Valemount Council: Cranberry Marsh expansion, NCLGA, marsh fire mitigation

By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG

Valemount Council discussed Cranberry Marsh, attendance at the annual North Central Local Government Association meeting, and mitigating fire risk at the marsh during its regular meeting on March 11th.

Mayor Owen Torgerson was unable to attend the meeting, so the current Deputy Mayor Hollie Blanchette called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

After approving the evening’s agenda, Council adopted the minutes for its February 25th regular meeting and the minutes of the regular January 14th meeting, which were amended to include the reporting of closed meeting items. These items include the appointment of Jason Van Der Wilk to the Valemount Industrial Park board, as well as the appointment of Ray Mikolash and Dylan Savoie to the Valemount Community Forest board.

Once these minutes were approved, Council heard a delegation from regional staff with the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship.

Cranberry Marsh expansion

Cranberry Marsh, also known as the Starratt Wildlife Management Area, has been under the management of the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship since 2011. The Ministry works with external partners – including the Village – to protect the area, which is an important part of the migration corridor for many waterfowl.

Two Ministry employees, Sherri Elwell and Duncan McColl, gave a presentation to Council about revisions to the area’s management plan, which will be finalized by fall 2025. The revisions include potentially expanding the area by 95 hectares total, by adding 42 hectares of Crown Land and 53 hectares from the Nature Trust of BC.

For more information about the potential expansion, click here.

Highway Association meeting

The Trans Canada Yellowhead Highway Association, which advocates for the improvement and maintenance of the Yellowhead Corridor running from Manitoba through B.C., sent the Village a call for resolutions ahead of the association’s annual general meeting. Councillor Pete Pearson, who is president of the Association, brought the letter to Council’s attention.

“The date has been set for the [meeting], May 23rd, and I’m looking for Council’s support to attend,” Pearson said.

Council moved to support Pearson attending the meeting in Edmonton.

Local governments convention

The Village of Valemount is a member of the North Central Local Government Association, a nonprofit which advocates for local government officials from 100 Mile House to the Yukon border. The Association is having its annual general meeting and convention in Prince Rupert from May 12th to the 15th.

Pearson moved to have all Councillors attend the convention. Council approved his motion.

Fire concerns at Cranberry Marsh

Resident Wendy Dyson wrote a letter to Council expressing concern about dead bulrushes, a type of marsh grass, at Cranberry Marsh.

“As we approach summer with lower-than-normal snowpack, I believe this creates a very dangerous fire risk,” Dyson wrote. “I urge the Village of Valemount to take the initiative to have this fire risk mitigated. Removing all the dead leaves would allow the roots to focus on new, healthy growth – resulting in greenery that might slow down a fire rather than dead leaves that will fuel it.”

Council moved to refer the request for fire mitigation to the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship.

“I’d like to thank Ms. Dyson for bringing that to our attention in her letter,” Blanchette added.

In-camera

Blanchette adjourned the open session of Council at 7:24 p.m. Council proceeded to a closed meeting for consideration of two items related to Section 90 (1) (g) and (k) of the Community Charter to discuss matters related to:
(g) litigation or potential litigation affecting the municipality, and
(k) negotiations and related discussions respecting the proposed provision of a municipal service that are at their preliminary stages and that, in the view of the council, could reasonably be expected to harm the interests of the municipality if they were held in public.