At a joint meeting of both the Town of Athabasca and Athabasca County councils on May 24, the councils discussed multiple issues that require input from both sides, given the partnerships between the two.
The purpose of the meeting was to have open and free discussion amongst council members as to how to proceed with some of the facilities in town that are in desperate states, and others that require permission of both councils to proceed with new upgrades given their joint ownership status.
Although a number of the items on the agenda are contentious issues amongst the two councils for different reasons, they found common ground in agreeing that certain things in the community needed to either be fixed, relocated, or built anew in order to best serve not only the people in town limits, but the county as a whole. One of these items was Athabasca Landing Pool and how best to go about renovating, repairing or rebuilding the facility that is in dire straits.
County Reeve David Yurdiga noted that one of the biggest concerns for the county regarding the pool is simply that it is getting old and it has lived past its life cycle, and that it’s time to look towards the future and what the next step is.
Town Mayor Roger Morrill said he couldn’t agree more and advised those in attendance that in a report from 2010, there was already quite an extensive list of critical needs for the pool.
County councillor Kevin Haines added that the pool is 32 years old and most structural engineers recommend a life expectancy for such facilities of 25 years, so the pool has fared quite well given the time frame, but it is in need of some major repairs or a new facility all together.
Yurdiga said his opinion is that the pool should be built next to or connected with the Athabasca Regional Multiplex because it would mean cost savings in the long run, given that the multiplex was retrofitted to have a pool attached when it was first built.
It was the general consensus amongst all council members that a new facility was definitely needed in the not-so-distant future.
Much debate and discussion followed with regards to the potential location of a new pool. Some councillors wanted to find a new location in the downtown core while others felt that putting the new facility up next to or attached to the multiplex was a better approach.
A similar discussion ensued with regards to a new fitness centre, and the notion of combining it with the new pool came up.
The idea was suggested because it would also add savings into the mix because it would mean creating one building with one set of change rooms to accommodate everyone and nothing would have to be duplicated.
This was an idea that both councils agree to, but once again, the location was left to be determined. However, it was the general consensus that a new pool and a new and larger fitness centre were needed and they should be built into one new facility.
Morrill started discussion around the Alice B. Donahue Library, stating that it has been a topic on a lot of people’s minds for a long time.
He added the town council has come to the decision that the library does need a new building, but they would like to keep it within the downtown core and separate from other facilities like the multiplex. No final decision has been made as to where to locate the new library.
Yurdiga noted that after talking to Athabasca-Sturgeon-Redwater MLA Jeff Johnson, the county has found out that if they want to get money from the provincial or even federal government for a new facility, it will only be possible if the library is put in or next to a multi-use facility and not as a standalone building.
He added that he wants to see a new library built for the future and to integrate the library with other resources because they are not looking to build something for 1980, but for 2012 and beyond.
County councillor Allen Balay said that as a grandparent or even a parent, he would like to see the new library put in with connection to the multiplex because it makes it easier for families to drive to one central location to bring kids to hockey, get homework done, and more.
“I think that today’s families all have to travel together, and it convinces me that an all-in-one facility is the way to go,” Balay said. “From a rural perspective, it also makes it easier if families only have one place to go for all their kids’ activities, where they can do homework or a place to hang out while siblings go to hockey practice, and the parents can sit back and have a nice place to relax and have a coffee or something.
“It sure would be nice to have a place for the whole family to go together.”
Balay added that it seems like every year, smaller communities like Rochester or Grassland get closer to having their schools closed because of the lack of population, and if more families are going to have to start sending their kids into the larger municipalities of Athabasca and Boyle, having a one-stop shop for all after-school activities would be more beneficial to families in the long run.
Many councillors were getting hung up on location, and county councillor Denis Willcott and town councillor Lionel Cherniwchan both said that it was clear that the councils felt a new library was needed, and they shouldn’t worry about the location just yet.
At this point, a general consensus was made stating a new library was needed and, given the contentious nature of the issue, a location will be determined later.
Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) was an issue brought up at the joint meeting with regards to finding a new and suitable location for it.
Currently, FCSS is based out of the Old Brick School and the facility can no longer meet their needs. The general consensus was that the current location for FCSS is inadequate and the town and the county will look into moving it.
Also discussed was the Athabasca Municipal Airport. The County is looking into getting full ownership of the land because they are willing to invest a significant amount of money to upgrade it to accommodate larger aircraft.
A decision was made that the town and county administrations would look into a potential corporate lease agreement, to eliminate the town from having to give a yes or no for the county to proceed in future endeavours.
It was noted that if a lease option was not feasible, the town would then look into other options like giving the full land title over to the county.
A similar agreement was made regarding maintenance of the old Colinton Highway. A decision was made to have the town formally request the county to assist with maintenance and upkeep of the road, including desperately needed repairs.
County Councillor Michael Demko said if the county did this for the town, they would also have to do it for Boyle.
Yurdiga noted that last year, when the town had requested the assistance , it wasn’t feasible given all the maintenance that had to be done last summer. He added that if the county’s resources allow for it, they will be happy to help this year, but they have to look into it further.
Cherniwchan said he would look into having an official letter of request sent to the county.
