Whitecourt Town Council Update July 16, 2024

After an extensive review process, and numerous public consultation initiatives, Whitecourt has adopted a new:

• Municipal Development Plan Bylaw – which sets the long-term vision for the community;
• Land Use Bylaw – which is the tool that we use to implement the Town’s vision and broader goals; and,
• North Flats Area Structure Plan Bylaw – which outlines the specific vision for the lands that lie north of Flats Road and south of the Athabasca River.

Thank you to the Committee members for their hard work and dedication, and to the many residents, stakeholders and agencies that provided input into the creation of these bylaws.

Whitecourt will be proceeding with three energy projects with funding support from the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre’s Community Energy Conservation (CEC) Program.  CEC has approved 50% funding ($345,214) to go towards the following projects to help reduce energy consumption, save utility costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions:

• McLeod Arena roof replacement at JDA Place.
• REALice, a high-precision water treatment system for ice rinks, will be installed at JDA Place. The system eliminates the need for hot water when building and resurfacing the ice.
• Replacement of two boilers at the Allan & Jean Millar Centre.

The Communities in Bloom provincial judges will be touring Whitecourt on Monday, August 12 to rate our community in eight categories as part of the provincial competition.  Let’s all do our part in showing the judges just how beautiful Whitecourt is!  The Whitecourt Communities in Bloom Committee requests your support in showcasing Whitecourt to the provincial judges, and asks that we all keep Whitecourt beautiful by making sure our yards are tidy, and by ensuring our green spaces and business storefronts are litter free.  Whitecourt is an incredible place to live, and the Committee wants to make sure that it is showcased at its best for this year’s competition.

A delegation from Whitecourt’s Twin Town of Yubetsu, Japan is scheduled to tour Whitecourt from September 24 and October 1, 2024.  The delegation, which includes 10 students and two chaperones, will be homestaying, and Whitecourt is currently looking for local families that would be interested in taking a student into their home and sharing their community and customs.  For more information, please contact Andrew Malmquist at 780-787-3637 or 
andrewmalmquist@whitecourt.ca.

Whitecourt Town Council received a quarterly financial report and 2024 Project List at the July 15 Regular Meeting.  Both reports are available to view at www.whitecourt.ca/your-town