Early indications are that next year will be dominated by solid, weighty subjects — in both senses of the word.
Athabasca’s town and county councils are set to get down to brass tacks early in 2014 on a couple of major infrastructure projects.
A new swimming pool affixed to the Athabasca Regional Multiplex looks to be first on the agenda; expect more budget discussions on that. A new library is also still being discussed, though there remains a lack of consensus over where it should be located and with which other community services it should be linked, if any. Expect more talk on the subject in 2014, though a shovel in ground during this calendar year seems unlikely.
On the opposite site of the ledger, with the completion of the new Family & Community Support Services building, Athabasca’s iconic brick school now lies empty. The short- and long-term future of the building will almost assuredly be the centre of debate over the next few months.
Aspen View Schools has made its case for a new secondary school to be built near the multiplex and waits to hear the provincial government’s response. While their plan is solid and connections have been made with the appropriate decision makers, it remains to be seen how quickly Aspen View’s proposal moves to the top of the priority list, particularly with the government’s recent announcements of new schools in larger centres where enrolments are growing at a much faster rate than here.
Over in Boyle, work continues on the new village office. Normally, that would grab all the headlines in a community Boyle’s size, but not when that community remains fully engaged in discussions over which route for Highway 63 around Boyle is best.
Throw in prominent commercial developments and new housing subdivisions around the region, and it looks like 2014 is destined to be a brick-and-mortar sort of year.
It’s time to roll up our sleeves.
