Beautification efforts for Highway 43 west are coming soon

By Serena Lapointe
The western entrance into Whitecourt, coming from Fox Creek, will be getting green thumb
treatment this year following Town Council’s March 23 approval of phase one of the Highway 43
Vitalization Plan, which, thanks to significant outside funding, will see various plant life added to
some of the boulevards, improving the community’s appearance to visitors and making the area
more welcoming.
The work dates back to the Vitalization Plan that was adopted in 2013, with a beautification
design for Highway 43 finalized three years later, in 2016. The Ad-Hoc Vitalization Committee
worked with Stantec Consulting for two years to complete the plan, recommending that
beautification work should start from the western entrance and move east.
Last year, the Town of Whitecourt succeeded in its application for grant funding through the
Green Municipal Fund’s Growing Canada’s Canopies Initiative to start phase one of the project,
which will focus on the boulevard between 53 Avenue and Riverboat Park Road. Over the
years, smaller projects were completed under the plan as funding became available, including
the intersections of Highway 43 and 51 Street and Highway 43 and Dahl Drive. The Town’s
entrance signs and the streetlighting along the highway pathway were also part of the
Vitalization Plan.
The Green Municipal Fund is a Government of Canada-funded program, delivered by the
Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). This year is the twenty-sixth year for the fund,
which grants dollars towards projects that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance
energy efficiency and promote environmental sustainability.
Since it began in 2000, the Green Municipal Fund has supported over 2,700 sustainability
projects and contributed 1.53 billion dollars towards Canada’s GDP. In the 2024/2025 fiscal
year, the program approved its highest funding yet, a staggering 311 million dollars, which was a
400 percent increase from 2018. They ended up doling out just shy of 150 million dollars.
The Growing Canada’s Community Canopies Initiative, through which Whitecourt has accessed
funding, is one of several funding streams that fall within the Green Municipal Fund. It aims to
increase the green canopy (aka trees and shrubs) in a municipality. Not only does it put dollars

towards purchasing and planting trees, but the initiative also helps promote sustainability by
educating on what to plant and where. The point isn’t to simply plant trees; it’s to help the trees
thrive once in the ground, and they want to help plant at least 1.2 million by 2031.
Funding from the program is also significant, with up to 50 percent of eligible costs covered, to a
maximum of ten million dollars. The Town of Whitecourt’s project received the green light for fifty
percent funding. The planned budget for 2026 totalled $302,243, with the Green Municipal
Fund’s Growing Canada’s Community Canopies program kicking in $151,120. The remaining
half was to be funded through the Vitalization Reserve, dollars previously set aside for the
project.

During the March 23 Town Council meeting, elected officials were told that the Request for
Proposals had come in higher than anticipated. Parts of the project were removed to lower the
cost. Originally, Hedgehog Enterprises had proposed $442,922.50, and West Peak
Forestry/Trigg Seasonal Solutions had proposed $514,854.00, both plus GST.
Following the removal of certain provisional items, including timber posts and boulders which
were not funded under the grant anyway, the price dropped to $370,417.50 from Hedgehog
Enterprises and $513,854.00 for West Peak Forestry/Trigg Seasonal Solutions, both plus GST.
Administration recommended Council select Hedgehog Enterprises Ltd.
“We can say that Hedgehog Enterprises Ltd is a well-established company. They’ve been in
Whitecourt, serving our area since 2004. We’ve done some major projects with them. Both of
the (smaller) highway projects that we did were with Hedgehog, and they (trees/shrubs) are still
thriving and growing well today,” explained Jennine Loberg, the Town’s Director of Planning and
Development.
Even with the removal of certain pieces, the project remained over budget by $68,174.50.
Administration recommended that the balance be covered by the Vitalization Reserve. Just over
$200,000 will remain in the reserve to help cover future phases planned to take place every two
years, as per the Vitalization Plan, depending on costs and timelines. Grants will be sought
again as well. “Wherever there’s cost savings (this year), we will be sure to work with the
contractor, and then that money would stay in the reserve if we don’t have to pull it out,” said

Loberg.
Once the plants are in the ground, Hedgehog Enterprises Ltd will take care of the maintenance
and warranty for two years, ensuring the plants are given a strong chance at survival. Loberg
said by that point, the trees should be well established and ready for the town’s parks crew to
take over regular maintenance.
Councillor Tara Baker said she was happy to see beautification efforts in that area of the
community, noting that residents had mentioned the need to her previously. “I appreciate there
being some care and attention to that side, considering how much traffic passes through. This
has been a long time in the making.”
Loberg said the timelines from the grant funding are a bit tight, mentioning that the funder hoped
to see groundwork starting next month (April). “Might be some wishful thinking, but we will see,”
she chuckled, especially given the recent snowfall. Once completed, the boulevards between 53
Avenue and Riverboat Park Road will feature 17 raised planting beds, 93 trees and 617 shrubs.