Coaldale school site selection doesn’t pass the ‘smell test’

Why is the UCP government not responding to resident’s many complaints?

Has the UCP government not learned from its 2015 election loss to the NDP?

$20 million Alberta Birds of Prey Centre & Wetlands to be Ruined by Development

Why is Alberta Education Minister Adrianna Lagrange and the UCP Government Supporting/Rewarding Coaldale’s manipulated School Site Selection decision that is clearly not supported by Coaldale residents?

Many residents for numerous oppose the selected school site reasons:

• The most hazardous possible location putting children’s safety at risk due to unnecessary highway #3 transportation corridor crossing.

• Site was recommended to be developed as a storm-water pond by town-hired engineers.

• Many people believe not inviting public input on the site selection was a tactic by the town due to known widespread opposition. There has always been an overwhelming local public opposition to the Town recommended site choice that has been largely ignored.

• Numerous residents feel the Town circumvented the spirit of its own public participation policy for the school site selection due to known public opposition.

• Town hired transportation engineers and urban planners recommended not to develop northwest Coaldale.

• The selected school site will cost Alberta taxpayers many millions of incremental dollars of avoidable capital and operating expenses compared to other more publicly preferred Coaldale locations.

• The new school site and surrounding development will cause irreparable harm to the future potential of the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre as a major tourist attraction and surrounding wetlands now frequented by many bird species, including the sensitive White-Faced Ibis.

Why is the Alberta Education Minister rewarding this type of decision making with tens of millions of dollars of provincial grant funding, when over 2,300 angry residents signed a petition for a municipal inspection in December 2020?

This decision does not pass the smell test, and the provincial government is involved.

Why not wait until after the upcoming municipal election and allow Coaldale residents to have input?

Throughout the year, the wetlands surrounding the Alberta Birds of prey centre, host a variety of species ranging from the tolerant to some very sensitive species. One very rare sighting just recently took place when a flock of White-Faced Ibises were seen feeding in the shallow areas of the newly constructed manmade wetland expansion.

Some of the other species observed have included Trumpeter Swans, Lesser Yellow Legs, American Coots, Blue Wing Teal, Marsh Wrens, Bald Eagles, Ruddy Ducks, Grebes, Mergansers, Great Blue Herons, and many others. Many of these species are known to be very sensitive and easily scared away by human activity.

The Town of Coaldale has been boasting about the environmental learning opportunities of the wetland for the new High School.

Ironically, the Town has failed to mention the lasting and irreversible harm on the resident birdlife by human activity from the high school, rec centre. These pending developments are prime examples of the town killing the proverbial golden goose.

Unfortunately, no Environmental Impact. Assessments were ever conducted for this development regarding its impact on the growing wetland wildlife and the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre. It’s ironic that governments often take a heavy-handed approach with various impact assessments for private sector developments but look the other way for their own projects.

Liz Allen, Friends of Alberta Birds of Prey Centre & NW Coaldale