By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG
Valemount Council discussed a potential Memorandum of Understanding with Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, appointed councillors to represent Valemount on various committees, and adopted an updated workplace harassment policy at their November 26th meeting.
Mayor Owen Torgerson called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. After adopting the meeting’s agenda and the minutes of the previous meeting, Council heard from a delegation.
Delegation: wind energy initiative
Calgary-based wind energy production company Ventori Energy Inc. is hoping to install wind turbines in Valemount. Vice President Sarah Scott and Sales Director Teaken Blair gave a presentation to Council outlining their model of turbine – vertical axis wind turbines – which they say are more compact, bird-friendly, and less noisy than traditional wind turbines.
The project would not require the Village to invest any money in the company, just to give land where the turbines could be installed, said Scott and Blair. Valemount would receive a 25 per cent share in revenue from the turbines in exchange for providing land. According to Scott and Blair, if the Village installed 50 turbines, they would generate nearly $24M in residual income annually. In a follow-up interview with The Goat, Scott said the company estimates each turbine would bring in $2M annually – so, the revenue from 50 turbines would amount to about $24M for each of the four investors.
Council moved to receive the delegation.
Resort Development Strategy Schedule
Village staff are in the midst of drafting a Resort Development Strategy, a document outlining the Village’s long-term vision for its tourism industry which must be submitted to the Ministry of Tourism in order to access funding from the Resort Municipality Initiative. Staff submitted a schedule outlining each phase of drafting the strategy to Council at the November 12th Council meeting.
According to the report attached to the revised schedule, staff changed two items on the original schedule to provide more time to review documents. Now, proposals for projects that could be funded by the Resort Municipality Initiative will be reviewed in a Committee of the Whole meeting on December 5th, rather than November 28th. Additionally, the draft Resort Development Strategy will now be presented to Council during its January 28th meeting, rather than the December 10th meeting.
As the report was presented for information, Council moved on to its next agenda item without making a motion.
Simpcw First Nation Working Group
The Village signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Simpcw First Nation in March. The MOU required the governments to form a working group with staff and two councillors from each government that meets quarterly. The group had its first meeting on November 4th.
The minutes of the meeting were presented to Council for information. The working group discussed the Resort Municipality Initiative and potential collaborative projects to increase awareness of Indigenous culture and values in Valemount. For example, Resort Municipality Initiative funding could be used for museum displays or interpretive signs at Cranberry Marsh. According to the minutes, Simpcw First Nation staff and councillors said they may explore a Simpcw Interpretive Project and submit a project proposal to Valemount.
Additionally, the group discussed how to implement the Emergency and Disaster Management Act. In some cases, the act requires that local governments consult with First Nations before declaring a state of emergency. However, the Village did not consult with Simpcw First Nation before declaring a state of emergency during the Cedarside fire in August, according to the meeting minutes. Staff from Simpcw First Nation and the Village will meet to develop protocols for consultation and communication during future emergencies.
Working group member and Valemount Councillor Pete Pearson said the meeting was a good starting point for more frequent collaboration with Simpcw First Nation. Torgerson said he was glad the group discussed the Emergency and Disaster Management Act.
Potential MOU with Lheidli T’enneh First Nation
The Village held a Community to Community Forum with Lheidli T’enneh First Nation on October 10th and 11th. Facilitated by consulting firm Strategies North, the forum featured presentations, workshops, and discussions on how the two governments can collaborate, according to the summary attached to the staff report.
The creation of an MOU was one of the goals discussed at the forum. In their report on the forum, Village staff recommended that Council approve staff to work with Lheidli T’enneh First Nation to begin developing an MOU. Council followed staff’s recommendation.
Deputy Mayor Schedule
According to the Community Charter, councils must designate a councillor who can act as deputy mayor, who acts as mayor if the mayor is absent. Staff recommended adopting a schedule which rotates which of Valemount’s four councillors acts as deputy mayor each month.
Council voted to approve the schedule.
Committee appointments
Council chooses councillors to represent the Village on various local committees and organizations. These appointments are typically made annually.
Council made appointments for one-year terms on six committees. It appointed Torgerson to the Prince George Treaty Advisory Committee, Pearson to the Trans Canada yellowhead Highway Association, Councillor Donnie MacLean to the Columbia River Treaty Local Governments Committee and the Columbia Basin Regional Advisory Committee, and Councillor Hugo Mulyk to the Valemount Entertainment Society and Tourism Valemount Destination Marketing Organization.
Council also made appointments for two-year terms on two committees. It appointed Torgerson and Mulyk to the Parcel Tax Roll Review Panel, and appointed Councillor Hollie Blanchette and MacLean to the Clean Air Task Force.
Council appointed tax advising service KPMG as auditor for the Village in 2025. It also appointed Urban Systems as the Village’s consulting engineer for 2025.
Fees and Charges Bylaw
Council adopted an amended Fees and Charges Bylaw, which increases several licensing fees for operating rentals in the Village.
The cost for a Home Occupation Business Licence was increased from $25 to $50, the Short Term Vacation Rental licencing fee was increased from $100 to $150, and the fee for renting a 20×20 foot outdoor tent from the Village was increased from $100 to $200. Additionally, the fee for a Bed & Breakfast licence has been removed from the bylaw, as Bed & Breakfasts are now classified as Short Term Vacation Rentals.
Staff also added a clause to the bylaw which allows the Village to provide facilities and equipment free of charge during local emergencies, such as when the Village opened the Community Hall to Jasper refugees at no cost earlier this summer.
Updated workplace harassment bylaw
The Province has required organizations to have a policy forbidding discrimination and harassment in the workplace since 2013. While the Village’s Workplace Discrimination, Bullying and Harassment Policy says the policy will be reviewed on an annual basis, it has not been updated since 2018, according to the staff report.
Staff updated the policy based on benchmarks with other municipalities. The policy has been reorganized to more clearly outline the rights and responsibilities of Village staff, and the procedure put in place when an allegation of discrimination or harassment is made.
Council moved to adopt the updated policy.
Adjournment
Torgerson moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:49 p.m.
