Hello Chestermere,
Well, it seems as though winter is not quite done with us, as the weather is taking a quick turn for the cold this weekend. I hope everyone can stay safe and warm. Please continue to take caution on the roads, as they may become quite slick this weekend. Here are a few updates from council over the past couple of weeks.
Big Fun Planning Night
Monday, January 20, was a busy night as it was our Big Fun Planning Night at the Chestermere Recreation Centre. This was a chance for residents to provide feedback on our Municipal Development Plan and two bylaws we are exploring, including the Short-Term Rentals Bylaw and Secondary Suites. There was a great turnout for the event, and it was a great chance for council, administration, and our consultants to connect with residents. I appreciated the chance for the multiple different conversations I had about a variety of topics.
Feedback about the MDP can be provided at mdp@chestermere.ca, and there will be ongoing opportunities for feedback for the aforementioned bylaws.
While most of our council was able to attend for at least a portion of the night, it was a busy night as there was a Library Board Meeting and a Mayor’s Task Force for Recreation Meeting on the same night as well.
A Moment to Celebrate
At our January 21 Governance and Priorities Meeting, we took a moment to celebrate the following:
- Congratulating the Chestermere Lakers Junior C hockey team on their success in winning the ESSO Minor Hockey Week tournament.
- We congratulated Deputy Mayor Randhawa on being recognized by the Punjab Times for being the first Punjabi woman to serve as Deputy Mayor on the City of Chestermere Council.
- We congratulated Deputy Mayor Randhawa on the 2024 Stars of Alberta award from the Honourable Tanya Fir, Minister of Arts, Culture, and Status of Women, who recognized Deputy Mayor Randhawa’s volunteer work and the impact it has made on the community.
Please let us know if your school or organization has something you are celebrating, as we would like to find ways to recognize the good things that are happening in our community.
School Site Update
Council has made school sites a priority, and part of this priority is providing an update at every Governance and Priorities Meeting. On January 21, we learned that, with the approval of the 2025 Capital Budget, funding has now been allocated to meet level 1 site readiness requirements. The subdivision application has been submitted to the Land Titles Office. This is the final step of having the title transferred to the City. There will be another update on Tuesday, February 4.
Youth Safety in Chestermere
We continue to have conversations with Rocky View Schools, Calgary Catholic Schools, the RCMP, our CPOs, Synergy, and other agencies in the community about youth safety. Part of that conversation is exploring the option of what it would take to have a School Resource Officer in Chestermere. The Chestermere RCMP will be doing a presentation on this at an upcoming council meeting, and we are having a Youth Safety Workshop led by Synergy and in partnership with our Community Support Services Staff on Friday, February 14. We are also working with our MLA Chantelle de Jonge and ministers to explore options for continued safety in our community.
Economic Development
Economic Development continues to be a priority for council as we are well aware of our need to diversify our tax base. This includes attracting and retaining businesses in Chestermere. We have created the Chestermere Economic Development Advisory Committee, and Councillor Wawrzynowski sits on the Chestermere Chamber of Commerce. As part of our Offsite Levy conversation at the January 21 GAP meeting, council passed the following motion: The Governance and Priorities Committee directs Administration to bring a report regarding strategies on how to provide incentives and retain businesses to develop in Chestermere and bring it back to a future Meeting of Council by the end of June 2025. Council and administration are committed to the economic development of Chestermere.
Grant Adjudication Committee
At our January 28 Regular Meeting of Council, council approved the recommendations of the Grant Adjudication Committee and awarded $12,000 to the Chestermere White Cappers and $16,000 to the Chestermere Senior All Services. Both are great investments for improving the well-being of seniors in our community.
Ride-Along with the Chestermere Fire Department
On Wednesday, January 29, I had the opportunity to do a ride-along with A Shift of the Chestermere Fire Department. I had the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at what they do every day. It was enlightening to see how they balance their service call volume with on-the-job training. I had the opportunity to go into a smoke-filled house and watch how quickly they move in conditions where one literally can’t see anything. They also took me up in the aerial. Now, for those of you who know me, I am terrified of heights. BUT, there was no way I could say no. In the end, it was an enlightening and informative experience, and thank you to the Chestermere Fire Department for having me and for the way you serve our community every day.
More information can be found on our website: https://thecityofchestermere.ca