County passes first reading of CMRB plan

By Sharon McLeay Times Contributor

Inserting the approved Calgary Metropolitan Region Board (CMRB) Regional Growth Plan and CMRB evaluation framework into Wheatland County’s Municipal Development Plan passed first reading in council on Nov.6.
The public hearing is set for Feb. 15, 2019.
“The date in February will allow us to send some information out to our residents along with some mapping, to help them understand what is going to be going on,” said Kim Sandbeck, Wheatland County planning officer.
As well, Wheatland County developed a CMRB area long term plan, spanning 30 to 50 years, for land covered under the CMRB mandate. Major employment nodes would be planned for land along the Highway 1 corridor, with significant tourism development envisioned around Eagle Lake. Transportation corridors are mapped out with a potential secondary ring road on the south side of Strathmore, connecting up with Highway 1.
Wheatland County council members will send representatives to the closed CMRB approved strategic vision meetings held Nov. 23 and Dec.14. Councillor Jason Wilson said he would like to see a strong agricultural statement as part of the county’s information to the strategic talks.
Agriculture is on the minds of rural partners in the Edmonton Capital Regional Board (ECRB) too. They sent a letter asking CMRB rural municipalities to collaborate on agricultural support, to protect and support the agricultural sector. The EMRB is developing an agriculture master plan to be completed in the next 18 months. They want to ensure Alberta’s food security, limit land fragmentation, promote wisely managed agricultural land, and increase agricultural diversification and value wise production. They want to involve the public in consultations and dismiss some of the myths surrounding negative impressions attributed to the agriculture industry. They will be retaining experts to educate and inform the public about responsible stewardship, how agriculture producers provide safe food sources to local markets and export globally. They were looking for support to gain funding for the project through grant money, but due to the late receipt of the letter, Wheatland County could not make the Nov. 1 deadline. The matter was referred to Wheatland County’s Agricultural Service Board for future support in the next request for funding.
“For the Calgary Metropolitan Region Board, it is not on the books, we are just in our infancy,” said Deputy Reeve Glenn Koester. “I think it is important for us, and I think we should defer to our ag service board and be prepared for when the Calgary Metropolitan Region Board asks for an agricultural impact, whatever that is.”