Bruce Rowe not Seeking Re-Election

I read in the Three Hills Capital newspaper an open letter from our MLA, Bruce Rowe.  He has declared in the letter that he will not be running for the Progressive Conservative nomination in this constituency, and not seeking re-election as MLA for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills. 

I totally understand his reasons for leaving Edmonton, but in many ways I wish he could have stayed one more term. 

I've worked closely with Bruce for many years when we served on Beiseker Village Council together.  You'd be hard pressed to find a more dedicated and hard working elected official!  I admired his tenacity and ability to stay ahead on the learning curve. 

Many of us have been in local politics for decades; Bruce was a "newbie" when he was elected by the good folks of Beiseker.  The learning curve here was steep, but he mastered it to go on to be our mayor.  He joined the executive of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) and started doing those long drives to the provincial capital almost weekly to represent us there at AUMA meetings.

When he was first nominated for the Wildrose Party, then elected as our MLA, I was pleased for him and saddened for Beiseker.  We were losing a great local politician, here.  The learning curve just got a lot steeper for him, too.  But he persevered and I think he served his constituency well these last few years.  Those hard won skills and knowledge will be hard to replace!

In his statement in the paper, Bruce cited family ties as the main reason for his leaving provincial politics.  I totally understand.  He and his wife Carol are going to want to see their grandchildren grow up, and they do that so very fast.  I know that Bruce will continue serving this constituency to the very best of his ability until the election is called.  Then I and many other folks in beautiful downtown Beiseker are going to want to welcome him back! 

Thanks for all your hard work, Bruce.  I look forward to seeing you around town more often again soon!

Enough Rhetoric

I think everyone and his dog has had a kick at the Wildrose MLAs' floor crossing in Alberta's Legislature, last week.  Every journalist and coffee shop political analyst has an opinion, and none have been shy at expressing that opinion to the rest of us. 

But I think time's up!  Lets let the politicians on both sides of the Legislature get down to doing what they're supposed to do: legislate! 

In my opinion, a series of by-elections at this time would be counter-productive and a waste of money - and we've got less than two full years before the next provincial general election.  Let's wait until then.  Let's see what these new Conservatives can do. 

As we get closer to that mandated election time, each constituency association; Conservative and Wildrose, will have to decide who will be their candidates.  Until then, we should all listen and watch intently.

The Floor Crossing

The strange happenings in Edmonton these past couple of days has left me totally baffled!  Members of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition in the Alberta Legislative Assembly up and crossed the floor to join the government!

Although I thought Danielle Smith and her Wildrose team never really managed to reach the level of what I thought an opposition party should be doing, they were at least trying.  In my opinion, a strong governing party needs a strong opposition sitting across from them.  The Wildrose party had the potential of being that strong opposition.  There are some excellent, hard working MLAs sitting on the speaker's left, including our own Bruce Rowe!  I thought they were getting stronger as an opposition.  Apparently I was wrong.

The other thing that bothers me is that these Wildrose MLAs were elected by their constituents as Wildrose Party members.  Now, they're crossing the floor to become Conservatives!  I'm hoping they polled their constituents to see if those folks who elected them don't mind that they taking that stroll.  At least they must try to justify that walk across the floor! 

In the late 1960s, a young Peter Lougheed led a handful of Progressive Conservative MLAs to be Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition, against the ruling Social Credit government.  The Social Credit majority was so overwhelming, some of the Social Credit members had to sit on the Speaker's left because there was no more room for them on the Government side!

Yet Lougheed plugged away.  His credibility rose higher every time he stood to oppose the government.  Soon after the next election, he and his party was the government!

That short walk across the floor of the Legislature is a short walk for a man, but a long journey across the Alberta political landscape!

A Fantastic Country Fair!

The weather turned out perfect for Beiseker's 96th edition of its Lions Club Country Fair!  The fun started with a fantastic morning breakfast at the community centre and continued all day. 

I thought the parade was a little sparse of decorations but those who participated were definitely enthusiastic! 

I was disappointed that I didn't see Rocky View Fire Services in the parade, but our Beiseker Fire Department was joined by the folks of the Kneehill Fire Department from Acme, in their firetruck.  I met a few of them at breakfast and welcomed them to Beiseker.

