Fall ‘ convention15

Convention Highlights November 17-19, 2015 November 16

WHERE IT ALL STARTS: BUILDING RURAL DIALOGUE To kick off the AAMDC Fall 2015 convention, the AAM- DC hosted a reception for members and MLAs. The event brought together elected officials from both levels of government to discuss rural Alberta and how Alber- ta’s complex challenges can be solved. The AAMDC would like to thank the numerous MLAs who attended.

November 17 Education Day

CONVENTION OPENING CEREMONIES UPDATE FROM THE FEDERATION OF The official program of the AAMDC Fall 2015 Conven- CANADIAN MUNICIPALITIES (FCM) tion started off with opening ceremonies that included – 1ST VICE-PRESIDENT CLARK the singing of our national anthem by Edmonton based SOMMERVILLE group Asani and greetings from the Mayor of Edmon- • The FCM was busy throughout the recent federal ton, Don Iveson. The ceremonies also included the In election with the ‘Hometown Proud’ campaign Memoriam, the presentation of long service awards and which received considerable attention on social the presentation of certificates for EOEP graduates. media. The R.W. Hay Award of Excellence in Administration • During the election, the FCM developed a plat- was also presented to Tony Martens, Chief Adminis- form for rural development which touched on a trative Officer for Mountain View County. Congratula- variety of rural issues across the country. tions Tony! • The FCM is encouraged by the election of the Liberal Party and their election promises around infrastructure and community investment. • FCM staff have been working to prepare transi- tion documents for the new ministries to identify ways in which the new government can work with new governments. • The FCM is looking forward to the 2016 federal budget, and is confident it will provide the support that Canada’s municipalities need.

FALL 2015 CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS 2 • Promoting inter-municipal collaboration remains a top priority for the provincial government and changes may be brought forward through the MGA that will encourage greater local and region- al cooperation. • The Alberta Community Partnership grant is be- ing reviewed to ensure it serves the needs of municipalities. The grant will be application/merit based and focus on community impact and proj- ect readiness.

THE HONOURABLE , MINISTER OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TRADE • Minister Bilous outlined the role of his new Minis- try which was created to help diversify Alberta’s economy and expand export markets. • The new ministry will also work hard to support THE HONOURABLE , small business development, as small business- MINISTER OF MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS AND es comprise 95% of all those operating in Alberta. MINISTER OF SERVICE ALBERTA • The Ministry was budgeted $50 million over the next two years for new capital programs to stimu- • In budget 2016-17, the Government of Alberta late and diversify the economy. has committed to maintain and raise MSI funding by $100 million. • The government has restored the Student Tem- porary Employment Program (STEP) and will • Budget 2015-16 also restored funding to the open the program to small businesses. Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program which includes the Local Road Bride Program, • This Ministry will also oversee the new Job Cre- Resource Road Program, and Community Airport ation Incentive Program that will encourage new Program. Funding is set to begin in 2017. job creation through grants provided to eligible employers for each new net employment posi- • The Government of Alberta plans to diversify the tion created. economy while growing the energy industry. The energy industry is vital to Alberta’s growth, but a diversified economy will lead to steadier growth and more opportunities for all Albertans. • The review of the Municipal Government Act (MGA) remains ongoing and legislation is expect- ed in the spring of 2016 and to be finalized in the fall of 2016 following consultations throughout the summer. The government has committed to hav- ing the MGA in place before the next municipal elections. • The government will review the distribution of lin- ear taxation revenue but has committed to keep- ing rural Alberta healthy and sustainable. The Minister emphasized that the AAMDC would be involved in this review.

FALL 2015 CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS 3 Focus on Convention

