Municipal accomplishments for 2026 so far include six new firefighters, tougher treatments for potholes and a new highway development

By Serena Lapointe
 
In last week’s edition, now found online at whitecourtpress.com, titled: Grants,
Sponsorships, and the Impact Outside Dollars Have on a Community, a breakdown was
provided on the provincial, federal and industry grants attained by the municipality since
January, as well as some sponsorships, and how they are being utilized. The
information was provided in the Town’s Quarterly Financial Report, shared publicly at
the July 20 Regular Meeting of Council.
This time, the focus is on some of the successful steps taken in the last few months,
innovations put into practice and unforeseen events, starting first with Town Council.
Following the fall election, the group dove into the hows and whys of past and current
functions, attending several long workshops on topics such as Community Engagement
and Advertising, Council Committees Review, a legal session, Twenty-Year Capital Plan
and Life-Cycle Maintenance Plan, the Sportfield Master Plan and the community’s
Vitalization Plan.
A Joint Regional Collaboration session between Whitecourt’s and Woodlands County’s
elected officials was also held. The Quarterly Financial Report highlighted that the
session included “open discussion on the shared vision for regional collaboration” and
to “identify goals and areas of opportunity for intermunicipal collaboration.”
On the side of fire safety, several projects and initiatives have been completed or
started so far this year. Over the last few months, twelve advanced home assessments
have been completed in Whitecourt. Conducted by trained members of the fire
department, the assessments give residents an understanding of what they can do to
make their property more FireSmart, and if they make any recommended changes, they
can receive a check to help cover the cost. Changes often include hazardous tree
removal, such as trees that are too close to a home. Since the start of the year, $3,500
has been given out to residents from the FireSmart Home Incentive Program.
Five new members joined the ranks of the Whitecourt Fire Department in June. The
hardworking group graduated to receiving their pagers following months of demanding
work and education, prepping them for the realities of being a first responder. Lyndsay
Harrison, Ryne Grove, Heather Mackay, Hudson Joyal and Brooklyn Galliot did
extensive training on things like forcible entry, fire suppression, hazmat awareness,
vehicles and structure fires, structural search and rescue, salvage and overhaul, and
ventilation.

On the roads, the municipality used a new product to repair potholes this year, said to
last four to five times as long as the previous treatment used. Mastic asphalt lasts
longer because it is highly flexible and melts into a solid mass, sealing against water
and weather cycles, like the freeze-thaw cycle that destroys cold and hot mix asphalt
pothole patches. Mastic, rather than breaking apart, can flex with temperature shifts,
meaning that next spring troublesome spots should hopefully not be.
On the development front, the Town of Whitecourt approved an agreement with Ember
Limited Partnership for the conditional sale of the current Town office. The municipality
also entered into an agreement with Northern Gateway School Division for the
conditional sale of the current library building, paving the way for the sale of both
properties about to be replaced by the Canfor Culture and Events Centre. A
development agreement was also entered into for a 6-unit commercial development at
3547 Caxton Street with Nerval Construction Inc.
This year’s Run 4 Fun event on Saturday, June 6, encompassed over 400 participants
from the area. Sixteen ran the half marathon (21 km), 61 runners took on the 10km
event, 199 athletes ran in the 5km, and 131 youth took on the challenge of the kids’
marathon, for a total of 407 participants.
Higher quality ice is the expected consequence of a repair to the McLeod ice surface at
JDA Place. Red flags, including ice loss on the east end of the rink and larger-than-
normal run times on the ice plant, led to an investigation by staff, which found that the
rigid foam insulation underneath the cooling floor had contracted over the years, leaving
behind a 12-inch gap along the east end boards. Additional insulation was placed
underneath, sealing systems together and fixing the problem.
Lastly, though it might be summer now, back at the start of the year the municipality was
dealing with a ton of snow. Last year, during the same time, less than 2,000 truckloads
of snow were moved from the community’s streets, which in itself is still a massive
number. However, in the Town of Whitecourt’s Quarterly Financial Report to the end of
June, it was reported that approximately 7,000 loads of snow were moved in the
municipality, well over double.
Feedback on how the community handles snow is currently ongoing until September 4
as Town Council looks to create a new Winter Maintenance Policy. “Last winter,
Whitecourt received an exceptional amount of snow. We also need to make sure the
policy and procedures we have in place will meet changing needs,” said Mayor Ray
Hilts. (Whitecourt.ca)
The new proposed policy looks to clarify service levels and provide benchmarks for
service, such as ice control, plowing, and removal of snow. A big piece of the changes
is how residents are communicated with and can be updated on current processes, for

example, with snow removal, and how they can share any concerns with the
municipality. A new online reporting system will strengthen communication as part of the
proposed policy. Residents can provide their thoughts on the policy until September 4
and help shape the process before implementation.