LETTER OF SUPPORT: Town Council voted in favour of providing a letter of support for the MD of Bonnyville to Invest Alberta to a Request for Information (RFI) from an investor exploring potential locations for a large scale data centre campus. The proposed project would represent a major investment in the region, with anticipated benefits including the creation of approximately 120 full-time jobs upon completion, up to 500 construction jobs during the development process, a cornerstone opportunity for regional economic diversification and long-term sustainable growth, among others.
CANCELLED MEETING: The Governance and Priorities Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 21 has been cancelled. This decision was made due to the Town of Bonnyville’s Municipal Election being the day prior and the scheduled meeting would have taken place before the Organizational Meeting on Oct. 28.
DELEGATIONS: Corey Dowes from the Bonnyville Agricultural Society outlined the organizations asks to Council during the regular Council Meeting. They requested $20,000 from the Town, which will go towards assisting the Ag Society with the cost of hosting the 2026 Rodeo and Chuckwagon weekend and the 2026 Fall Fair. Council accepted the request as information.
Dowes also presented to Council on behalf of Community Futures Lakeland. He requested the Town sponsor Young Entrepreneurs Training Initiative (YETI) for $2,500, Lemonade Day for $1,000, and $15,000 for the Beautification Program for businesses interested in updating their businesses in Town. Council accepted the request as information.
Travis Schaffrick, a representative from Keep Lakeland Politics Local (KLPL), outlined the groups concerns about the Town’s membership with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). Schaffrick requested Town Council survey the FCM website, go over the costs of sending members of Council to FCM conferences, consider investigating the growing counter-perspective on the main causes of climate change, and requested those running in the upcoming Municipal Election to share their position on the primary cause of climate change. Council accepted the presentation as information.
PROCLOMATIONS: Mayor Elisa Brosseau proclaimed Oct. 6 as World Cerebral Palsy Day in the Town of Bonnyville. In Alberta, it is estimated that over 9,000 individuals are affected by cerebral palsy. There is more than one diagnosis of cerebral palsy for every 500 children born each year in Alberta and the number of new cases per year has increased by 25 percent over the past decade.
Mayor Brosseau also proclaimed October as Canadian Library Month in the Town. The Bonnyville Municipal Library, among other branches, add immensely to the culture, creativity, and growth of citizens by promoting and supporting lifelong learning by helping people to access the information and tools they need to live, learn, and work, inspiring wonder, curiosity, creativity, and promoting dialogue and understanding.
BRIEFLY: Bylaw No. 1604-25 the 2026 Residential Assessment Sub-Class Bylaw received all three readings. This bylaw was first passed in 2019. The rationale behind creating a residential sub-class for Multi-Family properties is based on the change in assessments for these properties year over year as the economy fluctuates.
Bylaw No. 1605-25 A Bylaw to Repeal Bylaw No. 1474-18 – Council Code of Conduct Bylaw received all three readings. Due to the provincial government passing Bill 50, the Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, earlier this year, the Town’s Bylaw No. 1474-18 is not legally enforceable. Municipal Affairs will consult with stakeholders to establish consistent, standard Council meeting procedures and explore options for a municipal ethics commissioner to address Councillor accountability and ethics issues.