FALL 2015 CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS 4 THE HONOURABLE , MINISTER OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND MINISTER OF TRANSPORTATION • Budget documents have indicated that the Gov- ernment of Alberta is projected to spend $34 bil- lion over the next four years on infrastructure, a 15% increase compared to the plan proposed by the previous government in March 2015. • The Government is undertaking a counter-cycli- cal approach to infrastructure investment, which is projected to create 8,000 – 12,000 jobs in the province. • Included in Budget 2015-16: • $170 million for water and waste-water funding • $100 million for the STIP starting in 2017 • $330 million for rural, regional, and urban transit investments • $2.2 billion for overpasses in highways Policing the Province: Alberta RCMP Update • $2.2 billion to expand health care infrastructure This workshop featured RCMP Inspector Glenn de Goeij, RCMP Deputy Commissioner Marianne Ryan, BREAKOUT SESSIONS and Gloria Ohrt, Executive Director of the Law En- forcement and Oversight Branch for Alberta Justice Plastic Makes Perfect: Recycling Agricultural Plastics and Solicitor General. Glenn, Marianne and Gloria provided an overview of recent policing trends in Al- The AAMDC has been actively advocating for prog- berta, from how the RCMP monitors and prevents ter- ress in the area of agriculture plastics recycling and rorist activity in the province to how local and regional hosted a workshop with Bob Barss from the Alberta detachments can better work with municipalities to en- Recycling Management Authority, Christina Seidel sure that Alberta’s rural communities are safe. from the Recycling Council of Alberta, and Kim Tim- mer from Clean Farms. The panelists spoke about Tools for Your Insurance Toolkit resources and services are currently available, and sponsored by Jubilee Insurance and RSA where the industry is working to move forward to en- Jubilee’s workshop was focused on Insurance Risk sure plastics are recycled in a cost-effective manner. Management, highlighting opportunities for members to access premium credits. Craig Pettigrew, Jubilee’s Strengthening Ties: AAMDC Advocacy and the New Provincial Government - Elected Official Manager of Insurance discussed the new Claims Rat- Session ed Premium Distribution Model. This model is a slight adjustment to how Jubilee allocates premium for our This workshop was a collaborative effort by the AAM- membership. This change translates to linking premi- DC and Impact Consulting. Gerald Rhodes, Executive ums paid to insurance loss statistics. With a phased Director of the AAMDC sat alongside Elan MacDonald implementation our goal is to provide stability, fairness and Brookes Merrit from Impact to discuss the new and transparency to our membership. changes in the provincial government since the May 5 election. AAMDC members heard how the new NDP Jubilee had Simon Gibson from DAS Canada present government has been organized and how they view a potential new Legal Expense Insurance product to certain issues. Information on what the AAMDC is do- the membership. Jubilee is looking to offer this product ing to develop relationships and propose solutions to the membership to provide legal services for a set with the new government was also shared. premium. This product would provide cost certainty

FALL 2015 CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS 5 when it comes to legal expenses, and more economi- Truth and Reconciliation: A New Way Forward cal opportunities to receive legal advice. Chief Dr. Robert Joseph, from the organization Rec- Powering Progress: Municipal-Industrial onciliation Canada, discussed the Truth and Recon- Collaboration in the Energy Industry ciliation process and recommendations featured in the report released in the spring of 2015. Dr. Joseph de- This workshop brought together municipal and energy tailed a deeply personal history he experienced as a leaders to discuss collaboration in the energy sector. young child being subjected to the residential school- Reeve Leanne Beaupre and Councillor Bob Marshall ing system. At the age of six, he was removed from from the County of Grande Prairie discussed the Ever- his home and for the next 12 years, he was subject to green Centre for Resource Excellence and Innovation, tragic circumstances and abuse at a residential school. a jointly-funded project that promotes environmentally Dr. Joseph highlighted the importance of recognizing responsible solutions and best practices in the energy this history and working as communities to understand sector. Encana representative Patsy Vik outlined En- and move forward to improve our communities. The cana’s approach to stakeholder relations and working AAMDC is working with other levels of government with the County of Grande Prairie to address land- and municipal associations to identify tangible steps owner and community concerns. Saddle Hills County forward for municipalities on this important issue. Reeve Alvin Hubert and Councillor Ken Titford, along- side Saddle Hills County CAO Bob Cardwell described the challenges and benefits that the energy industry brings to their region. In Saddle Hills County alone they have 9016 km of pipeline and over 4023 wells but have worked with industry to limit impacts. A Fresh Approach to Bridge Funding Advocacy This workshop provided a number of perspectives on approaches that municipalities could take to ensure that their bridge network is adequately funded by the province. Gene Sobelewski, Mayor of the Town of Bonnyville and a Municipal Engineer with Associated Engineering, introduced the panel and shared the im- portance of properly documenting bridge condition when advocating for provincial funding. John Fussell, Senior Vice President of Transportation at Associated Strengthening Ties: AAMDC Advocacy and the Engineering, provided a historical overview of bridge New Provincial Government - CAO Session funding in Alberta. Corey Ollikka, CAO for Smoky Lake This workshop, specifically designed for CAOs, was a County, discussed the challenges of bridge mainte- collaborative effort by the AAMDC and Impact Consult- nance from the municipal perspective. Rodd Thorkels- ing. Kim Heyman, Director of the Advocacy and Com- son, Managing Partner at Brownlee LLP, spoke on the munications for the AAMDC, alongside Dan Hanson legal issues related to bridge funding, including defini- and Brookes Merrit from Impact Consulting discussed tions of liability and ownership of bridges between the the new changes in the provincial government since province and municipalities. AAMDC Policy Analyst the historic May 5 election. The session was oriented Wyatt Skovron provided an overview of the province- towards how CAOs could help their councils connect wide approach to bridge funding advocacy, and Sarah with the new government and how they should frame Wadlow, a Project Engineer at Associated Engineer- their issues. The AAMDC’s updated advocacy strat- ing, concluded the panel with a great case study on egy was also shared with attendees. This strategy how to properly document the condition of a specific focuses on positioning the AAMDC and its members bridge and use that information to advocate for fund- as credible sources of information rural and municipal ing. Overall, this workshop was packed with great in- issues while emphasizing that rural municipalities are formation on the importance of bridge funding advo- in the business of community building. cacy.

