The Town of Athabasca has decided they are not going to renew their contract with the Alberta Energy Corridor.
Over the last three years the town was locked into a contract to commit $30,000 each year towards the economic development group.
Executive director of the AEC Angela Betts was a delegation at the Nov. 5 town council meeting. She asked the town to renew their contract.
At last week’s town council meeting, there was no discussion amongst the councillors.
“I move to not renew any funding with the AEC,” councillor Richard Verhaeghe said. Councillor George Hawryluk added, “Agreed.”
Council voted, and the motion passed.
All councillors voted in favor of the motion, except councillor Tim Verhaeghe who was absent from the meeting and did not vote.
In response to the town’s decision, the AEC released a statement.
“As our partnership with the Town of Athabasca comes to an end, we look forward to our continued momentum with our committed partners within the corridor and look ahead to the opportunity in inviting the participation of new partnerships, both municipal and industry, to continue to support our commitment to the long term establishment of the Alberta Energy Corridor,” it reads.
Richard Verhaeghe said he was surprised there was no discussion on the subject.
“It’s interesting that it was unanimous; I made the motion just to get it on the floor, and get it done with,” he explained. “I don’t know why there wasn’t a debate, I made the motion to start the debate.”
Verhaeghe added that although the AEC was promoting Athabasca economic development, it wasn’t the direction council is going.
“I didn’t feel we were getting value for our dollar,” he said. “The AEC was more tied to the Highway 63 corridor, and I think that all the businesses could benefit more by trying to entice our neighbours from the north.”
As a small business owner in Athabasca, Verhaeghe said he knows where his clients are coming from.
“I feel that as a business owner, our business interests are more geared towards Slave Lake, Wabasca and Calling Lake,” he explained. “I would like to take a direct marketing approach to try and bring business to Athabasca.”
Verhaeghe said he fully believes that if we raise our number of consumers in Athabasca, industry will come.
“The franchises will come if they want to come.”
Regarding the AEC, Verhaeghe said he thinks it is for the best that the town didn’t invest for another three-year term.
“I think that if we only have $30,000, trying to chase industry or trying to chase more customers, I would sooner spend more money on chasing more customers than industry,” he explained. “Industry will come if it wants to come.”
However, Verhaeghe does recognize the work the AEC has done for the town.
“We also acknowledge the fact that when we started this three years ago, they were supposed to become self-sufficient,” he said.
“There doesn’t seem to be an indication of self-sufficiency.”
“It’s always been a political hot potato,” Verhaeghe said.
