Province approves city annexation of Beaumont, Leduc County lands

People living in parts of Leduc County and Beaumont will officially become Edmontonians on Jan. 1 after the city won provincial approval to expand its boundaries this week.

Edmonton will take in 8,267 hectares of land from Leduc County and the Town of Beaumont under the deal, approved by the province by order in council Tuesday.

The area includes lands east and west of the Queen Elizabeth II Highway and a portion of 50 Street in Beaumont. It is roughly 20 times the size of Vancouver’s Stanley Park, and brings the City of Edmonton’s boundaries up to the edge of Edmonton International Airport.

A news release from the City of Edmonton said residents and landowners in the area will “officially come under the jurisdiction of Edmonton” on Jan. 1.

“We are looking forward to welcoming these new residents to Edmonton,” Mayor Don Iveson said in a news release. “We’re here to help. Some things, like mailing addresses, business licences, and elected representatives will be different. Other things, like people’s ability to keep farming, will remain the same. Information will be shared to help people in the area understand our services.”

Under the agreement, residents in the new area will pay county taxes for the next 50 years. City spokesperson Denise Gee said this was done to “help maintain for our newest residents the status quo that they have right now for as long as possible.”

Edmonton submitted notice that it intended to pursue the annexation in March 2013. In 2016 it agreed to nearly halve the size of its initial proposal. While ultimately unopposed by Leduc County and Beaumont, some residents in the area worried about the impact the annexation could have on agriculture.

The city and county reached a deal on June 30, 2017.

In a written statement, Leduc County Mayor Tanni Doblanko said the deal would be “mutually beneficial.”

City police said last November that policing the new areas would cost about $4.3 million extra a year.