FALL 2015 CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS 6 November 18 Business Day

AAMDC ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM) On Wednesday morning, the membership of the AAM- DC held their AGM which included a report by President Kemmere and a summary of the financial statements.

WHERE IT ALL STARTS: RURAL ALBERTA WITH THE AAMDC With funding from the Rural Alberta Development Fund, the AAMDC contracted Urban Video to create a video profiling each of the AAMDC’s five districts, which cover all corners of the province, highlighting industries located within their boundaries that support the provincial economy. Premiering at the Fall 2015 Convention, the video, titled Where it All Starts: Rural Alberta with the AAMDC, follows Doug, a born-and- raised urban Albertan, as he leaves the big city and learns about rural Alberta for the first time. The AAMDC would like to encourage members and anyone else interested to use the video as they see fit, as it is a great tool to spread the word about the major contributions that rural Alberta makes to the province’s identity, economic development, and environmental stewardship. You can find the video online, available on both YouTube and Vimeo (just search AAMDC).

FALL 2015 CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS 7 ENDORSED RESOLUTIONS RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE

8-15S Government Prioritizing Rural Alberta Chair: Tom Burton, AAMDC District 4 Director Highways District 1: Ben Elfring, MD of Taber 1-15F Continued Provincial Funding Support for District 2: Pat Alexander, Clearwater County Municipalities District 3: Terry Van de Kraats, County of Wetaskiwin 2-15F Enhanced Funding for Roads, Highways District 4: Leanne Beaupre, County of Grande Prairie and Local Bridges in Rural Municipalities District 5: Eric Anderson, County of Minburn 3-15F Local Road Bridge Opt-Outs Under Navigation Protection Act 4-15F AAMDC Participation in City Charter Discussions 5-15F Recovery of Linear Property Tax Arrears 6-15F Re-introduction of Bill 204 to Address the Matter of Adverse Possession 7-15F Agriculture Plastics Recycling 8-15F Land Acquisition Process for Crown Land 9-15F Referrals on the Sale of Public Lands 10-15F Maintenance of Provincial Funding for Seniors’ Lodging 11-15F Provincial Support for Municipal Aggregate Acquisition 12-15F Survey Requirements for Recreation Lease Renewals 13-15F Non-Profit Housing Organizations Borrowing from the Alberta Capital Finance Authority 15-15F Management of Farm Development and Agricultural Leases 16-15F Species at Risk Act (SARA) 17-15F Community Aggregate Payment Levy Rate Amendment KEYNOTE ADDRESS: BRENT BUTT 19-15F Amendment to the Municipal Government Act to Provide for the Dedication of Environ- Brent Butt, a Canadian television star and mental Reserves in Specific Cases stand-up comedian, kept the audience in stitch- es with his self-deprecating tales of growing 20-15F Capital Funding for Community Airports up in a small Prairie town, being overfed by his 21-15F Minimum Wage Increase mother, trying to make it as a comedian in the big city, and other hilarious takes on day-to-day 22-15F Amendment to the Municipal Government life. Brent did a great job of poking fun at the Act Regarding Joint and Several Liability little things in life, and reminding us that there is 23-15F Alberta Transportation Highway Signage humor in almost every situation! 24-15F Alternative Energy Source – Solar Power

FALL 2015 CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS 8 November 19 Government Day

PROVINCIAL PERSPECTIVES: ALBERTA’S OPPOSITION PARTY PANEL Provincial Perspectives, the AAMDC’s opposition par- ty panel, provided the leaders of Alberta’s three op- position parties an opportunity to share their views on issues impacting rural Alberta. The panel consisted of: • Brian Jean, Leader of the Alberta • Ric McIver, Leader of the Progressive Conserva- tive Party • David Swann, Leader of the Alberta Liberal Party • Greg Clark, Leader of the The leaders each offered opening statements to out- line their party’s positions and priorities prior to field- ing questions developed by the AAMDC and from the floor. The leaders discussed a range of topics in- cluding the mental health review, municipal funding, the importance of rural Alberta, and the need to in- vest infrastructure now while resources are available and there is capacity within the construction industry. AAMDC members asked questions about linear as- sessment distribution, growth management plans, environmental matters in rural areas, flood mitigation, and rural health services.

