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COVID Weekly: Big Lakes – 100+ new cases in seven days

Pearl LorentzenLakeside Leader From Jan. 8 to 14, Big Lakes County had 101 new COVID-19 cases. The M.D. of Lesser Slave River, including Slave Lake, had equal recoveries and new cases. More people recovered than got the virus in the…
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MLA Rehn gets booted from the UCP

Will continue as an independent MLA Joe McWilliamsLakeside Leader Questions were swirling last week, in the wake of Slave Lake town council calling for the resignation of Lesser Slave Lake MLA Pat Rehn to resign. Would other municipalities follow suit?…
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Municipal Planning Commission in an approving mood

Joe McWilliams Lakeside Leader Say you want to set up a new business in town. And let’s further say the town’s land-use bylaw doesn’t list your type of business as one of the ‘permitted’ uses in that particular zone. There…
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RCMP ‘connecting with people’ through Instagram

Leader staff Alberta’s RCMP is branching out in its communication efforts – via an Instagram account. The law enforcement agency hopes it will help “reach more Albertans, connecting with the people we serve so in turn, they can connect with…
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Late-night booze purchase goes sideways

Submitted The Slave Lake RCMP is seeking the public’s assistance in obtaining any information regarding an altercation inside the Slave Lake Inn and Conference Centre. On January 6th, at 1:51 a.m. two males entered the hotel to purchase off-sales alcohol.…
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Regional fire service sets a new record in 2020

Joe McWilliams Lakeside Leader Records are made to be broken, but one the Lesser Slave Lake Regional Fire Service would probably not want to break in 2021 is the number of calls for service it responded to in 2020. That…
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Room for growth in micro-greens, says business owner

Joe McWilliams Lakeside Leader One of Slave Lake’s newer and more unusual business ventures is Flip Side’s micro-greens venture. Devon Phelps started growing greens in his basement in downtown Slave Lake in March or April of 2020. From germination to…
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RCMP brings awareness on hate crime

Submitted RCMP detachments across Alberta are collaborating their efforts to work in partnership regarding hate-motivated crimes. Our goal is to provide an improved police service delivery to Albertans and an educational approach in relation to these crimes. Contacting the police…
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Big Lakes writes off $2.8 million in taxes

Richard Froese For the Lakeside Leader Big Lakes County has recorded a shortfall of almost $2.8 million in tax revenue from oil and gas companies unable (or unwilling) to pay property taxes for the past two years. At its Dec.…
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Condo owners won’t be required to pave streets

Chris Clegg For the Lakeside Leader A Kinuso area developer will not have to pave the streets at his condominium development. Big Lakes County decided at its Nov. 25 meeting to allow Milton and Patricia Sloan to instead have gravel…
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Lots of social distancing opportunities in ice fishing

Joe McWilliams Lakeside Leader Sure enough, ice fishing shacks started showing up on Lesser Slave Lake not long after Christmas. This is about what was predicted early in December, when there was still open water visible in spots. By the…
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Fed-up town council calls for MLA Pat Rehn to resign

Rehn accuses council of ‘sowing political division’ Joe McWilliams Lakeside Leader Slave Lake town council took the unprecedented step last week of calling for Lesser Slave Lake MLA Pat Rehn to resign. In an ‘open letter’ posted on social media…
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New M.D. CAO here via Drumheller, Vauxhall

Joe McWilliams Lakeside Leader Barb Miller is the new Chief Administrative Officer of the M.D. of Lesser Slave River. That was reported back in November. She started Dec. 1 and has since been finding her way in the midst of…
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