Woodlands County and Whitecourt leading the way for municipal collaboration across Alberta

Woodlands County and Whitecourt have been selected by the Province of Alberta to complete an intermunicipal collaboration pilot project. Woodlands County and Whitecourt will develop an Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework, and the process and resulting documents will be used to create a template and guide for municipalities across Alberta.

The Government of Alberta, as part of its review of the Municipal Government Act, will be requiring all municipalities to prepare Intermunicipal Collaboration Frameworks (ICF). The frameworks will formalize how municipalities that share borders will manage growth, coordinate service delivery, and optimize resources for citizens. Funding has been awarded to Woodlands County through the Alberta Community Partnership Grant to manage and complete the project.

“Our Council is proud to have been selected for this grant as it acknowledges the hard work of both the Town and County to work collaboratively on so many projects that benefit our residents,” stated Woodlands County Mayor Jim Rennie. “While I know of many other communities who are dreading the work needed to complete the ICF project, we look forward to it, and believe many others will follow our lead on how to best make it work!”

Woodlands County and Whitecourt were selected because of their long and respected history of partnership projects and initiatives. This project will further build on agreements already formalized, and provide continuous, seamless and enhanced services to the residents of both communities.

“We are thrilled that our municipalities will be one of the first to showcase our agreements under the ICF,” added Whitecourt Mayor Maryann Chichak. “In accomplishing this, we continue to be a mentor and role model for communities across the province by providing templates on how good partnerships are formed, nurtured and expanded. We thank the Province for recognizing this and affording us this opportunity.”