The Municipal District of Lesser Slave River will continue its efforts to purchase property in Old Town Slave Lake as it comes up for sale. The M.D. council decided to do that on three recently listed lots, in spite of reservations expressed by some councillors at a Feb. 22 meeting.
M.D. Manager Allan Winarski brought the matter before council, advising that the three lots – located south of the river and west of Hwy. 88 – had been listed with an Edmonton real estate agency. He said that agency had already received a couple of offers on the lots, which are owned by Lottie Knutson.
Winarski explained the desirability of creating “a unified tract of land” as much as possible.
Council has been snapping up Old Town lots for several years, with an eye to having some influence on the development of the area. But the real estate along the river is becoming pricier.
“I’d rather see $100,000 go into an ambulance than into lots along the river that who knows if they’ll ever be developed,” said Councillor Brian Rosche.
“Where in the budget would the money come from?” Councillor Brenda DeGrace.
“It’s pretty low in my priority list,” said Councillor Murray Kerik.
Reeve Denny Garratt said he wasn’t comfortable making a decision without details on the 2006 budget. He suggested that the M.D. try to stall the agent, “until we have a better idea what our finances look like.”
Interjecting, Winarski advised councillors that they needn’t regard it as an “ambulance vs. a land sale” issue. Backing him up, M.D. Director of Finances Judy Hogberg said that given such factors as new tax assessment, “there may be funds,” for such projects in the ’06 budget.
Council decided to take the matter in camera.
A day later, Garratt told The Leader: “We are definitely going to bid on those lots, but there’s no guarantee we’re going to get them. We’re going to look at zoning possibilities. The main thing is determining what can be developed there.”

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