The Color Me Beiseker Run was FANTASTIC, especially for the young people there.  Our MLA (and former Beiseker Mayor) the Honourable Bruce Rowe and his wife Carol actually ran in the colour run!  Everyone was having fun.  It was great to see.

I didn't see much of the 4H Show & Sale but I understand it was a huge success.  Some of the other scheduled events didn't have as large a turn-out as I expected, but those who were there had a great day!  Chris Heighton's tenth annual Show & Shine on Main Street was awesome!  I think the early morning clouds and rain kept some car guys at home with their mechanical babies, but they missed a wonderful day.

Overall I thought this year's Beiseker Lions Country Fair was one of the best ever!  Thank you to everyone who made that day possible. You rock!

(Here's a request from me;  If anyone got a photo of myself and my little dog Duggie in the parade, I'd love to put it here and on my facebook page.)

Canada Day in Beiseker

Canada Day was celebrated in high fashion at Friendship Park yesterday, as families gathered to wish Canada a "Happy Birthday!" 

I had to leave before the festivities ended, so I didn't hear who won the Maple Donut Eating Contest.  Former Beiseker Mayor and now MLA Bruce Rowe put up a noble fight in the contest's first round, but unfortunately he lost!   His chow-down style didn't measure up!

There were hotdogs, chips, and cookies for everyone.  There were games and contests to play, and friends and neighbours to gab with!  What a great day! 

My gratitude is extended to all those who organized and ran the event.  Good on ya, Beiseker!!

We're having a by-election!

We have three candidates running in the upcoming by-election to fill the vacancy left by Bruce Rowe, who was elected our MLA this past April!

Our three candidates are; Warren Wise, Ken Nicholas and Melanie McCullough.  Be sure to welcome these folks as they encounter you on the campaign trail!

Election Day will be on Monday, July 23, from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m in the Council Chambers at the Village of Beiseker Office.  There is also a candidates' forum hosted by the Beiseker Chamber of Commerce on Monday, July 9,  at 7:30 p.m. at the Beiseker Community Centre.  Click the links to RSVP to the event listings on Facebook!

What a Great Day at the Beiseker Country Fair!

Despite the horrible weather forecasts, the turnout at Beiseker's 94th annual Country Fair was fantastic.  And those who ignored the forecasts, had a great day in the Village. 

It all started with a delicious breakfast attended by more than 450 hungry folks.  Breakfast was also attended by the Calgary Stampede Queen and Princesses - Candice Lee, Dani Gariepy, and Jessica Manning - along with this year's Calgary Stampede Indian Princess, Amelia Crowshoe.  From Crossfield's Pete Knight Days, the 2011 Queen and Princess - Emily Marston and Miranda Ross - were also there, accompanied by the three 2012 Queen and Princess contestants. 

During their introduction Dani Gariepy related how years ago she rode in her Grandpa's (Ed McNair's) gravel truck in the Beiseker Parade throwing candy to the kids!  Then Amelia Crowshoe performed a native Jingle Dance for us.  What an exciting way to start a super day.

Next was the parade.  It was great to see former mayor Bruce Rowe back in Beiseker. He rode in this year's parade for the first time as MLA for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, while Frank Schwengler drove me around the parade route in a gorgeous convertible.  I threw candy, I waved and I had fun!

After the Beiseker Country Fair Parade it was over to the arena for the Beiseker 4H Show.  I watched the proud youngsters show their calves in the very nicely prepared arena, then off to the Community Links Building for some goodies. 

As the teams competed for bragging rites at the ball diamonds, we chowed down on some delicious pie at the Golden Years Club.

Next it was over to Main Street to become a part of the 8th Annual Beiseker Main Street Show & Shine.  Local businesses, led by Chris Heighton, put on a great car show.  More than 40 vehicles were on display there - the number of cars was down this year, probably because of that crappy weather forecast.  Chris handed out door prizes and  I got to pick the "Mayor's Choice"!

