The Land Stewardship Act passed in 2009 and since then, the lower Athabasca region has been the testing grounds for the Land Use Framework. Judging from the MD of Bonnyville's meeting with two Framework defenders last week, it's not going over so well.
MD of Bonnyville councillors nailed it on the head with several pointed criticisms. First, the MD had no representation on the advisory committee that made the draft. To be fair, Dave Bartesko, with the Land Use Secretariat, noted that candidates were nominated by the AAMDC and then were approved by cabinet. In some areas, it would have been impossible to accommodate the many municipalities within each of the province's seven zones under the Framework.
However, in the lower Athabasca region, the MD of Bonnyville stands out as one of only a few rural municipalities. Surely there would have been room at the table if the cabinet had wanted to hear what the MD had to say.
Councillors directed their biggest grievance toward the clause that places cabinet authority above municipal power and forces compliance with the act. Where a conflict between the Municipal Government Act and the Framework exists, the Framework wins. More than one councillor called it a “communist” idea.
Lawyer Keith Wilson says school books will have to be rewritten to accommodate the act, which he says strips people of the right to compensation, and takes the right away to take the government to court.
There is indeed something reminiscent of communism in the "government knows best" attitude that hauls land use decision-making to the capital, leaving the rural municipalities without teeth to make land use decisions and struggling to conform to the plan.
The MD of Bonnyville councillors and administrators that stood up last week to denounce the act should be applauded for taking a courageous stand in the face of government arrogance.
To be fair, the two people sent to defend the act were more than willing to listen and promised to take council's concerns and suggestions back - which could have an impact on the second draft of the Regional Plan due out in spring.
However, the problem lies not in the details, but in the overarching scheme and in its denigrating of landowner and municipal rights in favour of almost dictatorial cabinet power.
Bartesko said the passion he saw from council has been unmatched. He also said it was the first time he's heard a municipality call it “communist.” It is unlikely it's the first time he's heard that the act could be the downfall of the PC government - and if the PCs want to compete in the northeast region next election, a serious revisiting or repeal of the act is in short order.
