ST. PAUL – Community growth and regional collaboration was a big focus for the Town of St. Paul in 2023 and will continue to be a focus in 2024.
Town of St. Paul Mayor Maureen Miller says it’s important for the community to grow, and growth encompasses all aspects of the municipality’s development, from attracting businesses, to investments, and population growth.
“If you want your children to stay in the community, the community has to grow. So, I’m needing the community to acknowledge or to move with us,” she said. And to do that, “I need an outstanding education system... an outstanding medical system,” and the staff to power those systems.
Regional collaboration was also another focus for the Town, and Miller believes it’s all connected.
To grow, collaboration with partner municipalities is important, such as with the County of St. Paul, Town of Elk Point, and Summer Village of Horseshoe Bay. The four municipalities also formed the STEP (St. Paul-Elk Point) Economic Development Alliance.
Highlights
Miller says there has been increased collaboration among municipalities in the St. Paul region, looking at “regional service delivery,” from things like street sweeping and snow removal, to bigger initiatives such as how local airports operate.
Other examples include the approval of three Alberta Community Partnership (ACP) grants. ACP grants are grants applied jointly by partnering municipalities. These grants will be used to conduct studies about things such as tourism and housing.
The Town of St. Paul, as the primary applicant, was approved a grant of $195,000 for its Regional Housing Inventory and Needs Assessment project in December 2023.
Other highlights include community development efforts such as the completion of the Regional Multipurpose Leisure Centre Feasibility Study presented to the Town, County of St. Paul and Town of Elk Point in September 2023.
According to information from the Town, the constructions of a fieldhouse “has the potential to significantly enhance the recreational opportunities available in the region.”
Miller says a fieldhouse was a top request from the community following community engagement done for its Strategic Plan 2021-2023, which was conducted three years ago.
Feasibility studies are important, according to Miller, as they allow partnering municipalities to study the feasibility and the economic impact of large projects, such as the potential creation of a fieldhouse in the St. Paul region.
Other 2023 highlights include the Elk Point/St. Paul Regional Water Commission Regulation, of which the Town is a part of, receiving $1.2 million through the Alberta Water for Life program, for its $3.6 million reservoir expansion, located east of St. Paul.
2024 Goals
Moving into 2024, Miller also provided some goals for the town, including the review of its Strategic Plan. The Town’s Strategic plan is put together every four years. The 2021-23 Strategic Plan was approved in March 2021.
Other goals include doing a study to review the actual costs of providing water to Town residents, in order to accurately set water rates. Miller says the completion of the study may or may not end up increasing water rates for residents.
Miller also pointed to the work being done by the M.D. of St. Paul Foundation. The group is responsible for overseeing senior and affordable housing within the St. Paul region. The foundation is a regional commission made up of the Town of St. Paul, the County of St. Paul, and the Town of Elk Point.
The foundation has applied for funding for a major upgrade of Sunnyside Manor. The mayor says a response regarding the success of the application is expected by Jan. 15.
Challenges
Asked if she anticipates any challenges moving into 2024, Miller spoke again of community growth.
She says she would like the municipality to be part of “extremely, aggressively” attracting businesses, developers, industry, and people to work and live in the community.
Recruitment challenges, such as those in the healthcare field, and many areas of the service industry, will likely continue to be a challenge in 2024.
“Challenges are not just about money... but how we grow as a community... They’re all related,” says the mayor.
