Year in Review – Town of Strathmore
By Pat Fule Mayor, Town of Strathmore
What were the highlights you accomplished this year?
I would say the highlight that council and the Town of Strathmore accomplished this year was the completion of the new town hall. We had budgeted the project for $7.9 million, but it came in about $3.5 million over this amount. However, we had to truck out contaminated soil from beneath the parking lot and we also had to replace badly damaged storm water pipes that had been leaking storm water through this contaminated soil, and then into Kinsmen Lake. We also added many mature trees, re-paved part of the Kinsmen Park path, paved the Farmers’ Market pavilion, and added pull-down wind screens on the exterior of the pavilion to help residents and vendors at the farmers’ markets. We also created a new paved pathway through Lambert Park, connecting to the sidewalk along Park Lane Drive. This will create a safe walking loop around Grays’ Wetlands for residents of all ages.
In addition, we built two new bridges over the WID canal, one linking Hillview to Lakewood Meadows, and the new Tom Sadler Bridge which will allow easier access to Grays’ Wetlands. The town also re-named the Aspen Bridge in honour of the Lions Club of Strathmore. This club has done incredible work in Strathmore for over 80 years and they have supported many worthwhile causes. These two bridges and the newly re-opened maintenance bridge near the golf course now give Strathmore residents five crossings over the WID canal. Strathmore is blessed to have the WID irrigation canal wind its way through the town, and with COVID-19 limiting so many activities, walking the many kilometres of paved pathways has become very popular and beneficial for physical and emotional health. The Town of Strathmore is incredibly grateful to the WID board for allowing pedestrian crossings over their irrigation canal.
The town was also able to complete the new dugout refurbishing; we added pitching/batting cages, and finished the sodding and shale addition to the Kinsmen Park baseball infield. This work, added to 2019’s addition of outfield irrigation, levelling and sodding, has greatly improved the Kinsmen baseball diamond as part of supporting minor baseball in Strathmore.
We also began a five-year project to rehabilitate the rock shoreline of the south end of Strathmore Lake, as well as redoing the boulder retaining wall along the path, ending with that end’s re-paving. This will again support the many residents who walk along that lake, as well as ensuring greater safety along this shoreline.
Another major project that has just begun, currently in its consultation and engineering planning, is Westridge Road. We hope to get to work in the spring on improving the infrastructure and road to support the many businesses along that road. With the landscaping and pathway also planned, the overall look of our town to the thousands of Trans-Canada travellers will be greatly enhanced.
Lastly, council and administration worked very hard to ensure that there will be a zero per cent property tax increase for 2021. We’re very aware that many of our fellow residents have financial challenges due to COVID-19, so we strove to ensure our residents could have more certainty in financially uncertain times.
What challenges did you face in 2020?
The two biggest challenges were the overruns in the new municipal building and, obviously, COVID-19. Unfortunately, the new municipal building did go over budget, but not as much as some people are purporting. As I stated earlier, the Town of Strathmore had budgeted $7.9 million, but with many challenges, the new municipal building is about $3.5 million over budget. There were problems with the communication of accurate information to council and administration, rather than any misuse of public funds. Council and I were very disappointed in this overrun, but this overrun will have no impact on residents’ property taxes. That being said, we still feel it’s a beautiful building that doesn’t take away any of the park space. With the many landscaping and facility improvements at the park, including separate public restrooms at the new municipal building, Kinsmen Park will be even more of a popular destination for all town residents. We also feel it’s the final piece needed to support the downtown and keep it energized, because downtowns are essential to rural towns. We were able to plan for and use various revenue streams to ensure the new municipal building would be completed, and not impact residents’ property taxes.
The second but most difficult challenge has been COVID-19. Strathmore, like many other Canadian towns, had to be very proactive to ensure the health and safety of our residents.
None of us had ever experienced a worldwide pandemic, and we felt a great deal of responsibility to make decisions that would protect people, but also to try and not cause other harms to them. We had to declare a local state of emergency earlier in the year and set up an emergency coordination centre (ECC) to better deal with this constantly changing health situation. Council and I “leaned on” the advice of experts – Dr. Deena Hinshaw, AHS, the province of Alberta and our local doctors – in our efforts to make good decisions. Above all, our ECC was staffed by incredible Town of Strathmore staff and they were led by our director of emergency management, Trent West. Mr. West and his staff put in a great many hours and they went above and beyond to continually communicate and coordinate with AHS and other towns’ ECCs, and our people always kept council and administration apprised of changing events.
What are your plans and hopes for 2021?
Even though Strathmore is still going to have to be very vigilant and cautious regarding COVID-19, we have to continue to live. With the approach of 2021, there is finally some hope … hope in the form of vaccines from different companies. The vast majority of Strathmore’s residents have been incredibly responsible and diligent in taking measures to protect each other from this very erratic virus. I know people are fed up with the measures, and many of us have suffered in different ways, but we now have the opportunity to eventually return to our more normal way of life. My hope for Strathmore’s residents is that you can all muster up a bit more resolve and strength to continue to take good health measures. I’d like you to reconsider your Christmas family/friend gatherings for just this one year. It’s very important to keep our COVID case numbers as low as possible to ensure that hospitalizations and ICU admissions do not overwhelm the health system. My wife Debbie and I plan to have our first Christmas … with just the two of us. We all have the ability to use FaceTime or Zoom style get-togethers on Christmas day, so that all our loved ones can stay safe.
I also realize the messaging can get old, but we need to NOT drop our guards. Many of us have older relatives and friends, and we still have to protect each other. We’re all still going to have to carry on through this winter of COVID, but like a summer after a long, cold season, there will be relief from this virus. My other hope for you is that you’ll please consider getting the vaccinations when they arrive for the general public. We all have the chance to be protected from COVID-19, and I know that my family and I are prepared to trust the science and the medical community when it comes to the vaccines. I realize that this is a very personal decision and that you may be unsure, but I truly want 2021 to be a healthier and safer year for you all.