FALL 2015 CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS 9 MINISTERIAL FORUM The following topics were among these discussed dur- ing the forum: The AAMDC was honored this year to welcome the Ministers of the NDP government to our annual Min- Water License Applications isterial Forum – also known as ‘the bear pit’. The Minister Phillips was asked about the water license AAMDC’s forum is unique as it provides our members application process and the slow progress one par- with the opportunity to directly question any attending ticular project was facing which has led to the project minister on the issue of their choice. The forum was being stalled. Minister Phillips indicated that the water moderated by AAMDC President Al Kemmere and the license process was reviewed and she had provided Honourable Danielle Larivee, Minister of Municipal Af- the department direction that these types of delays are fairs and Minister of Service Alberta. Ministers in at- not acceptable and that the process will be expedited tendance included: in the near future. • Hon. , Minister of Finance and President Adoption of the United Nations Declaration on of Treasury Board the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDIP) • Hon. , Minister of Health and Minister Ganley was asked about the adoption of the Minister of Seniors UNDIP and what municipalities can expect. Minister • Hon. Marg McCuaig-Boyd, Minister of Energy Ganley informed that the government’s progress is un- • Hon. , Minister of Education and derway and each of the ministries are expected to de- Minister of Culture and Tourism liver plans to cabinet in February at which point more information may be made available. • Hon. Brian Mason, Minister of Infrastructure and Minister of Transportation Rural Broadband Service • Hon. Deron Bilous, Minister of Economic Devel- Service Alberta Minister was not able to at- opment and Trade tend the Ministerial Forum but Minister of Agriculture • Hon. , Minister of Environment and Forestry responded to a question re- and Parks and Minister of Status of Women garding rural broadband service. Carlier indicated that this topic was a priority for the government and rural • Hon. , Minister of Justice and So- broadband should be considered an essential utility licitor General and Minister of Aboriginal Relations because of its importance to business. Rural areas • Hon. Oneil Carlier, Minister of Agriculture and without broadband internet access are at a disadvan- Forestry

FALL 2015 CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS 10 Focus on Convention

FALL 2015 CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS 11 THE HONOURABLE , Premier Rachel Notley spoke to the AAMDC member- ship and convention for the first time since her election in May 2015. During this speech, Premier Notley not- ed her roots in rural Alberta and in particular, the MD of Fairview where she grew up. The Premier then spoke to a number of priorities the current government is un- dertaking including the need to invest in critical infra- structure during this period of economic hardship. By investing now, the Premier said, we can take advan- tage of lower prices for materials and capacity within the construction industry. Notley also touched on her government’s climate change plans which have since been released. The Premier articulated the need for a robust climate change policy that will allow Alberta to gain the social license to operate and ensure Alberta’s resources reach tidewater. Finally the Premier spoke of the importance of municipalities, the province, and the federal government working together to accept Syrian refugees.

AAMDC BOARD OF DIRECTOR ELECTIONS A number of elections for the AAMDC Board of Direc- tors took place with each of the incumbent Directors being acclaimed for another two year term. The 2015- tage because it can be difficult to attract residents and 16 AAMDC Board of Directors are as follows: families to these areas. • Al Kemmere, President Intensive Agriculture • Carolyn Kolebaba, Vice President A question was directed to Minister of Environment • Bob Jones, District 1 Director and Parks Shannon Phillips on the topic of confined feeding operations. The Minister responded that the • Earl Graham, District 2 Director intensive agriculture should be applauded for their • John Whaley, District 3 Director commitment to innovation in reducing inputs and out- • Tom Burton, District 4 Director puts. The Minister noted her background having being • , District 5 Director raised in a family that operated a confined feeding lot. Soren Odegard Job Creation and Economic Diversification Minister Carlier answered a question on the impor- tance of maintaining current jobs in the agriculture and forestry industry by acknowledging that both of these areas have had recent struggles due to circumstanc- es beyond their control. While the agriculture sector struggled due to drought, the forestry sector was im- pacted by lower housing starts in the United States. Despite these temporary setbacks, the government sees potential in both of these industries to continue to grow and diversify in the future.

FALL 2015 CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS 12 Focus on Convention

FIND US ON FLICKR! For more photos from AAMDC Fall 2015 Convention, check out our Flickr page!

FALL 2015 CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS 13 Convention Sponsors

PLATINUM SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

• ATCO Gas & ATCO Electric • Red Arrow • EQUS REA Ltd. • RSA • Natural Resources Conservation Board

CONTRIBUTORS

• Alberta Primetime • Municipal World • FrishkornMEDIACO • Federation of Alberta Gas Co-ops Ltd. • Modern Press Ltd.

Visit aamdc.com for information on upcoming conventions and events.

FALL 2015 CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS 14