Whitecourt Town Council briefs
Sept. 14 meeting
Vitalization Grants, totaling $40,000, have been allocated to four local projects. The Program was established to assist property owners in the downtown core and along the Highway 43 corridor to upgrade the façade of buildings to meet the stone and wood theme of the Whitecourt Vitalization Plan. To date, the Vitalization Grant Program has provided over $110,000 to 18 business in our community. The improvements made by these businesses have been valued at close to $850,000, and have made a significant impact on the aesthetics and appeal of our community. Each of the following grant recipients received $10,000 as part of the 2018 program:
• 1272809 Alberta Ltd. (Starbucks). • TimCourt Enterprises Ltd. (Tim Hortons).
• 5 Star Restaurant Group (Mr. Mike’s).
• Friends of Whitecourt Society (Repeat Boutique).
Council has provided final reading to Road Closure Bylaw 1538. The closure is part of a lot consolidation requested by the Friends of Whitecourt Society.
The Town of Whitecourt will be revamping the Spring Clean Up Campaign for 2019. The municipality has been offering the service for over 18 years, and participation in the campaign has grown along with our community. In 2018, 928 staff hours and 556.5 equipment hours were required to collect, transport and sort 152.6 tonnes (174 truckloads) of waste, including: • 101.75 tonnes of garbage. • 45.19 tonnes of metal. • 5.67 tonnes of wood.
While the campaign’s main objective is to assist with keeping our community and properties tidy, enhancements to the program are required to ensure it remains efficient and cost-effective. Council has directed Administration to prepare options for review during 2019 budget deliberations that will allow the program to continue while addressing capacity concerns.
Council has approved new rental rates for the Scott Safety Centre and sportfields. A review of fees is conducted every two years, and the Community Services Advisory Board recommended that a four per cent increase be approved to ensure rates are equitable. New rates for local facilities, which came into effect September 10, are still below the average fee of comparable communities.
September 22 to 30 is National Coaches Week and Whitecourt will be honouring local coaches throughout the week. Community members are asked to nominate their favourite coach and let us know why they are so great my messaging Whitecourt through the official @TownofWhitecourt Facebook page. The deadline for submissions is Friday, September 21, and those nominated will be entered into a prize draw.
2018 Small Business Week, which is scheduled from October 14 to 20, pays tribute to the contributions that small and medium-sized businesses make to the Canadian economy. The Small Business Awards Gala is scheduled for October 12, and a number of other events and activities are planned in Whitecourt October 16 to 18. For more information, visit www. whitecourt.ca.
The Whitecourt Career & Education Expo is scheduled Friday, September 28 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Allan & Jean Millar Centre. The event provides employers the opportunity to recruit new staff, as well as an opportunity for students to explore various careers available in our community.
• Over 50 exhibitors are confirmed (representing different industry sectors), and over 65 per cent of those confirmed will be recruiting new employees.
• Over 20 different colleges and university will be represented, and it is anticipated that 1,500 students will participate in the Expo. For more information visit www.careerandeducationexpo.ca.