SANDRA M STANWAY
Brooks Bulletin
About 100 business people, politicians and guests attended the annual State of the Region earlier this month to get a Reader’s Digest understanding of issues from the past year and this year’s programs.
County MLA Arno Doerksen not only discussed some of the current projects including the county’s managing of CDC South but also opposing the federal government’s Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act (which the county has been turned into a resolution that will be discussed by member municipalities at Foothills Little Bow on Friday).
He said southeast Alberta has multiple sources of reliable and cheap energy including coal, natural gas and sunshine.
“We believe we need to exploit all of them but it needs to be done affordably with a view of the bottom line.”
But south of the border the second Trump administration is the catalyst for the economic uncertainty including the 25 per cent tariff threat.
“Chasing a green energy ideology, as though economics don’t matter, has created an overburden that wants to and will break our economy if we don’t check it,” he said.
He said it is important that the region continues to work together.
“We’re stronger together. It’s always important that we iron out our challenges locally because nothing gets solved outside of the district better than we can solve our differences locally,” he said.
Doerksen is optimistic for 2025 and beyond because of the leaders at all levels.
“I think we’re ahead of the game.”
Doerksen, who often says the Eastern Irrigation District needs to open more acres for irrigation faster told attendees that there needs to be a way to accelerate production.
He said the Bow River Irrigation District is moving to expand their district by 25,000 acres. The district is currently holding meetings with irrigators to discuss the expansion. A future plebiscite would follow.
“That is the kind of initiative that attracts investment in value added agriculture.”
Brooks mayor John Petrie said 2024 was a good year for development in the city while working through challenges particularly in the area of housing, however, there could be over 300 new units built this year.
“In the last 20 years we’ve had very little development in the community so when I look at 300 I think that’s very impressive,” he said.
The number of units do not include single family, privately built or Habitat for Humanity which is also expected to construct additional housing units over the next year or two as is Brooks Housing.
He said wastewater capacity in the city could be a concern for growth so a new wastewater facility will be constructed at the cost of about $30 million.
And while he is pleased there are new units he is disappointed that a couple of businesses did not get licences due to the Not In My Backyard ideology.
“I just get so disappointed when we lose business in the community on ideological reasons,” he said.
The city has considered a public transit system in the past but the cost was too high and the issue, he said, is still being discussed.
“We haven’t given up on the issue.”
Petrie said he hasn’t made a decision about his political future.
“I’m going to take a walk in the snow in April and make a decision,” he said.
Premier and MLA Brooks-Medicine Hat Danielle Smith touched on multiple provincial topics including housing, health and education.
The province initiated a program for new physicians that will include 50 in both Grande Prairie and Lethbridge in hopes that if they are trained in rural Alberta they will remain in the area.
With the introduction of allowing nurse practitioners to open their own practice, there are now 33 nurse practitioners working including one in Brooks.
The province has invested $12 million on 82 rural hospitals over the past 10 years and an inventory will be taken of what needs to be repaired and equipment that is needed by hospitals.
The major increase in population has resulted in the need for schools across the province which will include a new school in Brooks. An announcement is expected to be made in the spring about the new Catholic school.
She said agriculture, energy and small businesses are the driving forces of development in Brooks.
“Who knows? Maybe an AI data centre,” she said.
An AI data centre uses an enormous amount of power.
“The confluence of gas, power, water and broadband internet access is essential for the siting of these locations and I think our region is perfectly situated,” said Smith.
Smith shared updates on local issues including CDC South and the new road access to JBS Food.
“I think we have one more little piece with the Eastern Irrigation District that I’m hoping we will be able to resolve today (Jan. 3) and then we’ll be able to get that road built,” she said.
“We have been working as well to get the access at the (Lake Newell) Marina and boat launch,” she said.
The county has been helping the Marina Association with legal documents to ensure that the grounds remain public and the association is raising money for infrastructure including reworking the area in front of the marina’s building.
Smith said she hopes to have an update on the project next year.
Bow River MP Martin Shields was not able to attend the event.
