Despite other area municipalities and the local school board having cut financial support to the Alberta Energy Corridor (AEC) in the past year, the Village of Boyle continues as a steadfast member on the recommendation of its chief administrative officer (CAO).
The AEC is an agency focused on local economic development.
At the Dec. 18 Boyle village council meeting, village CAO Charlie Ashbey said the AEC has helped Boyle’s case in asking Alberta Transportation for a considered approach to Highway 63 twinning.
“Previously, (Alberta) Transportation didn’t put much weight in the residual benefits to the communities. They more or less looked at making the shortest highway possible,” Ashbey pointed out.
However, now the AEC transportation committee has succeeded in reopening the study on Highway 63 twinning in the Boyle area, according to Ashbey.
Ashbey said Alberta Transportation has had a change in philosophy, largely due to the AEC transportation committee “pushing that point that if we’re going to have rural sustainability, then you can’t ignore the impact of highways on growing communities.”
The new philosophy, he said, recognizes the need to “find an alignment that will truly benefit the region but still provide an efficient means of transporting goods and services.”
The CAO referred to this as “definitely something that AEC accomplished.”
The AEC also had some influence on former Minister of Energy Ken Hughes, said Ashbey, adding that that the minister’s support for the pipeline worker training facility just south of the village came only a week after an AEC delegation met with him to discuss the proposal.
“To say the AEC has done nothing — I think the facts would say otherwise,” said Ashbey, insisting that “the (Alberta) Energy Corridor has achieved quite a bit in a couple years, contrary to what some might have said.”
Village of Boyle Public Works superintendent Alex Neumann reported that at the Millview Recreation Complex, “a body-sized hole has been created in the hallway wall by a rambunctious player of the losing team.”
The arena has some compressor issues again (a compressor valve plagued the arena at the beginning of the year).
Neumann said part of a compressor motor “had burned off due to vibration and faulty installation.”
Two new overhead heater motors were also installed.
Neumann also reported the town bobcat has new tires that were purchased in Boyle.
