St. Albert Minute: Ice Race, Transit Report, and Another Candidate Announcement

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

This Week In St. Albert:

• This week’s meetings of City Council, the Subdivision Development Appeal Board, and the Seniors’ Advisory Committee are cancelled. A meeting of the Library Board will take place on Wednesday at 7:00 pm. No agenda is available for this meeting yet.
  
  
• Today’s Family Day Fire and Ice Festival is cancelled due to extremely cold temperatures forecasted to reach -25°C. The festival organizers, the St. Albert Firefighters Local 2130, hopes to reschedule the event for next year, in 2026. The City's extreme weather response, activated since February 1st, continues to be in effect due to ongoing cold conditions.
  
  
• The inaugural Battle in the Cattails ice race will take place on February 22nd and 23rd at the Cattail Crossing Golf and Winter Club, just east of St. Albert. This event marks the return of ice racing to the Edmonton area after more than a decade, with about 30 racers competing on ATVs, UTVs, and motorcycles for cash prizes. The race will feature short sprints rather than long endurance events, with speeds reaching up to 185 km/h. Organizers hope to grow the event in the future, attracting even more participants. Tickets are available for purchase on the Cattail Crossing website.

Last Week In St. Albert:

• A report by Deloitte revealed that bringing St. Albert’s public transit service in-house would cost more than the current contracted setup. While the City could potentially improve service delivery with direct oversight of drivers, the higher costs would stem from increased staffing, vehicle maintenance, and the loss of specialized knowledge in transitioning to electric and hydrogen buses. The consultant warned that with fewer competitors in the bidding process, future contracts could also see rising costs.
  
  
• Kevin Malinowski has announced his candidacy for St. Albert City Council, though he has yet to file official papers. A longtime resident with a background in IT and business management, he previously served as board president for Outloud St. Albert before its closure in 2024. Malinowski's campaign emphasizes addressing urban sprawl by promoting smaller, affordable homes and increasing industrial development near rail lines and the Villeneuve Airport. He also advocates for boosting tourism to support local businesses, suggesting enhancements to the city's farmers market. His platform focuses on affordability, economic growth, and smart urban planning.
  
  
• St. Albert RCMP participated in a province-wide operation targeting vehicle thefts and the city’s results were revealed. Officers in the city identified 17 idling vehicles with keys in the ignition and three unlocked vehicles running. The campaign, which took place from January 20th to 24th, aimed to educate residents about the risks of leaving vehicles unattended in cold temperatures. Across Alberta, Mounties found 504 idling vehicles with keys and 1,277 running vehicles that were locked. The operation involved speaking to 625 people and distributing 1,128 informational pamphlets.

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