By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG
Valemount Council discussed the Village’s latest quarterly report, appointed councillors to a working group with Simpcw First Nation, and granted tax exemptions to local nonprofits during their August 13th regular meeting.
Mayor Owen Torgerson called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m.
Council moved to make two amendments to the evening’s agenda. The first was to remove the recommendation that Council waive Community Hall fees from August 13th until the end of the month for the Municipality of Jasper and Red Cross. According to Torgerson, the Municipality of Jasper returned the keys to the Hall earlier that day and will not use it again this month.
The second amendment was to add a notice to proceed to a closed meeting at the end of the agenda.
After approving these changes, Council moved on to administrative reports.
Quarterly Report
Since February of this year, Village staff have been producing quarterly reports with status updates on Village projects, as well as statistics on the public works department and bylaw enforcement, among other subjects.
Torgerson thanked CAO Anne Yanciw for the report, who gave credit to Village intern Jasleen Kaur Parmar.
Valemount Industrial Park articles of incorporation
Council approved amendments to the Valemount Industrial Park articles of incorporation – which dictate a corporation’s name, purpose and number of directors, among other details – during their May 14th regular meeting. One of these amendments was the deletion of an article requiring the board of directors to be composed of the same directors as those on the Valemount Community Forest board, a requirement that was in conflict with the Business Corporations Act.
This amendment required approval from the Office of the Inspector of Municipalities, which oversees local governments’ financial matters to ensure they are in compliance with provincial law. According to Yanciw, the Inspector of Municipalities did not know the Valemount Community Forest and the Valemount Industrial Park do business with one another, so the inspector was unaware that the requirement violated the Business Corporations Act.
Upon receiving approval from the Deputy Inspector of Municipalities, Council had to adopt the amendment a final time.
Council unanimously voted to sign the resolution adopting the amendment.
Waiving of Red Cross fees
Staff recommended that Council waive fees for the Red Cross and Municipality of Jasper’s use of the Valemount Community Hall, which was used as a central location for evacuees to gather from July 29th through August 13th, according to the staff report.
The fees accrued totaled $4,045, plus taxes. This included a $3,900 rental fee for the hall, $100 for renting the sound system and projector, and $45 for printing costs. According to the staff report, Village staff are not authorized to waive these fees themselves, so they recommended that Council waive them. Council unanimously approved the waiving of fees.
“Hats off to Team Valemount and Red Cross for being able to have that space available for our friends, families and neighbours in Jasper,” Torgerson said.
Simpcw First Nation Working Group
In March, Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Simpcw First Nation which commits them to forming a working group comprised of two councillors from each government. The working group will meet at least quarterly to discuss shared issues, develop action plans to promote shared interests, and discuss ongoing joint projects.
In accordance with the memorandum, Valemount Council had to appoint two councillors for the working group. Staff recommended appointing an alternate as well, in case one councillor is unavailable for a working group meeting.
Councillors Pete Pearson and Hugo Mulyk said they would like to be on the working group. Torgerson also said he’d like to be a representative.
Pearson moved to appoint himself and Mulyk as working group members, with Torgerson as the alternate. Council approved the motion.
Tax exemptions
Council approved property tax exemptions for five non-profit organizations for the 2025 tax year: the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #266, the Valemount Affordable Rentals Society, the Valemount Curling Club, the Valemount Learning Society, and the Valemount Lions Club.
Last year, each of these organizations received a 25 per cent tax exemption. Following this precedent, Council approved a 25 per cent exemption for all five organizations in 2025.
As some councillors are involved with one or more of these organizations, they recused themselves from discussion as necessary. Pearson left council chambers while Council discussed tax exemptions for the Legion, as he is president of the Legion. Torgerson left the chambers during discussion of the Affordable Rentals Society and the Learning Society, as his wife was the applicant for those exemptions.
The Valemount Senior Citizens’ Housing Society also applied for a tax exemption. However, two councillors sit on the board of the Society: Donnie MacLean and Hugo Mulyk. Given that Councillor Hollie Blanchette was absent, Council would not have been able to meet the quorum of a majority of Council if MacLean and Mulyk recused themselves. Council voted to discuss the Society’s tax exemption during their next meeting on September 10th.
Gas Tax funds
The Village is contracting Urban Systems, a community consulting firm, to create a new Asset Management Plan. While the previous plan was created just in 2018, rising costs necessitate an updated plan, Torgerson said. The plan will inventory Village infrastructure and determine infrastructure investment priorities, and outline how the Village should operate and maintain its infrastructure.
Urban Systems estimated the development of a new plan would cost the Village $50,000. Half of this cost is covered by the Union of BC Municipalities’ Asset Management Planning Program, which approved a $25,000 grant request from Village staff in June. Staff requested the remaining $25,000 be paid for from the 2024 Gas Tax funds, which total about $100,000.
Council approved staff’s request.
Alternate Water Source
Currently, the Village relies on Swift Creek as its water source. However, relying on one surface water intake system may be risky if a natural disaster affects the creek: for example, a summer 2021 landslide in the Swift Creek watershed posed a threat to the creek, as reported in The Goat at the time.