I carefully looked at all the entries shining there in the afternoon sun.  I decided to pick a car that I would have loved to drive up and down Eighth Avenue in Calgary back in the late 1960s. There were a few cars there which qualified, but I picked a pretty little blue Pontiac Firebird!  I've got to tell you it was the hardest job of the day picking just one of those gorgeous cars!

During the afternoon I dropped in on some of the other things happening around the Village; everything from ATV & motorhome displays to "bouncy houses" for kids!  We finished off the day with beef on a bun at the Community Centre.  We left as the DJ was warming up and the kids were jumping around on the dance floor.  We were tired and we called it a day at that point. 

What a fantastic day in the Village of Beiseker!

If you're Lions' Club Member or a spouse of a Lion, take a huge bow for a job well done!  I know the Lions' Club here in Beiseker isn't that big but you'd never know that around the Village during the Country Fair!  Those folks worked so hard and so long to make the day a success.  The people I saw in the  Hall doing the breakfast were there working at the supper!  Many of those same folks ran the parade and helped elsewhere during the day, too!  Those guys and their wives made the Energizer Bunny look like a laggard!  

Well done; all of you!  I'm already looking forward to the 95th version of the Beiseker Country Fair next year!

Electing a Mayor and Deputy Mayor

At last Monday's Beiseker Council Meeting, we ran into a most interesting problem.  According to the Municipal Governance Act (MGA) we had to elect a mayor to take the place of former Mayor and now MLA Bruce Rowe. I had been acting mayor up to that point.  I turned the meeting over to our Assistant Chief Administrative Officer who called for nominations and an election of Mayor. 

I was most honoured to be elected as your mayor.  I resumed as chair of the meeting and called for nominations for deputy mayor.  Two councillors were nominated. 

There became the interesting problem.  Because there are only four of us, a tie vote was a certainty.  We could find nothing in the MGA as guidelines for this situation so we decided to hold off on the vote until we get clarification from Municipal Affairs as to how to proceed. 

I've heard of some municipal councils in this province having to badger and coerce their councillors to assume the executive roles so this is a good problem to have.  I just want to be sure our election of a Deputy Mayor is absolutely fair.  Stay tuned on this one!

Congratulations Bruce! Now What?

May I be one of the first to congratulate our new MLA-elect Bruce Rowe on his win tonight!  Bruce took a leave of absence as Beiseker's Mayor a month ago to run as the Wildrose candidate for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills in the provincial election.  

Bruce now joins the other 16 or so elected Wildrose MLAs to form Her Majesty's Loyal Oposition sitting on The Speaker's left, facing Premier Alison Redford's Progressive Conservative government!  We in Beiseker are very proud of Bruce!

But what becomes of his position on Village Council?

First, we must wait for Bruce to hand us his official resignation as councillor of the Village of Beiseker.  Then we are given a set period of time by the Municipal Government Act to hold a byelection to select a new councillor. 

After we have elected a new councillor, we will ask the Minister of Municipal Affairs for permission to have an organizational meeting.  These are normally held once a year in October.  Permission will be given automatically.  That meeting will be chaired first by or Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and then taken over by the newly elected mayor. 

In small municipalities like Beiseker, the mayor and deputy mayor are elected by council from their number.

I will continue in my role as Acting Mayor until the organizational meeting is held.

Village Updates: Sewer Lines and Snow

Sewer lines and snow removal were just two of the topics we talked about at last Monday's Council Meeting.  It was that morning that Premier Redford enacted the writ and called an election for April 23.  Mayor Rowe was obliged to ask for a leave of absence while he campaigns for that election.  I am now Acting Mayor until April 23. 

