The town of Bonnyville has received a nearly two-million dollar cheque from the MD as part of the intermunicipal Cooperation Program (IMCP), which the town plans to use on roads and a new drug-unit for the local police.
The IMCP was implemented in 2016 between the M.D. of Bonnyville and the neighboring communities. Thanks to the initiative, the town can deposit $1,963,686.48 cents into the bank. With Regional Community Development Funds, Centennial Centre and Airport funding taken into consideration, the town has received $3,840,839.48 for 2016.
Funding will continue next year as well. In a letter to town council, M.D. Reeve Ed Rondeau advised that the IMCP funding of $3,839, 146 had been approved for 2017.
“This funding goes a long way to assisting us to remain sustainable in these difficult economic times,” notes Mayor Gene Sobolewski. ‘We appreciate the close relationship we have with the M.D. of Bonnyville. This program is an excellent example of intermunicipal
collaboration, critical to the long-term viability of the Town and contributes to the well-being of all of our residents.”
Mayor Sobolewski and Reeve Rondeau had a photo-op with the cheque at Tuesday’s town council meeting.
The Town of Bonnyville used the 2016 funds to help offset the costs of several projects; the 51 st Avenue Infrastructure Project, annual
road upgrades, crosswalk lights at the Centennial Centre and the connector road from the Beau Vista Subdivision to the 7-Eleven in the east end of Town. In 2017, funds will be used to pave the unfinished portion of Gumeyville Road, pave 661 Street (south) and hire an additional RCMP officer for the new Drug Unit. The Drug Unit is a particularly exciting prospect for Reeve Rondeau.
“We would be looking at hiring three constables. The province will supply one, the town will supply one and the MD through our IMCP program will supply one as well,” Rondeau explained at the town’s council meeting. “I can see nothing but good stuff coming from this. Currently it’s very difficult for them to go out and investigate to the full extent that they should because they’re so busy with a whole bunch of other things. These people will be dedicated to this. They won’t be trying to do this in their spare time, they’re going to be doing this full time. We’re really looking forward to how this pans out.”