive East from R1A – Residential District to R1E – Residential District. This is because the person hoping to buy the land wants to run a sibling group home for children in foster care with staff on site. This is permitted in R1E, but not R1A.

Council passed first reading and set a public hearing for July 9, 2025. This will be part of the regular council meeting, which starts at 10 a.m. in Wabasca.

Utilities

Earl Gullion, director of Utilities, let council know that there was progress on the Calling Lake water and sewer front.

The Calling Lake water fill station is only being used by the M.D. and Bigstone, he said, because of the wildfire situation. For about $8,000, the M.D. can upgrade the system so water customers have a pin and are billed monthly.

Wiebe was in favour of this method, as it would allow the M.D. to know who was using the water.

Courtorielle was also pleased that there weren’t lines of 20 tanks waiting to fill.

On the sewage front, Gullion said, the M.D. has had a pretty good response, with people being willing to comply with adding a septic tank. The M.D. has a grant for this and people are applying.

Wabasca water treatment plant

Council passed a Jackson motion to hire Associated Engineering for the MIEX and filter upgrade at the Wabasca water treatment plant. MIEX is a brand name and stands for magnetic ion exchange system.

The written report says, “while not yet widely used in Alberta, MIEX is gaining traction and interest due to its effectiveness to remove organics and the downstream benefits, like reducing DBP [drinking water disinfection byproducts] formation and coagulant use.”

Team approach on maintenance of road

The M.D. received a letter from a community member asking that the M.D. and Bigstone do joint maintenance on a section of road.

It makes sense, said Jackson. The little point at the end is the M.D.’s and the rest is Bigstone’s. She thinks the Bigstone portion is around 1.5 km.

Tullis suggested it be added to the next Bigstone and M.D. meeting.

Auger wanted a bit of discussion first. He was in favour of some road maintenance, but didn’t want to be involved in replacing culverts, etc.

Calcium for that piece would be about $5,000, estimated Jackson.

Hwy. 686

Another request was from Peerless Lake First Nation for the M.D. to write a letter of support for Hwy. 686.

Good idea, said Reeve Auger.

Council passed a Louis Cardinal motion to write the letter.

Farm day

Council passed a Jackson motion for Reeve Auger and Powell to attend a farm tour at Chitwood Farms, near Airdrie. The event is open to all levels of government from municipal to MLAs to MPs to senators.

Connecting with higher levels of government was the selling point for Reeve Auger.