Joe McWilliams

Lakeside Leader

New WUI team
Council was introduced to the new Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) team that for the next two years will be based out of the fire hall in Slave Lake. Their job, as explained by Fire Chief Mike Bissell, is structure protection when wildfires threaten. They are based in Slave Lake, but can be deployed anywhere in the province. So far, they’ve worked in (or near) Boyle, Redwater, Marten Hills and Marten Beach. They may also do firefighting, if called upon.

The team is one of several, funded by the province and strategically placed around Alberta. The idea is to prevent further loss of homes and other structures, as in Jasper last year, or Chipewyan Lake this year.

“How’s it been going?” asked Mayor Francesca Ward.

“Good!” said more than one WUI team member at the same time. “Really busy!”

Team members are Zayde Gullion, Jacob Zazelenchuk, Roland Martens and Ayrton Falconer.

Fire hall needs a new sewer line
The sewer line connecting the fire hall in Slave Lake with the town system is too small, not working properly and needs to be replaced. That’s what council heard, in a report from the town’s project manager.

The proposal is to replace the 1.25-inch line with a new two-inch one, connecting with the town’s line at the end of 6th Ave. NW. It’s 800 feet of line, and would cost an estimated $26,000 to $30,000, council heard. The money is not in the 2025 budget, but could come from the town’s Capital Building Reserve.

The line was installed in 2005, the report says, when the shop was built. The town took it over in 2017 and turned it into the fire hall. Since early spring this year, the line has been “experiencing issues,” including blockage. Efforts to pinpoint the problem have failed. Hiring a hydrovac to empty the septic tank is costing the town $1,500 every seven to 10 days.

Considering that cost, council thought the replacement a good option and voted in favour of a Kimberly Hughes motion to get it done.

MDP and LUB
Council gave first reading to bylaws that will (assuming they get final approval) provide the town with a new Municipal Development Plan (MDP) and a new Land-Use Bylaw (LUB). These have been in the works for quite some time, involving – among other things – attempts to engage the public. Those attempts continue, as each bylaw must go through a public hearing before going to second and final readings. These are scheduled for July 8, 2025.

The MDP “sets out a long-term vision for the town’s growth and development,” says the report. “It identifies where future residential, commercial, recreational and community service areas will be located.” Further, the MDP includes policies that will guide infrastructure planning, transportation networks and protection of the environment. All municipalities must have an MDP, per the Municipal Government Act.

The LUB gets more into the specifics of what’s allowed and what isn’t, with individual development projects, in the various land-use districts.

There wasn’t much discussion, which is normal for first readings, but Councillor Hughes did ask about communicating the public hearings. She suggested the town “pick out the hot topics” in advertising the public hearings, “so they really understand how crucial it is. I want it to grab people one last time.”