Your County in Touch Issue No. 50, August 14, 2015

Flags back at David Thompson statue in

Feed Outreach Program The County would like to help local producers address their hay and feed needs this year by setting up a feed program to connect buyers to sellers in the County. Have hay to sell? Need hay to purchase? The County’s Agriculture Services department will create a list of buyers and sellers and help to The flagpoles are back by the David Thompson along Lac La Biche Lake. The previous flagpoles connect producers with purveyors. were outdated and weren’t equipped with halyards to raise and lower flags. In addition, the flags Call us at 780-623-6739 for more have been resituated to allow for a better view of the statue with the lake in the background. information. County Council declares State of Agricultural Disaster Who to call and when Lac La Biche County Council declared Disaster, including Athabasca, Westlock For water and sewer or natural gas a State of Agricultural Disaster in the and Barrhead. inquiries or issues, call the County’s municipality on July 28, 2015. By making this declaration, Council 24-Hour Utilities Line at Drought conditions and a serious recognizes the challenges that the 780-623-7494. grasshopper infestation have severely County’s producers are facing this For information about fire permits impacted the crop yields of the County’s year and brings attention to the issue. or to contact the County’s Peace farmers and ranchers. Precipitation in the In addition, it notifies the federal and Officers, call 780-623-6767. County this growing season has been low provincial governments that support To contact Legislative Services for to moderately low. Due to of the County’s programs would bring relief to local information about bylaws, policies, considerable size, some areas have producers. procedures and Council, call 780-623- received more precipitation than others, 6740. The County has since written letters to however the majority of the County’s provincial and federal officials, notifying For information about landfills, producers are forecasting low cereal and them of the declaration and suggesting transfer sites and curbside pick up oil seed yields and extremely low yields some options for relief programs, things service, call Environmental Services at for hay and feed. like shared lease grazing, freight subsidies 780-623-6739. Producers across are being and financial aid for crop insurance. For any other inquires, or to get affected by these conditions, and many If you have questions, contact our connected to the right department, other municipalities in the province call our Front Desk at 780-623-1747. Agricultural Services department at have also declared a State of Agricultural 780-623-6739. www.laclabichecounty.com

Lac La Biche County recruiting Plamondon RV disposal station and l01 Avenue extenstion project paid, on-call firefighters Work is underway to complete the Next, contractors will strip the existing The County is seeking residents new Plamondon RV disposal and 101 road surface and install new water, interested in becoming paid, on-call Avenue extension project. Construction sewer and storm mains, along with the firefighters at any one of our five halls: is expected to run from August through underground services for the RV disposal Lac La Biche, Plamondon, , Owl mid-September, 2015. station. River, and Rich Lake. The purpose of the project is to improve Contractors will then rebuild and pave As a firefighter, you must be in good RV disposal service for residents and the road to the Festival Centre and physical condition, want to protect visitors, and to connect the existing finally build the surface connections and life and property, and enjoy educating pavement at the 101 Avenue and 102 concrete pad for the disposal station. the public about fire prevention. No Street intersection to the Festival Centre. Please use caution around the work site previous experience is necessary. The This week, contractors are moving and follow all posted detour signs. County pays for all recruits’ training, equipment into the area and preparing If you have any questions or concerns, and regularly offers local courses in detours to maintain traffic flow while work please contact Ken Hesse with Innovative subjects like search and rescue, pump is in progress. Civil Contractors at 780-289-6909. operations, and vehicle extraction. All Lac La Biche County firefighters are compensated when responding to emergency incidents and training. Though new recruits are welcomed at any of our five halls, the Hylo, Owl River, and Rich Lake fire halls are most in need of new members. Having more rural firefighters will allow the County to dispatch more quickly to fire and vehicle incidents in outlying areas. For more information, or to pick up an application package, email fireservices@ laclabichecounty.com or call 780-623- 6774. Fire restriction remains in place over August While recent rains have lowered the fire hazard, conditions remain unusually dry in Lac La Biche County. A fire restriction Members of Council pose with the County’s new promotional collapsible bags. This fall, the County remains in effect across the County. plans to launch a Reusable Bag campaign. We’re looking to reduce and ultimately eliminate the use Essential burning in engineered fire pits of plastic bags in the County. Did you know that every square mile of the earth’s oceans has roughly 46,000 pieces of plastic floating in it? And that it takes 500 years for a plastic bag to degrade? and BBQs is allowed, but burn barrels require a fire permit. Fireworks are County assessors conducting 2015 property inspections permitted, but please use caution. Lac La Biche County assessors are not require access to houses or buildings. Even when the County isn’t under fire currently conducting 2015 property For any questions about the inspection restriction, please note that permits are assessments east of Lac La Biche Lake in process, call Dan Small, the County’s always required for burn barrels and any Mystic Beach and Golden Sands areas. Senior Manager of Finance and open air, controlled burning from March Assessors will be taking pictures and Community Services at 780-623-6802. 1 to October 31. walking the properties involved, but do Your County in Touch • Issue No. 50, August 14, 2015

