Athabasca County

County Admin & FCSS Offices Re-opening Due to the recent lifting of public health restrictions by the Government of Alberta , the Athabasca County Administration Office and Family & Community Support Services (FCSS) will be re-opening to public access on Tuesday, April 6, 2021. Family & Community Support Services... In addition to the current remote services being offered through FCSS, the launch of in-person services will be staggered. Programs will be accessible to the public through appointments and pre-registered groups starting April 6th. For additional information, please call our office at 780-675-2623. Mandatory Provincial Physical distancing and masking guidelines remain in place to ensure the safety of visitors and staff while conducting business with us. The Public Works Shop and will remain closed to public access at this time. Should you have any questions our staff is available to assist: 780-675-2273 | 1-844-662-2273 | [email protected] Thank you for your cooperation!

Child Safety Seat Info Sessions Athabasca County is offering Child Safety Seat Information Sessions beginning in April. They will be held on a one-on-one basis and can be scheduled at a fire hall near you. To book an appointment please submit a sign-up form by visiting our website: https://athabascacounty.com/child-safety-seats/

Invitation to All Alberta Entrepreneurs to attend the first ever Virtual Provincial Event hosted by the Power Up Alberta Collaborative on March 23. Join Keynote Speaker Graham Sherman who is known as the "Beer for Life Guy" and if you haven't heard his story, you need to. He forged the way for microbreweries in Alberta and he will share honestly how it nearly broke him getting there. Then, just when things were going okay, COVID hit! His business was all but shut down and ru...ined. But he asked himself, "whose killing it?" Now, amid these terrible times he's expanding. HOW? This Conference is not about beer, but Graham's story which exemplifies the Alberta "no excuses" attitude, and, ability to rise above our situation and succeed beyond our wildest dreams Registration is only $10, and in support of our rural business owners, the first 100 registrants to sign up and attend the event will receive a promo code to spend $30 on the ATB Marketplace! Sign up to attend at: https://bit.ly/PowR-Up

ISLAND LAKE IDP - An Online Public Open House takes place tonight from 6 pm to 7:30 pm and is an opportunity for residents to learn about the draft Intermunicipal Development Plan being developed with Athabasca County. It's also a chance to ask questions, and provide feedback. More information about the IDP and Open House can be found by visiting our website: https://athabascacounty.com/island-lake-idp/

The Wednesday, February 24, 2021, Agricultural Service Board Meeting will be held remotely beginning at 9:30 am. To view the agenda and connect with meeting links visit our website: https://athabascacounty.com/meeting-notice-asb-february-24/

The Tuesday, February 23, 2021, Municipal Planning Commission Meeting will be held remotely beginning at 9:30 am. Visit our website to view the agenda and connect with meeting links: https://athabascacounty.com/meeting-notice-municipal-plann/

Highway 2 Conservation is hosting an online workshop about dugouts. Planning considerations, dugout design, construction, operation and protection, water quality issues and dugouts for stocking fish. A discussion about funding will also be part of this online workshop hosted via Zoom. Interested? Register to attend by visiting the website below. For more information call Lisa Card, Highway 2 Conservation - 780-674-8069.

The Town of Athabasca and Athabasca County have engaged ISL Engineering and Land Services Ltd. (ISL) to update the Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP). An online learning session takes place tonight beginning at 6:30 pm and members of the public are welcome to participate. Register to attend by visiting our website: https://bit.ly/3sml1Gy

The Tuesday, March 9, 2021, Regular Council Meeting will be held remotely beginning at 9:30 am. You can view the agenda and connect with meeting links by visiting our website: https://bit.ly/2OBSE8S

The Athabasca Regional Multiplex is hiring a full-time Facility Manager. Please apply by email to [email protected] by Friday, March 12, 2021.

With conditions warming up, it’s the time of year to start watching for thin ice. Although lakes may have sufficient ice thickness at this time, rivers and streams pose a greater risk when conditions start to warm up. Keep all children, pets, and livestock away from these surfaces to keep them safe.

Members of the public are invited to attend a virtual OPEN HOUSE to review and discuss the Haley's Point Area Structure Plan. Click on the link to see more details about the proposed development. Thursday, February 18, 2021 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm

There are some great new Virtual Community Programs being offered by the Athabasca Family Resource Centre. Please call 780-675-2623 to register for any of the programs.

Online Public Open House - Athabasca County and the Summer Villages of South Baptiste, Sunset Beach, West Baptiste, and Whispering Hills have engaged Municipal Planning Services (MPS) to assist with the preparation of a Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP). The Online Public Open House is an opportunity for residents to learn about the draft IDP, ask questions, and provide feedback. It takes place tonight, February 16, 2021, beginning at 7 pm. Visit our website for more information and meeting links. https://bit.ly/2ZpUGeg

The Tuesday, December 8, 2020, Regular Council Meeting will be held remotely beginning at 9:30 am. Members of the public are welcome to watch a live stream of the meeting. Visit our website to view the agenda and connect with the meeting link: https://bit.ly/3owHP4I

Today's meetings include a Special Meeting to discuss a mask bylaw beginning at 9 am. The Public Works meeting will follow. Both meetings are being live streamed on the County's YouTube Channel. Links to the meetings and the agendas are available on our homepage - https://athabascacounty.com/

