A group of committed Eagle Valley residents recently completed a detailed compilation of background information that they hope will offer insight and guidance on future planning for the region.
Frank Greif, a member of that working group, presented the lengthy document during the Town of Sundre council’s July 9 meeting, which was chaired by Deputy Mayor Cheri Funke with Mayor Terry Leslie participating by voice conference.
“You are an important part of our life, believe it or not,” Greif told council during his presentation.
“And we recognize that — we rely on you for many, many services” such as the hospital, library and wastewater, he said.
“You’re one of our stakeholders.”
Providing a timeline on what led to the publication of the lengthy document, called Eagle Valley – Our Legacy, he said that an area structure plan was in 1997 produced by the community and subsequently adopted by Mountain View County at the time.
While that plan served well for 20 years, changes with the modernized Municipal Government Act prompted the county’s council to bring it up to date to ensure compliance with new provisions outlined by the provincial government, he said.
In August 2016, a group of about 40 residents as well as a couple of county councillors met at the Eagle Valley Community Hall to discuss the process of creating a new area structure plan under the oversight of a steering committee, he said.
The result of that meeting was a consensus to create a working group to provide the county with input as well as to help officials “understand who we are as a community, the commitment that we have to the land we live on, and our heritage, cultural and social resources that are in the community,” he said.
So five volunteers — Anne Macklin, Lynne Henry, Douglas McCullough, Bill Souster and Greif — formed the Eagle Valley Working Group, which is not affiliated with any recognized societies already in the region. Over the following six months, a questionnaire was formulated to glean information from the community’s residents, he said, adding the survey received a 70 per cent response rate and that some people even took time to submit additional pages.
A summary of the survey’s results was then discussed during a meeting held at the Sundre Petroleum Operators Group’s office this past January. Despite substantial snowfall and extremely cold weather, 52 people turned out and expressed a lot of interest in the information that had been gathered, he said.
When the process started, a number of important stakeholders in terms of working relationships were identified, such as the oil and gas industry, social services including Greenwood Neighbourhood Place as well as the Town of Sundre, he said.
“We’re very proud to be associated with the Town of Sundre and all of the other stakeholders that call Sundre their home.”
So following January’s meeting, the working group was tasked with preparing the legacy document. Included within its pages is information about Eagle Valley’s climate, oil and gas sector, geology, as well as infrastructure issues such as roads, wastewater, water, parks and recreation, he said, going on to present Funke with a copy of the book, which is available for sale at the Sundre Municipal Library.
The working group decided to commit $5 from the sale of each $50 book to a memorial fund set up in honour of Joanne Overguard. Those proceeds will in turn support the Sundre hospital, he said.
Greif wrapped up his presentation by expressing gratitude to council as well as administration, and opened the floor for questions or comments from council.
“I certainly can sense the passion that you have,” said Coun. Paul Isaac.
“I know Eagle Ridge is just outside of Sundre, but you’re very much a part of our town,” said Isaac.
The councillor said he appreciates the time as well as effort invested by the volunteers who created the book, and expressed hope that both Sundre and Eagle Valley can continue to grow alongside one another.
“We’re hoping that not only does it enhance the area structure plan, but also that people will find it useful as a reference,” said Greif, adding the reason the 279-page, full-colour document was titled Eagle Valley -- Our Legacy was to provide a historical framework as well as guidance for following generations.
People tend to stay in Eagle Valley, he said, and the book will facilitate their efforts to reflect back courtesy of the comprehensive compilation of background information on the region outlined within its pages, as well as to potentially offer insight when, for example, the area structure plan comes up for review or there are issues from a development point of view.
“You’ve paved the way for the future for people to not forget what happened in the past,” said Funke, expressing gratitude for the group’s efforts.
