Scott Klassen optimistic for 2026 developments throughout the county

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

As 2025 draws to a close, Scott Klassen reflects on the progress of local development projects, as well as the new direction Wheatland County is taking in relation to regional collaboration. 

He adds being selected to serve as reeve for the first year of the new term has presented a challenge in and upon itself, but it is one that he feels ready and excited to continue exploring. 

“I’ve risen to the challenge, and I am happy with council so far. We have had a few bumps in the road, but we are coming together and one of the first challenges we are facing as a new council is finding a new CAO,” said Klassen. “That is something that is definitely bringing us together and we are discussing … so far, we have had a lot of interest in that, so that is a task we are carrying forward.”

Among the ongoing development projects taking place within the county, are the construction of the new CGC wallboard manufacturing plant, and the De Havilland aircraft campus. 

Regarding the campus, he anticipates working alongside De Havilland for the next 10 years while it is constructed. 

“Everything else is infrastructure projects and the usual. We have a bridge inventory that are all coming up about the same age and they are all failing so … our staff have been really diligent with an asset management program which lays out not only today’s costs, but the future costs over the next 10 years,” said Klassen. “It gives us a pathway on the realistic infrastructure that the county needs. To me, it is nice to have that because that keeps you based in reality.”

Klassen explained regarding bridge infrastructure, if quick repairs are able to be made that are also cost effective, the county is likely to proceed with such options. 

The issue is not unknown to council and has been brought forward for some time. The idea is not to have been avoiding them, but rather because there are so many, the county only has the budget to tackle so many projects at a time.

With the interim budget in place, the county is effectively waiting to observe the impacts of the province’s education requisition prior to passing their formalized capital and operating budgets. 

Since the new council’s election, Wheatland County has also begun to take steps to improve relations with other municipalities and come back to the table to talk regional partnerships.

“We are stronger as a region … and what partnership means can be interesting. We had a regional partnership meeting recently and it was the first one I’d attended in a number of years. One of the local councilors, not one from our council, said basically they would take the information and go back and digest it with their local hat on,” said Klassen.

“A partnership means you may not always agree and that’s okay. It is defining with a large number of people how you can actually accomplish some goals. (There are) some things administration to administration could accomplish so much easier than a bunch of politicians in a room.”

Looking towards 2026, Klassen said he is aiming to address some legacy problems, and “baggage from the past,” and give back to the community to the best of his and council’s abilities.