ELK POINT – Elk Point Town Council voiced support for the fall and winter’s upcoming community events at their Sept. 23 meeting, following an hour-long closed session discussion with Bonnyville – Cold Lake – St. Paul MLA Scott Cyr.
In that session, council made it clear that doctor recruitment is the top priority for the Town, with Cyr commending council for their hard work and dedication to this vital issue and assuring them that he will continue to advocate for more doctors in the Lakeland region to ensure its communities will receive the care they deserve.
He thanked council for discussing their municipal priorities that will help to grow the community, with healthcare playing an essential role.
The Alberta Health Services announcement the following day that “Due to an ongoing gap in physician coverage, the Elk Point Healthcare Emergency Department will be closed from 7 a.m. on Wednesdays to 8 a.m. on Thursdays until further notice,” underlines the urgent need for additional doctors to be obtained.
The town’s infrastructure needs were also part of the discussion with MLA Cyr.
Winterland tournament dates set
A second visitor to council chambers was Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) provincial events senior manager Oreen Skiba, who has represented the region for the past 10 years and who brought council an invitation to once again be involved in the 2025 Winterland Invitational Hockey Tournament, coming up Feb. 14 to 16, 2025.
While RMHC does hold other fundraising events during the year, Skiba told council, “This is the only hockey tournament. We have over 200 teams apply to be part of it and eventually we hope to expand.”
Since the first tournament was held in 2018 with 24 teams, the lineup grew to 48 teams in 2022. Last year, 40 teams played a total of 72 games on five ice surfaces in Bonnyville, Cold Lake and Elk Point, and this year, Skiba said, Glendon will be back on the list of tournament hosts.
Every player in the tournament receives a pair of red and white striped socks and two Heart and Hustle recipients are honoured at each and every game.
The 2024 tournament raised over $176,000 – “Our best year yet” – to support Alberta’s four Ronald McDonald Houses, located in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer and Medicine Hat, which in 20233, served over 1,150 families from 296 communities, providing them with over 21,000 nights of comfort while their children were receiving medical care.
Along with the sponsors who support this major RMHC fundraiser, Skiba offered “A huge thank you to (Deputy Mayor) Wanda Cochrane,” who coordinated the Family Day weekend event in Elk Point again last year, “and to the community for their support.”
Council agreed later in the meeting to once again support the Winterland tournament with a $500 donation.
Elk Point Ultra
A request from the Elk Point and District Chamber of Commerce and EDC for sponsorship of t-shirts for participants in the Oct. 5 Elk Point Ultra 65 km race also received council’s approval for a $600 donation from the Recreation budget. Elk Point’s Recreation Coordinator Caitlin Bush will join the numerous volunteers needed to get this inaugural race, which runs in conjunction with the Iron Horse Ultra 100, which in turn is part of the Alberta Ultra Series.
Curling rink request
A memorandum of understanding received by the Elk Point Curling Club regarding the town’s annual payment for the rink’s insurance brought a letter from the club asking for a longer agreement, rather than annual requests. Council agreed to a 10-year agreement to cover the cost of the annual insurance, this year up to a maximum of $7,000 for the 2025 insurance. The Curling Club’s additional requests, regarding the ice plant and other upgrades, were deferred to the October 23 and 24 budget meetings. It was noted that the County of St. Paul also supports the curling club on a regular basis.
Fire Service training
Council agreed to send a letter of support for the Elk Point Firefighters Association that will go to Alberta Counsel to be used in a grant application for the 2025 Fire Services Training Program for regional and local volunteer firefighters.
Policies reviewed
Another set of policies dating back to 2018 and 2021, this time dealing with the Bylaw Enforcement Officer investing complaints, keeping records, code of conduct and recruitment and selection, has now been reviewed and approved by council.
FCSSAA Conference
Deputy Mayor Wanda Cochrane and the Elk Point FCSS member–at-large were approved to attend the FCSSAA conference in Edmonton Nov. 13 to 15.
Waste Management ACP grant
Council approved participation in a joint ACP grant application for a study on Regional Waste Service Delivery, with the Town of St. Paul as the managing partner.
Halloween hours
With a very busy October that includes budget meetings ahead of them, Elk Point Town Council has already set the 2024 Halloween hours, which will once again be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 31.