County staff replace aging sign posts in of Lac La Biche Community Awareness Registration Evening: September 10, 2015 Each year, Lac La Biche County’s Family & Community Support Services (FCSS) department hosts the Community Awareness Registration Evening (C.A.R.E.) event. The C.A.R.E. event is free, and connects residents with local non-profit organizations like sports leagues, seniors societies, hobbyists, school agencies, and religious groups. This year’s event happens on September 10, 2015 at the Bold Center. Residents will discover opportunities for both children and adults to either County Transportation staff work to replace weathered street signs in the hamlet of Lac La Biche this participate in group activities or July. The signs were due for an update—most signs had lettering that was worn and faded. volunteer. C.A.R.E. organizers have children’s activities planned for the event, Council sets guiding principles for 2016 budget deliberations which will allow parents and guardians to browse booths and gather information. County Council plans to start workiing on year. Council has directed Administration Light refreshments will also be provided. the 2016 budget this fall and have set the that service and staffing levels should be goal of completing the budget by the end maintained, and additional programs or There are already 36 non-profit groups of December. positions will require a full business case planning to attend, but there’s still space for more. If you’re a member of a local Towards this end, Council approved for Council’s consideration. volunteer organization, the C.A.R.E. event guiding principles for the 2016 budget In addition, Council will be supplying is the perfect place to showcase your at their meeting on July 27, 2015. These Administration with a list of capital services and recruit new volunteers. Be guiding principles will give Adminstration projects they’d like to see completed in sure to book a table before the August 29 the direction necessary to prepare draft their ward in 2016 in the near future. deadline. budgets that should meet Council’s Budget meetings are anticipated to start For organizations that have never preliminary priorities for the 2016 fiscal in November, 2015. participated in events like C.A.R.E., FCSS County’s draft Land Use Bylaw undergoes further review is considering a workshop. The workshop Council met to discuss changes to the for Council and residents have been will cover the basics of creating and County’s new draft Land Use Bylaw (LUB) work camps, RV storage and downtown hosting effective booths, teaching on July 22, 2015. parking requirements. participants how to best present their organizations and attract new patrons The currrent (LUB) is due for an update. Council provided further feedback to or volunteers. If you’re interested in the Council, in consultation with residents consultants who will finalize the draft workshop, please let C.A.R.E. organizers and developers, has been working for LUB for Council’s review and return with a know when you book your space. the past year to enhance and improve new draft in September. Once the bylaw the new draft bylaw. An LUB regulates is given first reading in the fall, residents For more information about the C.A.R.E. zoning and construction requirements in will have the opportunity to provide event, or to register for a table (which a municipality. Some of the major issues further feedback at a public hearing. must be booked before August 29), call 780-623-6727.

3 Your County in Touch • Issue No. 50, August 14, 2015

2015 Fall Fitness Program Guide available at Bold Center soon Your County in Touch is produced by Lac La Biche County and available to The 2015 Fall Fitness Program Guide (pictured right) every resident. will be available both online (boldcenter.ca) and in DROP IN. An electronic version of this paper copies very soon. The Bold Center’s Fitness SIGN UP. newsletter is available. All you Program Guides - published three times a year for need to do is call 780-623-1747 fall, winter, and spring - offer patrons a convenient GET ACTIVE. or provide your e-mail address to overview of each season’s fitness classes. 2015 FALL FITNESS PROGRAM GUIDE [email protected]. This fall, the Bold Center will be hosting fitness Use the same contact information classes for all ages and skill levels. You can join our for any address changes, additional all new mixed yoga sessions, offered in both the copies or to unsubscribe. mornings and evenings. We’re even offering a yoga session for kids (ages 5 to 8 or ages 9 to 12)! Other classes include old favourites, like Zumba Circuit, Zumba Glutes, Armed + Dangerous, and Cardio Dates to Remember Kickboxing. August 2015 For more information on the upcoming booklet, please call 780-623-3829 or visit the Bold Center Summer recess: all regularly- COMMUNITY FITNESS HAPPENS AT THE BOLD CENTER. scheduled Council meetings in-person. cancelled for the month of August. August 19, 2015 Bold Center prices going up 5% in September 2015 Music in the Park from 5:30 to 9:30 As per bylaw 14-029, all Bold Center prices will be raised by 5% from September pm in McArthur Park. Don’t forget 2015 on. August is the perfect time to lock in at our current rates with either a to bring a lawn chair! 6-month or annual Bold Center membership. Don’t forget that you can now opt to August 29, 2015 pay for your 6-month or annual membership in monthly installments if you’re paying on credit credit card - there’s no need to pay the full fee up-front. Deadline to book a table at the C.A.R.E event. See page three for For more information, call the Bold Center at 780-623-3829 or talk to one of our staff more details. in-person. September 10, 2015 C.A.R.E. event at Field House #1 in the Bold Center from 4 to 7 pm. See page three for more details.

Lac La Biche County Box 1679 Lac La Biche, AB T0A 2C0

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