Save the Rosebud town hall meeting draws 140

Brad Everett
Times Contributor

 

Members of Save the Rosebud hosted Strathmore-Brooks MLA Derek Fildebrandt at a town hall meeting in Rosebud on June 27.
The meeting gave the 140 area residents in attendance a chance to voice their concerns regarding the proposed Badlands Motorsport Resort to be located roughly five kilometres northeast of the hamlet of Rosebud.
“We had no idea how many people would show up,” said Wendy Clark, a member of Save the Rosebud. “I’d have been happy with 30 to 40 people coming out, so 140 coming out shows how much this matters to people.
“In addition to the statements residents made at the meeting, roughly 250 letters have been sent to the Premier since then.”
Frustrated by Kneehill County Council’s response to their concerns about the impact the proposed resort will have on the environment, traffic and agriculture, members of Save the Rosebud contacted Fildebrandt for a meeting.
“We didn’t think Derek could do much for us, being a member of the opposition Wildrose Party, but we called and he gave us a half-hour meeting in Strathmore in May,” said Clark.
The group took full advantage of the time, presenting Fildebrandt with the various reports and submissions they had compiled addressing concerns with the project.
“When we were done he [Fildebrandt] said a half hour wasn’t enough,” said Clark.
Letters were written to Fildebrandt, and an invitation extended to take a float trip down the river to see in person the area that would be impacted. The result was Fildebrandt going out to tour the area and meet with residents.
While Fildebrandt was clear at the meeting that as an opposition MLA he was limited in what he could do, he did say the area was “an absolute gem and something worth fighting for.”
Fildebrandt is working on a meeting with Shannon Phillips, provincial Minister of Environment and Parks.
“We hope we can take her on a tour similar to the one we took Derek [Fildebrandt] on and show her in person this land we are fighting for,” said Clark.
For more information on Save the Rosebud, visit their website at savetherosebud.ca. For more information on the Badlands Motorsport Resort, visit their website at badlandsmotorsportsresort.com.