The area's MP, MLA and the mayors of Olds and Bowden are wishing constituents the best of the season and recounting some of the highlights of 2013.
Olds mayor Judy Dahl, Bowden mayor Robb Stuart, Bruce Rowe, the provincial representative for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills and Blake Richards, the federal representative for the Wild Rose constituency said there were many events to look back on from the past 12 months.
At the local level, Dahl said she hopes everyone can take time to reflect on the abundance of excellent people doing good work in the community.
“As I reflect on the community as a whole, it is clear that the power of the people is alive and well in Olds. People of all ages are engaged, sharing their skills and knowledge for the greater good. We wish to thank you for your continued support and attendance at our events,” she said.
The town made progress in several key areas such as the Open Spaces and Trails Master Plan, the Uptowne Area Redevelopment Plan and various municipal cooperation efforts between Olds and other area municipalities, Dahl said.
Upgrades to the Olds Sports Complex were also good news for the community.
“For the age of our facilities, we really do have great facilities,” she said.
The town also bought a new sanding and plowing truck earlier in 2013 to bring better service to town residents.
“It's pretty fruitful when you're able to bring on new equipment to your municipality,” Dahl said.
With the consolidation of RCMP, fire and emergency medical services in one complex on 65 Avenue, Dahl said it was also a good year for emergency services in town.
Bowden mayor Robb Stuart said some of the highlights of 2013 for him were changes to how the town carries out waste disposal and recycling services and the addition of new, experienced councillors who were acclaimed in the October municipal election.
“On the negative side, we've seen more provincial downloads that (we)'re expected to pick up,” he said, adding snow removal has also been a “nightmare,” both in finding places to put the large amount of snow that has fallen in Bowden and residents' dissatisfaction with snow-clearing efforts.
“It's been a never-ending struggle.”
Stuart said he has also received information recently that could concern emergency response officials in the community.
“The trains are getting bigger and bigger. I just heard the other day that they're going to 11,000 feet. So two miles long.”
Such long trains, he said, could delay fire trucks and ambulances trying to reach emergency scenes.
On a positive note, Stuart said the town has made some headway with the province on finding ways to keep the Bowden Rest Stop open.
Although, he added, many of the ministers town representatives spoke to about the rest stop at the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association meeting in November now have new portfolios thanks to a cabinet shuffle earlier this month.
As for what lies ahead, Stuart said council will aim to keep tax increases to a minimum when making budget decisions in 2014.
“But services keep going up, with the wastewater and other services being implemented, that's going to take a big hit on our residents,” he said.
He and other councillors hope, Stuart added, that the spirit of cooperation between council and the residents and businesses it serves will continue in 2014.
“The town has been fairly supportive. We try to address all of the concerns that are brought to us and we appreciate their patience and just try to keep the communication working both ways.”
At the provincial level, Rowe said one of the biggest accomplishments for residents of Olds during the year was the improvements made to the Highway 2/27 interchange, which he helped facilitate through discussions with Transportation Minister Ric McIver.
“I did have a meeting with the transportation minister and stressed the importance of (the changes) and he agreed, and not long after that we got a commitment to make some temporary changes to it. It's not the finished product but until (the government has) a windfall of money, we're not likely to see the interchange done for quite some time, so it was important to get done what was done,” he said.
Rowe said one of the successes he thought the Wildrose Party had in changing proposed government legislation was on Bill 28, the Enabling Regional Growth Boards Act, which Rowe said endangered municipal autonomy.
“We pointed out the flaws in that bill. It was very draconian is the word I used in the house and we then made contact with our two municipal associations and sent out emails to every municipality in the province and told them, you need to look at this and take some action. They did, and I imagine the minister's office was flooded with phone calls, emails, letters, so on because in a matter of days they did a total turnaround on it. That was a huge win.”
Wildrose also opposed Bill 45, the Public Sector Services Continuation Act and Bill 46, the Public Service Salary Restraint Act. Bill 45 made it illegal to take wildcat strike action while Bill 46 imposes a four-year retroactive agreement with government employees giving them a two per cent wage increase through 2016-17, if a settlement isn't reached by Jan. 31, 2014.
“I voted against both those bills because I think (they are) an impingement on freedom of speech in Bill 45 and (Bill) 46 took away the right to arbitration and that was (not fair),” he said, noting that the Alberta Union of Public Employees has initiated legal action against the government for Bill 46.
On a non-partisan note, Rowe said he was pleased to see so many people from the Olds area – and throughout his constituency – pitch in to help with flood relief efforts. In addition to Olds College opening its doors to displaced people, Rowe spent three days in High River using his master electrician background to inspect wiring in various structures to see if it was damaged.
“It was hard to imagine. It was kind of surreal,” he said of the situation in High River.
Richards said the June flood impacted many people throughout the constituency whether they lost homes or were impacted in other ways. He said people should remember that spirit of giving during this time of year.
“It was a very difficult time for people but it showed that when we pull together as Albertans what can be accomplished. I remember in the days just after the flooding speaking to the Rotary Club in Olds and the questions on everyone's minds were how can we help the people in Canmore, Exshaw and in the other parts of the constituency that have been affected and I think what it showed me is just how much we as Albertans pull together and help our fellow Albertans in their time of need, so I think that's all something we should be proud of,” he said.
Richards said another disaster in the Philippines is still ongoing in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, which displaced and killed thousands of people. The federal government was to match each dollar raised by Canadian charities until Dec. 23 to a maximum of $100,000 per individual.
Some of the accomplishments that Richards is most proud of include $2.2 million in funding that Olds College received for its botanical garden project, which was opened in September, $404,000 in federal gas tax funding handed out in 2013 to the Town of Olds for infrastructure improvements and a trade agreement that was signed between the federal government and the European Union.
“That's one thing that really stands out,” Richards said of the trade agreement.
On a personal note, he said he is proud of his sponsorship of Bill C-309, a bill that makes it a criminal offence to wear a mask during the commission of a crime. The private member's bill was given royal assent earlier this year.
He added he hopes everyone has the chance to spend time with loved ones over the holidays.
“I just encourage everyone to take some time over the next few weeks to spend time with your families and enjoy the season, because time goes so fast.”
