The Acting Detachment Commander from our local RCMP, Cpl Deibert, made his introductions to Council and went on to provide some information on the detachment’s priorities as well as the community’s crime trends.
The demolition work of the Derald Palmer Memorial Arena began at the beginning of the month. With the abatement work completed, all that remains to finish is utility termination, building demolition and removal, and the finishing up of topsoil and seeding. Assuming everything continues to go relatively as planned, the project should be completed by Canada Day.
The Chief Administrative Officer announced that the construction of the new Tim Hortons restaurant will be beginning towards the end of the month, much to the community’s excitement.
Along with the whole gamut of construction going on in the community, the CAO also announced the impending commencement of the Kaybob Drive Resurfacing Project. Completion of the project, like always, will be dependant on the weather.
In response to a Fair Deal Panel Review conducted by the province, which recommended the replacement of the RCMP for a provincial police force, several municipalities in Alberta have composed letters to the Minister of Justice and Solicitor General, the Honourable Kaycee Madu, in opposition of the recommendation. Our Council received copies of these letters and has directed Administration to support the opposition of replacing the RCMP by also writing a letter to the Minister. The key points against the instituting of a provincial police force include the increased cost, including to taxpayers, that would be incurred; and as seen in other jurisdictions, a transition away from the RCMP would result in less officers, putting rural communities at risk.