The cuts begin

Exciting news for our community—a veteran’s crosswalk is coming to town, honoring those who have served.

In other council developments, the Mayor and Councilor Jacobs have made a significant change in leadership, resulting in the CAO’s forced resignation. The reported $31,000 payout is considered modest by some council members. However, this situation may not be over; when someone is backed into a corner, it’s only natural for them to push back, especially if legal advice wasn’t sought beforehand.

We recently held a budget meeting. It’s disheartening to see council members focusing on minor savings while larger financial issues remain. For example, our RCMP costs are non-negotiable—we can’t opt out, so demanding more for our money is mostly symbolic. We get what we get, and there’s little room for change.

The Resilient Rurals program is currently part of our budget. Personally, I hope we reconsider its inclusion moving forward.

We also have a couple of Indigenous programs. While our town isn’t Indigenous-based and engagement is limited, maintaining these initiatives is important. They strengthen our grant applications and reflect our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion—just like our land recognition at the start of meetings.

On the economic front, the transition of Deadbolt Storage land from agricultural to industrial use should result in a beneficial tax decrease for households.

Finally, the hemp plant will be discussed at the December 17th council meeting. The company has made great progress, and I’m hopeful the plant will reopen, bringing jobs and income back to our town as originally promised.