About 175 people, including local beef producers and agriculture students, attended the 2015 Ranching Opportunities conference at Olds College in January. The conference was co-sponsored by Mountain View County, Kneehill County, Rocky View County, Alberta Agriculture, Olds College, the MD of Bighorn, Red Deer County, the Foothills Forage and Grazing Association and others.
Also in January Mountain View County agreed to oversee the distribution of a new fund to support local musicians. The fund was financed with a $20,000 donation from the former Bergen-based Strings & Keys program, which wrapped up after 20 years in operation. Laurie and Jamie Syer founded Strings & Keys in 1995 to further local students' musical education.
Mountain View County councillors passed the county's 2015 operating budget, which called for total spending of $49,625,000, up from $47,400,000 in 2014. Councillors also approved the 2015 residential tax rate of 2.72, up from 2.68 last year, the farmland rate of 7.85, up from 7.70 last year, commercial/industrial rate of 9.80, up from 9.68, the machinery and equipment rate of 9.80, up from 9.68, and the linear rate of 9.80, also up from 9.68 last year. On the education side, the residential/farmland rate was 2.39, while the non-residential rate was 3.53.
On May 5, the NDP, led by Rachel Notley won a majority in the 2015 provincial election, soundly defeating incumbent Progressive Conservatives led by Jim Prentice. The Wildrose Party elected MLAs Nathan Cooper (Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills), Jason Nixon (Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre) and Don MacIntyre (Innisfail-Sylvan Lake).
Red Deer County council passed the 2015 municipal tax bylaw, which called for taxpayers to see a one per cent increase in their municipal taxes. Revenue generated from taxation in 2015 increased by 3.5 per cent, with most of the increased revenue coming from new development. In 2014 taxes were $371.40 per $100,000 in assessed value, and in 2015 taxes were set at $374.06 per $100,0000 in assessed value. The total 2015 county budget is $67.7 million, up slightly from 2014.
Mountain View County council passed a motion authorizing administration to prepare a request for proposals for the design, build consulting services project to construct an agricultural services shop at a cost of up to $2,110,000. Construction on the site was continuing at year end.
About 2,000 people attended the 62nd annual Water Valley Stampede Rodeo on June 6 and 7, with guests and competitors enjoying excellent weather. The Foothills Cowboy Association-sanctioned rodeo included winners Wyatt Gleeson from Sundre, Karlee Tetz from Cremona, and Lance Engel and Paul Lees from Didsbury. Just over 300 competitors took part in the 2015 rodeo.
The Chinook's Edge Board of Education approved a $127-million budget for the 2015-16 school year. “When the new government came in and basically unravelled the vast majority of cuts from this previous year, that was really good news for us,” said Kurt Sacher, superintendent of the Chinook's Edge School Division.
The Canadian national soaring competition was held at the Netook Gliding Centre with the results recognized by the work governing body, the Federation Aeronautic International. The June 10 to June 20 competition went ahead despite several days of heavy rain.
The 17th annual Water Valley Celtic Festival saw 877 paying guests entertained by 330 musicians, as well as dancers, storytellers, artisans and others. Held at various venues in Water Valley, the June 19 - 20 festival was certainly a hit, said organizing committee chair Caroline McBain, noting that a big part of the success of the all-ages festival was the work of 140 volunteers.
In July hot, dry prairie weather was hitting farm economics hard as volatile canola and wheat futures inched up and beef operators faced feed shortages. At the end of June, November 2015 contracts for canola on the Winnipeg ICE jumped $10 to $535 per tonne followed by volatile trading in the $525 to $545 range.
About 80 people took part in the annual Enterprising Ag Tour in Red Deer County. The daylong tour saw participants visit area farms and other facilities, travelling a total of 150 kilometres.
In August three men from Olds undertook a 1,250-kilometre skateboard journey to Vancouver Island in support of the Ronald McDonald House. Mike Hay, his son Easton and friend Kieth Green made the trip from Olds to Long Beach, B.C. in 20 days.
Illegal dumping of used furniture, appliances and garbage continued to be a problem across Mountain View County. In his monthly report to the policies and priorities committee, Jeff Holmes, director of legislative, community services and agricultural services, said, “Illegal dumping complaints are very difficult to prosecute because of a lack of evidence and witnesses to the act. Finding personal information amongst the waste is not sufficient to prove who illegally dumped the garbage and prosecution of charges through the court system can be difficult without a witness.”
The Chinook's Edge School Division board re-elected Colleen Butler as chair in October. It marked her sixth consecutive school year as board leader. Ron Fisher, Ward 6 trustee for the Sundre area since 1998, was again elected by his peers to serve as vice-chair, a position he has held since 2010. “It is a vote of confidence that the trustees feel that I must be leading in the right direction and they feel confident that what we are doing is good,” said Butler, Ward 3 trustee for Delburne-Elnora.
The Mountain View Cowpoke Junior Rodeo Club held its first-ever rodeo event at the Raecer Ranching Riding Arena east of Sundre in October. The daylong event featured participants up to 14 years of age competing in goat tying, pole bending, steer riding, breakaway roping and barrel racing.
"It was a great day and we had a wonderful turnout of spectators and competitors,” said club secretary Patricia McKean.
Several incidents of excessive speeding in Mountain View County prompted councillors to discuss possible solutions. During a council meeting in October, councillors were told there were five separate recent incidents where speeders were caught travelling on county roads at least 50 kilometres per hour (km/h) over the posted limit. The fastest case involved a driver travelling 152 km/h in a 90 km/h zone. “It's a real concern for the community and it should be a concern for us as a council,” said Reeve Bruce Beattie.
In the Oct. 19 federal election, the Liberals led by Justin Trudeau defeated the incumbent Conservatives led by Stephen Harper. Conservative Earl Dreeshen was elected by a large margin in Red Deer-Mountain View.
Three dozen people attended a one-day solar power information workshop at the Mountain View County office in November. Sponsored by the county and the provincial-federal Growing Forward 2 program, the workshop focused on opportunities for farmers in the region to become micro-generators using photovoltaic solar power. Rob Harlan, executive director of the non-profit Solar Energy Society of Alberta, led the workshop.
In December the Mountain View Food Bank reported seeing more and more clients coming through the doors of its Olds office, mirroring a marked increase in overall food bank use in Alberta. In 2014 the food bank handed out 3,000 hampers and officials expected that number to be even higher when the totals are added up for 2015. “With the current economic situation it is anticipated that demand could increase by more than 20 per cent in 2015,” said longtime director and volunteer Frank Henley.
Former Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools trustee Adriana LaGrange was elected as the new president of the Alberta Catholic School Trustees' Association (ACSTA). “It is wonderful to be recognized and chosen for this position. I plan to do my very best,” said LaGrange.
About 1,000 local farmers and their supporters attended an information session at the Olds Cow Palace to hear provincial government ministers and staff members defend the controversial Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act (Bill 6). Many farmers opposed to the legislation drove tractors and other farm machinery from Crossfield to Olds prior to the Dec. 9 session.
- Dan Singleton/MVP Staff