The Village asked Urban Systems to evaluate potential groundwater sources in 2021. After drilling a successful test well in 2022, the firm began producing a Water Supply Master Plan completed in 2024 which included five options for water supply in the village.
Staff expressed preference for the fifth option: alternating between using a groundwater source and the Swift Creek source. The groundwater source would be used in spring and summer, when more debris in the creek is present due to freshet and more rapid water flow. Swift Creek would be used in fall and winter, when water quality improves.
The installation of a groundwater well would cost almost $1.5M, according to Urban Systems. Additionally, the firm recommended renovating the water intake plant to install a concrete weir and install permanent backup power at the high lift pump station, among other things. These renovations would cost a little over $2.5M. If both the renovations and the new well are completed at the same time, the cost would be around $3.2M, according to the staff report.
Staff recommended that Council directstaff to begin researching grants to cover these costs. Council unanimously voted to follow the recommendation.
Clean Air Task Force
During their July 11th meeting, the Clean Air Task Force voted to amend their terms of reference, which requires Council approval to be adopted. The amendments included changing the length of public appointments from one-year terms to a term of up to two years, and changing the meeting schedule to quarterly meetings instead of “the third Tuesday of January, March, June and October.”
The Task Force also asked for approval to advertise for applications from the public.
Council approved both requests.
Accessibility Committee Terms of Reference
The Accessibility Committee recommended updating its Terms of Reference during its most recent meeting on July 17th. The update includes a timeline for meetings – the committee will meet quarterly – and outlines goals such as preparing an Accessibility Plan for the Village and creating a mechanism to solicit and review public feedback on accessibility in Valemount.
Council approved the updated Terms of Reference.
Marina Association Grant
The Valemount Marina Association requested a $200 grant from the Village’s Municipal Donations budget to purchase prizes and trophies for the fishing derby taking place on August 31st and September 1st. Torgerson is a director-at-large on the Association’s board, so he recused himself from discussion.
Council voted to approve the request. The Municipal Donations budget has a remainder of $1,432 for this year.
With no new business, Council moved on to the reading file.
Electric vehicle loan
The recently-founded Valemount Electric Vehicle Society is holding an event at the secondary school on September 27th to give students and teachers a chance to observe electric vehicles and ask questions about them. The Society wrote to Council asking to borrow the Village’s Ford Lightning F-150, purchased for staff use in 2023. The inclusion of the vehicle would give students a broader range of vehicles to look at, according to the letter.
Pearson and Mulyk moved to lend the F-150 for the day. Pearson amended the motion by including the Village’s low-speed electric vehicle in the loan, purchased in 2022.
Province-wide forum
The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) was scheduled to host a province-wide Community-to-Community Forum the Monday after the Council meeting. During the meeting, Torgerson said Simpcw First Nation Chief George Lampreau had asked if anyone from Valemount Council would be present.
Torgerson was not able to attend the forum, but said councillors who were planning to attend should contact Lampreau to attend together.
Regional health authority meetings
Senior staff from regional health authorities, including Northern Health, will be available for meetings with attendees of the UBCM convention taking place in September. According to a letter from the convention coordinator, health authority staff will be able to discuss long-term care, seniors care, and Indigenous health services, among other topics.
Torgerson asked if councillors would like to meet with Northern Health at the convention. Pearson moved to contact Northern Health and schedule a meeting with them during the convention. His motion passed.
UBCM-First Nations relationship protocol
UBCM wrote to its members asking for comments on a relationship protocol which executives have drafted with the First Nations Leadership Council. The protocol will identify ways for UBCM to work on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action and “provide UBCM with greater opportunities for proactive collaboration,” according to the letter.
UBCM policies require the opportunity for members to vet any new agreements before they are adopted, so the organization requested municipalities to communicate support or disapproval via their CAO.
Torgerson moved to authorize Valemount CAO Anne Yanciw to communicate approval of the protocol. The motion passed.
Northern Health meeting
Pearson met with Northern Health CEO Ciro Panessa during the North Central Local Government Association convention in May. Panessa wrote to Council in late July with a summary of the meeting. According to Panessa’s summary, which Pearson said was accurate, they discussed emergency health services in Valemount as well as the challenges of recruiting health care workers in northern communities.
“We had very good meetings with him, so I look forward to further discussions,” Pearson said.
Support for Spruce City Wildlife Association
The president of the Spruce City Wildlife Association, a conservation non-profit based in Prince George, wrote asking for a letter of support from Valemount Council to use in an application to the BC Community Gaming Grant. Money from the grant would contribute to the organization’s salmon conservation and habitat conservation programs, as well as its stewardship and education initiatives.
Council approved a motion to provide the letter of support.
Closed meeting
At 7:31 p.m., Torgerson adjourned the open meeting. Council moved to a closed meeting to discuss the security of Village property, in accordance with Section 90 (1)(d) of the Community Charter.
