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 DERON BILOUS, 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 DANIELLE LARIVEE, 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 BRIAN MASON, 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