• Sewage:  Good news, our Public Works foreman reported that the revised pumping system at the sewage lift station (behind the seed cleaning plant) was installed and is working perfectly!  We also learned that the village has received a grant to twin the sewage force main from the lift station to our lagoon system on the east side of Highway 9.  Both of those things will help prevent sewage back-ups at the lift station during high water flow events.
• Snow Removal: Council also passed a bylaw that will permit the village to shovel off snow covered walks if the resident of the adjoining property hasn't done so within 48 hours of the end of the snowfall.  The cost of the snow clearing would then be assigned to the property owner.  It was passed unanimously.
• Water Truck Repairs:  Public Works repaired and cleaned up the old truck they use to water the trees and flowers throughout the village each summer.  The old truck looks much improved.
• Sidewalk Replacement:  Council started discussions with Public Works on which sidewalks in the village need replacement.  If you have any ideas on this subject please contact me through this blog or phone the Village Office at 403-947-3774.  Remember we only have a small budget to work with and we would like to avoid a local improvement!
• Census Shock:  We were very surprised to find out that the Federal Government has declared that the Village of Beiseker has actually lost citizens since the last census in 2006, dropping from 804 to 785.  This will cost the Village when we apply for "per-capita grants"!  But it will also save us money when we have to pay for a service based on our population.
• Water Meter Installation:  The installation program for our new water meters is winding down.  These new meters should help us account for most of the water we buy from Aqua 7.  Something I found most shocking was that some of the old meters had been bypassed by the property owners!  That means that property would have been only paying the minimum amount for their water!  In my mind that's theft!  I don't know who the culprits were and I don't want to know, but the new meters are tamper proof!
• Budget Talks:  The water loss problem will the biggest hurdle for council while they prepare the 2012 budget.  Tens of thousands of dollars worth of water was not accounted for.  The Village bought the water but did not sell it!  Paying for that lost water is going to impact our 2012 budget.  Stay tuned.

Around Town

The Main Street redevelopment program is nearing completion....finally!  It's been a long summer, especially for the Main Street merchants who have had to put up with the construction all summer.  There are a few things remaining to be done yet.  The safety railings, mostly along the north side, have to be installed.  That's the biggest thing, I think.  I see that they were working on that today. 

Looking at the street today, I recall what it looked like in the mid 1970s when I came on Beiseker Council for the first time.  We've come a long way!  I can honestly say I'm proud of the new look of our Main Street now!

This water is heating up to boiling!  The Kneehill Regional Water Services Commission (KRWSC) has a new name now!  It was made official just a couple of weeks ago. It is now the Aqua 7 Regional Water Services Commission (A7RWSC).

No matter what we call it, it's still in deep financial difficulty.  The commission has never been allowed to sell the water it originally had predicted for reasons mostly out of its control!  Additional provincial assistance which was verbally promised on many occassions was never forthcoming!  The commission is now mired down in debt and deficets.  The price of water to the participating municipalities is one of the highest in the province.  The people of Beiseker are paying dearly for water!

Our Mayor Rowe wants to turn off the A7RWSC valve and return to our well at the beginning of 2012.  That has major difficulties, too!

1. We would have to go through the process of having our well re-certified to be used by the municipality.  That could take months!  Our well water was never filtered because it never needed to be.  It was treated at the resevoir before it was sent out to residents.  That would have to be re-examined and tested to make sure that water was still clear coming out of the well.
2. We would have to do some winter excavation to physically separate the two water systems near our water storage resevoir.
3. I believe we would have to impose heavy water restrictions on Beiseker residents.  It would be cheap water but there would be less of it!
4. It would be soft water so our residents would have to uninstall or turn off their water softeners.
5. We would still have to pay our share of the debt for installing the regional system but we would no longer buy their water.  That would put a huge strain on the remaining communities on the system!  Some of those municipalities do not have the option of using well water again.  That extra strain may be enough to put the regional system into financial freefall!

I can understand Mayor Rowe's frustration with the problems,  We've all been talking to the provincial government about these issues and finincial difficulties for almost TEN years now and nothing has happened.  Other projects of this nature have received far greater funding that we did.   When Mayor Rowe makes his motion to shut off the A7RWSC taps, I really don't know how I will vote!  Do I vote to turn on the well (if it is feasible) to save the Village those huge water bills?  My first consideration must be to Beiseker ratepayers but would that really serve their best interests?  It's a tough one!

I cannot believe that a caring and effective provincial government would allow this situation to continue into the future.  But I've been saying that for years now, too.

 Let me know what you think.  And consider writing another letter to the provincial government, maybe to our new Premier Redford! 

BEISEKER HAS HIT THE WALL ON THIS WATER CRISIS!  SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE!