Fire Department Update

We continue to negotiate with Rocky View County with the purpose of reuniting the Beiseker Fire Department with the Rocky View Fire Services.  There are a few hang-ups which must be addressed before such an agreement is signed.  Your Village Council is holding firm on these key issues;

1. That most if not all of the BFD volunteers will continue to be a part of Station 55's new status.
2. That the BFD serve this entire area (the North East corner of Rocky View County) - rural and urban.
3. That the maintenance and replacement of fire fighting equipment be addressed as it is in other Rocky View stations.
4. That Beiseker continue to maintain the existing fire hall.

Negotiations continue.  I'll keep you posted.

The Trail Net Fiasco

You've probably heard by now that the proposed trail between Beiseker and Irricana was turned down by the County.  Many were shocked and amazed by this decision.  I wasn't.  The rejection goes to actions taken back in history and Trail Net is going to have to do some major damage control before projects like this will proceed.

About a hundred years ago the farmers in this area wanted a rail line to ship their grain to market.  To that end many of them almost gave a piece of their land to the CPR to build their track on.  The deal was that they would provide land for the CPR right-of-way and the railway would provide train service to Calgary basically forever.  Forever wasn't as long as those farm families thought it would be!

The CPR abandoned the rail line and gave the land to the trail people to build a trail across the prairie.  This was done as many municipalities and individuals were in the middle of negotiations to take the land back from the railway and return it to its original use!

Farm families who expected to be able to get back this strip of land which their ancestors had almost donated to the railway instead found a public pathway running through their fields!  This has led to some very hard feelings between the trail folks and their farmer neighbours.  One group of farm families actually buried a car in protest after the car manufacturing company donated cash to help establish the trails.

In some parts of this great country, abandoned railways have indeed been turned into excellent trails and pathways and some day that may happen here.  But before that happens here, the trail folks have to become aware of the past history and make a plan to overcome these hard feelings. Downloading the problem to the locals isn't the answer.

Main Street

Phase One of our Main Street rehabilitation project has begun!  We began on the North side of the street and will have that side pretty well finished before we go onto the south side. If the rain ever lets up the project will go full out.  The barriers will be up for the Beiseker Country Fair but the Parade will go down Main Street as it always has.  We'll be asking those watching the Parade not to park their vehicles in that first block of Main Street.  Folks are most welcome to bring lawn chairs and blankets down and set up along that block to watch the parade.  If you really want to watch the parade from your car, you'll have to park further along the parade route.

And here's a big tip of the old hat to all those merchants along Main Street who have to put up with all this construction.  Thank you so much for your patience and know that we will still be visiting your place of business during the construction!

The Fire Department!

As most of you know, Beiseker Village Council is negotiating with Rocky View County to take over fire services within the village.

At one time in our past the Village of Beiseker was part of NERVFA, or the North East Rocky View Fire Association.  The association was formed in the very early 1970s to provide fire protection to the village and the surrounding area which had very minimal fire services up to then.  A number of years after that, in a spat over control, Beiseker withdrew from NERVFA and went on its own.

I contended then and still contend that a small village the size of Beiseker cannot support the equipment to maintain an independent fire department!  Supporting the Beiseker Fire Department (BFD) has cost this village hundreds of thousands of dollars since its breakaway from NERVFA more than 20 years ago!  NERVFA has now become part of the County's fire services and I truly believe that Beiseker must rejoin that service!

I have nothing but admiration for the volunteer firefighters of the BFD who attend weekly practices and "make do" with older, used equipment and do a fantastic job!  But much of that equipment needs replacement and the village cannot afford that cost. 

By becoming part of a larger system again, some of those costs will be spread over a larger base, making equipment replacement, training, and other upgrades more feasible.  In this time of regional programs and projects, I think this is a good way to go.  All negotiations have centered around the fact that the Beiseker Fire Station and most of the personnel will remain.

If this change takes place, will there be glitches?  Yes! But I don't anticipate any problem which a cannot be overcome with level heads and dialogue!

Let me know what you think.  Let the Village Office know what you think about this issue.

The Hi-Way Nine Nightmare

I had a meeting in Drumheller today.  I went there via Acme and Carbon but I decided to return home on the Number 9 Highway!  Boy, was that a mistake.  It was like an off-road adventure! 

There was mud and rocks flying everywhere.  Some holes were so big that if they completely filled, I would have had to wait for the ferry! The speed was posted at 80 km, but I doubt that anything could do that kind of speed on that dirt mess except maybe a motocross racer!  What a disgrace!  I've seen major highways in third world countries in better shape that that!

What is going on here?  I've heard that last year's contractors were whining about bad weather and unforeseen soil problems, but please; this is a major highway!  Something needs to be done and fast, before we lose a motorhome full of tourists out there!  I'm writing every provincial Conservative I can think of to complain and I urge you to do too!

And I think that Danielle Smith and her Wildrose Alliance are missing a good bet by not having their party advertising along the torturous route!

We Found some leaks!!

The Village Public Works Department under the leadership of Bill Hnybida found two of the water leaks which have been dogging the village for months now!  The two breaks (actually they were holes in the pipes) were found at the south end of town.  The leaking water had escaped detection by flowing through a gravel layer into our storm drains.  Since the leaks were ahead of the residential water meters, the lost water did not show up on our meter readings.

The leaks have been repaired!  We should notice a substantial drop in our water consumption through the Kneehill Commission (soon to be Aqua7) line.
 
Well done Public Works and congratulations!

Golf Anyone?

As you know, the Golf Driving Range on North Road in Beiseker is in sad need of repair.  Our prairie winds have played havoc with the fence.

 We need volunteers to restring and repair the netting once again.  Some on Village Council are threatening to tear the whole thing down and sell off its assets if we cannot find some volunteers to take it over. 

If you are one who wants the driving range to remain, then I urge you to make your wishes known to Village Council a.s.a.p.!!   There might even be some recreation grant money to help you!  Councillor Brenda Hnybida has the info on grants available!