Hello Chestermere,
I want to start off by saying thank you to our Comms Team for the work they are doing in updating our social media platforms on what is happening in Chestermere. We are planning on having some high-level highlights coming out on our social media platforms after each council meeting. To not be repetitive in this highlight, I’d invite you to review our other messages on social media in relation to:
- Retirement of and thank you to MP Martin Sheilds for his years of public service – Click here for details
- Youth Safety Workshop hosted by Synergy on February 14 – Click here for details
- Second Annual Charity Golf Classic – June 26, 2025 – Click here for details
Staff Raises Money for the United Way
On February 5 and 6, our city staff held an inter staff 3 on 3 hockey tournament where they raised over $4700 for the United Way. City Operations, Corporate Services and the Chestermere Fire Department each had a team in the tournament and I had the opportunity to ref the event. While it may not have been quite at the level of the Four Nations Cup, it was great to have staff raising money for a worthy cause. We will have some exciting announcements about this event at our March 4 Governance and Priorities meeting.
Conferences, Connections and Networking
On February 6, CAO Kent Edney, Manager of Legislative Services Vanessa Van der Meer and I had the opportunity to attend the Emerging Trends in Municipal Law hosted by Brownlee LLP. This was a great professional opportunity for the three of us to learn about changed to the FOIP Act and other relevant trends in municipal politics. At the same time, Councillor Wawrzynowski attended a half day discussion in Calgary on Agriculture and the Alberta Economy. Myself and members of our economic development team then attended the 2025 Economic Outlook BILD Event.
Councillor Sandboe was recently in Edmonton for a committee meeting on Environment and Sustainability. Councillor Wawrzynowski and I were at the Fight the Freeze Chamber Event last Thursday. This is in additional the committee work that all our council is participating in.
Our participation and attendance at these meetings, conferences and events is expanding our influence and reach in the region, helping us to build strong relationships and we are seeing returns on this work in successes that have been announced over the past couple of weeks.
Calgary Metropolitan Regional Board (CMRB)
On February 7, the Calgary Metropolitan Regional Board met and two motions of massive importance were made:
- That the Board send a letter to the Minister of Municipal Affairs notifying the Government of Alberta of the following:
- That the Board has directed administration to initiate the process for the orderly winding down of the operations of the organization.
- That the Board requests the immediate repeal of Ministerial Order MSD: 064/22 to remove the requirement for the Regional Evaluation Framework and to repeal the Growth Plan.
- That the Board requests the Minister repeal the CMRB Regulation effective May 1, 2025.
- That the eight members of the CMRB agree to meet and discuss an alternate regional approach before May 1, 2025, which recognizes the significance of a coordinated approach to:
- regional amenities, including recreation, commercial and other:
- economic development opportunities; and
- planning and development for residential, industrial and commercial
Minister McIver repealed MSD64/22 on February 18, 2025 and the Government of Alberta is working on the repealing of the CMRB Regulation.
I would like to say thank you to Dunn and Company who hosted the reeves and mayors from the CMRB for lunch after the meeting.
NEW SCHOOL Announcement
While I did not want to repeat things we had already posted, I can’t help but once again mention how excited we are with the announcement of construction funding for a new public K-9 school. I am so proud of the work council and administration has done to get to this announcement. By working collaboratively with Rocky View Schools and the Government of Alberta, we have the first new public school approved for Chestermere since 2014. We continue to work hard for the new high school and other schools as well. Again, great news for Chestermere.
– Mayor Shannon Dean