Photo by Curtis Galbraith.

By Curtis Galbraith

City Hall

Local politicians at Alberta Municipalities Convention this week

Sep 25, 2024 | 6:00 AM

Civic politicians from around the province have gathered in Red Deer for the Alberta Municipalities Convention. It starts today (Wednesday) and go through Friday.

Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton says there will be a lot of sessions to attend and learning to do.

“A significant part of (the) Alberta Municipalities (Convention) is meetings with ministers. We pre-book those meetings. We sit down and talk about our advocacy priorities.”

There will also be meetings with the province’s Treasury Board and Health Minister Adrianna LaGrange

“Our meeting with Minister LaGrange is the whole northern zone, so not just the city. At that time, we’ll get a little bit of time to highlight what’s happening in our city in particular as part of the north zone.”

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Clayton says the idea of provincial funding for a new unit at the Grande Prairie Fire Department to address medical calls when EMS is not available, one that would see a paramedic and firefighter respond, will be brought up in the meeting with Minister LaGrange.

She adds this is the one time of year when people from all the urban municipalities get together.

“It’s extremely important because the resolution session is a time that we sit down and instruct Alberta Municipalities to go on and advocate on our behalf.”

“The resolution discussions are great because it really allows you to have discussion and debate between urban municipalities and set the course for what Alberta Municipalities is going to advocate on our behalf.”

One resolution from the City of Grande Prairie will be up for discussion at the annual Alberta Municipalities Convention.

It calls on Alberta Municipalities to push the provincial government for a Level of Service for Emergency Social Services across Alberta. There isn’t one right now.

This concerns service for evacuees coming to communities during emergencies like wildfires.

There is concern about disrupting service to local people and with communities being stuck with extra costs not covered by the Disaster Recovery Program. Local officials believe having this Level of Service would solve some of these problems by listing basic needs, discretionary services, and what ones communities can money back from the province for providing.

The Town of Sexsmith has seconded a resolution from the City of Brooks that, if passed, would see Alberta Municipalities lobby the provincial government to shorten the Class & Learner’s License time from a year to eight months.