City blocks Beaumont’s plan for annexation lands

Some Capital Region Board mayors denounce Edmonton’s veto power

Edmonton successfully blocked Beaumont’s plan to develop new neighbourhoods and businesses on its disputed northern lands Thursday.

The vote was a foregone conclusion since Edmonton holds a population-based veto at the Capital Region Board. Mayor Don Iveson successfully drew five other municipalities to his side and really ticked off many others.

“What stops Edmonton from doing the exact same thing to Bremner?” said Warburg Mayor Ralph van Assen, referring to a contentious new community in Strathcona County.

“I have a real concern with Edmonton having a veto vote on this one,” said Fort Saskatchewan Mayor Gale Katchur. “It’s a very slippery slope here today. If this is not approved ... it will set this board back years.”

Iveson argued approving Beaumont’s growth plan would reinforce an old approach. The plan was not developed in a collaborative way and will waste money in higher servicing costs for the region.

“You’re pumping sewage uphill,” Iveson said, referring to a ridge in the land that makes water and sewage connections easier to provide from Edmonton. He said it would cost $10 million more if Beaumont tries to run services from the east instead.

This “showdown” is unfortunate, he said, adding Edmonton wants a special study area to resolve this. Blocking this growth plan would actually reaffirm this new approach, he said.

“With collaboration, we would be able to resolve the questions around boundaries and overlap.”

Spruce Grove, the City of Leduc, Morinville, Sturgeon County and Leduc County all sided with Edmonton.

Eighteen others sided with Beaumont, but the Capital Region Board has a system of double majority. A motion needs two-thirds of the votes, and two-thirds of the regional population, to win. Edmonton alone has two-thirds of the population so it was easily able to block Beaumont’s motion.

Last year, Beaumont annexed several quarter-sections of land from Leduc County that Edmonton was also eyeing. Then Edmonton launched a counter-annexation bid in front of the provincial review board.

While that’s been hanging in the air, Beaumont started planning for growth. All municipal growth plans have to be approved by the Capital Region Board or its administration before construction. That’s what gave Edmonton the chance to block it.

Beaumont Mayor Camille Berube said this appeal is not about land issues, but simply about Edmonton’s annexation bid, which is inappropriate.

“(The plan) exceeds the requirements of the capital region growth plan,” said Berube. “Edmonton is holding up this application because it wants to annex Beaumont’s northern lands. This is what the appeal is about.”

After the vote, Berube said he is “annoyed, disappointed. I don’t think it should have gotten there.”

He said the servicing question is a technical issue and that the Capital Region Board administration confirmed the plan met all the legal aspects of the overall regional growth plan. As for the next steps, Berube said that will be up to the next council. He’s not running for re-election.