Municipal Stimulus Funding Update - Road Investments Athabasca County is providing an update on Municipal Stimulus Funding to make residents aware of project costs and funding received to date. Since being announced in the summer of 2020, Athabasca County has received stimulus grant funding from the province to complete needed infrastructure projects. Municipalities were asked to submit a list of ‘shovel ready’ projects to be reviewed by the provincial government. The goal of... the funding was to help improve infrastructure while stimulating the economy and employing local people. There were four projects approved for the stimulus funding: Division 3 Road Rebuild Township Road 655.5 to Range Road 185 (0.5 miles) Division 3 Road Rebuild Range Road 204 from Hwy. 63 (1 mile) Division 6 Shoulder Pull/Soil Stabilization Treatment Plamondon Connector Hwy. 63 to Range Road 170, (5 miles) Division 9 Erosion Control Township Road 684 The stimulus funding will help us move forward with a number of projects in 2021, said Reeve Larry Armfelt. We are grateful for the work done by MLA Laila Goodridge and MLA Glenn van Dijken, with the endorsement of the provincial government, in making this funding possible during uncertain financial times. The funding will form the basis of Athabasca County’s 2021 construction projects and will be supplemented by additional funding provided by municipality. To date, Athabasca County has received full funding for three out of four projects and we will be taking the remainder of the funds from municipal reserves, says Norm De Wet, Director of Infrastructure. There is always a lot of work to do and completing these projects will help improve road infrastructure for years to come. For more information about the stimulus funding projects visit our website: https://bit.ly/2J5p6Ok

The Boyle Fire Department received delivery of its new Rosenbauer TME pumper truck with aluminum body and Freightliner M2 106 chassis today. The truck is a joint purchase between the Village of Boyle and Athabasca County. The two municipalities have a reciprocal service agreement in place to utilize equipment and trained personnel to attend fire and rescue calls in both the Village of Boyle and in rural areas of Athabasca County. Our thanks to all of our volunteer firefight...ers for their dedication to ongoing training and giving of their time to keep us safe! Photo (L to R): Sheldon Schoepp Regional Fire Chief, Leonard Chow Boyle Firefighter, Gary White - Boyle Fire Captain, Darren Hill Boyle Fire Chief, Rylan Tkachuk Boyle Firefighter, Dale Savostianik Rocky Mountain Phoenix Representative.

FULL TIME - PERMANENT POSITION Municipal experience and knowledge of Diamond Software is an asset. Applicants with an accounting diploma and 2-3 years office experience are encouraged to apply. The current salary range for this position is $50,697 $59,306. ... Athabasca County offers an attractive benefit package and contributes to the Local Authorities Pension Plan. The deadline to apply for this position is November 23, 2020. For more details visit our website: https://bit.ly/3ntTi4l

This Border Collie cross has been running at-large in the Island Lake area for about a week and its owner is being sought. It is wearing a brown collar without tags and is an intact male. If you are its owner, or know who its owner may be, please contact Athabasca County 780-675-2273.

County Council Highlights from the November 26, 2020, Regular Council Meeting are now available for review. https://bit.ly/36qRaoo

The Government of Alberta’s Athabasca Flood Hazard Study is entering the Public Engagement phase. The study started in spring 2019 and technical work on all components is now complete. Public feedback is now being sought on major study components as part of the study finalization process, including flood inundation maps that support local emergency response. https://www.alberta.ca/athabasca-flood-study-engagement.aspx

Health officials around the world advise that wearing a mask is a simple measure we can all take to help reduce the spread of coronavirus. With no provincial face covering (mask) laws in place, the Town of Athabasca and Athabasca County have worked together to develop bylaws that mandates the wearing of face coverings once the region is placed under a ‘Watch' or 'Enhanced' status by Alberta Health. Both municipalities have been monitoring the spread of COVID-19 and have been... waiting for an appropriate time to discuss increased safety measures. With the recent increase of confirmed cases in surrounding municipalities, that time was the week of November 16, 2020, when face covering bylaws were adopted. As of Sunday, November 22, 2020, the number of active COVID-19 cases reached 10 cases, the threshold for a watch being implemented in Athabasca region. As a result it is now required that a mask be worn while in all public places, and in places where proper social distancing isn’t possible. The bylaw will remain active for two weeks (14 days) after the Athabasca Region has been taken off Watch’ status. Bylaw 032-2020 may be superseded by any regulations and restrictions announced by Alberta Health and the Government of Alberta. A webpage has been established to help answer any questions you may have about Bylaw 032-2020 (Temporary Mask Bylaw). https://bit.ly/35VhCpW

Athabasca County is currently accepting applications for a full-time, permanent, Assistant Agricultural Fieldman in the Agriculture and Community Services Department. This position will help the Agricultural Service Board achieve its objective of protecting and promoting the growth of the Agriculture Industry in the Athabasca Region. The ideal candidate will possess a degree or diploma in Agriculture or Environmental Sciences and hold a Pesticide Applicators License as well ...as a valid Class 5 Drivers License. For a full job description and application details visit our website: https://bit.ly/3msv36M

The Council Highlights are now available for review from the November 10, 2020, Regular Council Meeting. https://bit.ly/3luOg7h

The Thursday, November 12, 2020, Policy Review Committee meeting will be held remotely beginning at 9 am. You can view the agenda and connect with the meeting link by visiting our website. https://bit.ly/3nkQMh4

The Tuesday, November 10, 2020, Regular Council Meeting is being held remotely beginning at 9:30 am. The agenda and meeting link can be found by visiting our website: https://bit.ly/3lufevy

If you are looking to stay active consider participating in the Aspen Primary Care Network's exercise class.