St. Albert Minute: Banner Project, Plebiscite Denied, and an Emergency Management Award

St. Albert Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of St. Albert politics

This Week In St. Albert:

• The Standing Committee of the Whole will meet on Tuesday at 9:30 am. The Committee will receive an update on the Community Amenities Site, a 29-acre area dedicated to recreational development. ACI Architecture Inc. are working on a master plan that aims to address the community's growing recreational needs. The design team has held eleven stakeholder engagement sessions to gather input and ensure the plan aligns with the city’s goals. The Committee will also discuss a waste minimization strategy and look to establish sustainable building guidelines.
  
  
• Also on Tuesday, at 6:30 pm, the Policing Committee will meet. The agenda includes an Election Mock Count, a Policing Committee Bylaw Update, a Strategic Plan Review Update, and the Safety Plan. The Arts Development Advisory Committee will meet on Wednesday at 6:00 pm. The Committee will discuss the City’s Community Vision and Pillars of Sustainability.
  
  
• The City is launching its inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Banner Project, featuring 12 banners created by three selected artists. Eunju Park, Melanie Hsiao, and Jasper June have designed banners they believe reflect the City's values of diversity and inclusivity. The banners will be displayed in downtown St. Albert, installed along the Sturgeon River and in key parks. The project had a budget of $35,000.

Last Week In St. Albert:

• Council voted against holding a plebiscite on renaming the Grandin neighbourhood, opting instead to make the decision themselves. The motion to take it to a plebiscite, brought forward by Councillor Sheena Hughes, was defeated 5-2, with Hughes and Councillor Shelley Biermanski in favour. Mayor Cathy Heron and other Councillors emphasized that elected officials are responsible for making such decisions.  The renaming proposal stems from concerns over Bishop Vital Grandin’s role in the residential school system. The final decision on renaming Grandin and its associated roads and parks will be made based on the public consultation results presented on March 18th.
  
  
• The City of St. Albert received a national Emergency Management Exemplary Service Award from Public Safety Canada for its innovative disaster management tools. The City's "Know Your Zone" project, an interactive evacuation map, helps residents understand their evacuation status using colour-coded zones. Additionally, a rapid damage assessment system allows real-time mapping of destruction during emergencies, and the Everbridge Mass Notification System helps coordinate responders. These tools were developed by the City's incident management team to improve disaster response efficiency.
  
  
• Mayor Cathy Heron expressed frustration over the Province’s increase in the Education Property Tax (EPT) rate, which will rise by 10.9% for St. Albert, above the provincial average. Heron criticized the province for setting the EPT rate without taking responsibility for the resulting property tax increases, which will affect local residents. However, she welcomed the increase in funding for the Affordable Housing Partnership Program, hoping it will help secure funding for a key local housing project.

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