Following in-camera discussion at its meeting last Wednesday, Athabasca County council decided it would not be sending councillors to attending the public meeting being put together by an ad-hoc committee of concerned citizens on July 3.
The new school, new pool, old brick school, and library and archives will be discussed at the meeting on Thursday. The meeting is being held at the Nancy Appleby Theatre at 7 p.m.
After a delegation from Colinton Community Club chair John Both and board member Tracey Woodburn, council has agreed to provide $11,000 to the club for repairs to the bowling alley, located in the Colinton Community Centre.
The centre as a whole serves approximately 20,000 people a year, and about 1,500–1,800 a month.
“It’s a well used facility,” Both said.
The largest rental area at the centre is the Colinton Lanes bowling alley, which Both explained is in need of a modernization and repairs.
In order to bring the lanes up to Bowl Canada standards for hosting tournaments, the facility needs approximately $18,000 in repairs, along with $10,000 to make it fully accessible.
Both said without any upgrades, the lanes will eventually have to be closed.
“The bowling alley will continue to degrade until its inevitable end,” he said.
This is something councillor Denis Willcott doesn’t want to see. The councillor for the Colinton area has heard it from several community members.
“I know the bowling alley — (the seniors) have nowhere else to go, and if it shuts down, they don’t know what they’re going to do,” Willcott said.
Due to the fact it’s classified as a revenue-generating facility, the lanes are not eligible for casino funds like the rest of the community centre.
Along with funding for repairs and renovations related to accessibility, the club was also looking for help with exterior and interior modernization in the future, as well as some form of long-term funding agreement.
Council has agreed to send a letter of support to surrounding municipalities that are served by the Good Samaritan Mission and Food Bank. The letter is a response to the mission’s request for funding to assist in expanding facilities on its site.
The mission serves a wide area around Athabasca County that includes 11 municipalities.
Councillors were concerned that putting money into the organization would be subsidizing other municipalities, though it would also help citizens of Athabasca County.
“I hesitate to put any money into these communities that are not putting any money back into us,” said councillor Larry Armfelt, who acknowledged that the mission has been doing terrific work for many years.
The same was said by councillor Jack Dowhaluk.
“Us subsidizing other counties is a no-no for me,” he said.
Councillor Warren Griffin said these other municipalities should be involved in funding the food bank.
“They’ve almost become a provincial, regional mission, and we can’t fund that solely,” he said.
The letter will be sent to these surrounding municipalities with the aim of making them aware of the mission’s situation and perhaps gaining funding that way.
Councillor Larry Speers said council should be doing more.
“Surely we can open up our wallets and our hearts and help someone who has helped thousands,” he said.
Council also discussed making an in-kind donation to improve the access road to the mission’s location off Highway 55. A decision will be made after an estimate on cost is received.
In response to a request for feedback from the Alberta government, council has decided to put its support behind a possible push for making helmets mandatory on all off-highway vehicles (OHVs) for those under the age of 18.
The letter from Alberta Transportation states, “One option we are exploring is to align the rules for OHVs with the rules for bicycles; that is, to require that all OHV operators and passengers under the age of 18 wear a helmet while on public land.”
Municipalities have the power to create such a bylaw if they wish, but according to interim chief administrative officer Brian Pysyk, it becomes an issue of how to enforce it.
Willcott said that the responsibility should fall to parents.
“When you’ve got kids, you’re responsible … I think parents need to police their own kids, too,” he said.
Other councillors thought it wouldn’t hurt to support the safety effort.
“I don’t see the harm in supporting this,” Armfelt said.
The motion passed unanimously.
