Whitecourt Town Council Update

Whitecourt Town Council has adopted the 2022 Strategic Plan. The Plan provides Council and staff with a common focus to be pursued over its term to achieve the municipality’s vision.  The Town will use the Strategic Plan to define its priorities, activities, short and long-term plans; and, to prioritize budget and resource allocations. A copy of the 2022 Strategic Plan Report is available for viewing at www.whitecourt.ca/your-municipality.

The 2022 20-Year Capital and Major Maintenance Plan has been adopted.  The Plan, which includes 130 projects, provides a vision for the long-term development of Whitecourt’s infrastructure; land development; parks and trails; and, building and recreational/cultural facilities to meet the needs of our growing community. The Plan incorporates projects and time­lines identified through engineering studies, planning sessions, workshops, budget deliberations, and public engagement activities. The Plan is available to view at www.whitecourt.ca/your-municipality.

The Whitecourt Economic Development Committee provided a semi-annual update on its activities and current projects at the June 27 Regular Meeting of Council.  Activities have been focused on encouraging investment attraction across key sectors, and implementing business retention and expansion strategies in support of local businesses.

The annual review of Off-Site Levies is complete and, based on the study, rates will be changing as of January 1, 2023.  Off-Site Levies are a cost recovery tool that help pay for infrastructure projects that allow the community to grow, including roads, and water and sewage treatment

The Collision Report is prepared annually, and the 2021 report shows an overall increase in collisions from the previous year; however, the number of collisions is still under the 5-year average.  The report identifies areas of concern so that measures can be undertaken to assist with decreasing collisions and injuries on local roadways.  A copy of the report will be provided to the Whitecourt Protective Services Committee and Alberta Transportation for review.

Whitecourt is partnering with other regional municipalities to apply for funding to develop an electric vehicle charging network in northwest Alberta.

Whitecourt has approved requests from the Whitecourt Golf & Country Club and Whitecourt Curling Club to join the Town of Whitecourt’s Member Master Agreement.  By joining, the Clubs will benefit from the wholesale and aggregate pricing that Whitecourt receives for energy.

Updates have been made to the Fees, Rates and Charges Bylaw.

• Water meter costs have been amended to align with the Town’s third party billing policy.
• Concrete disposal fees have been updated to reflect current crushing and disposal costs.