The regional growth plan for Calgary Metropolitan Regional Board (CMRB) was approved on Friday, May 21 and submitted to Minister of Municipal Affairs Ric McIver despite opposition from its three rural municipality members, including Wheatland County.
CMRB is composed of 10 municipalities--seven urban, and three rural--including the cities of Airdrie, Calgary, and Chestermere, and the counties of Foothills, Rocky View, and Wheatland. The growth plan shows proposed growth for these municipalities over the next 40 to 50 years, though the majority of growth was projected for urban members.
“There was majority support for the plans, but the three rural municipalities did vote in opposition due to numerous concerns,” Wheatland County Reeve Amber Link said during the regular Tuesday, June 1 Wheatland County council meeting.
Representatives from HDR Calthorpe previously presented the draft plan to Wheatland County council in March 2021.
During this meeting, council voiced concerns regarding the draft, including the lack of growth projected for Wheatland County. While other member municipalities are fully included in the regional plan, only a small “panhandle” of Wheatland County, which represents approximately one eighth of the county’s total land mass, is included in the CMRB regional plan.
HDR Calthorpe presented a revised draft of the regional growth plan to Wheatland County council members during the regular Tuesday, May 18 council meeting. Although the revised draft showed some changes to projected growth for the three rural member municipalities, this change was still minimal.
Reeve Link noted during the council meeting there was some good news which came out of recent CMRB meetings, with the board approving to send a letter to the waste policy section of Alberta Environment and Parks regarding a draft code of practice for composting.
The regional growth plan was approved by CMRB board members in a seven to three vote, with the urban municipalities voting in favour and the rural municipalities voting in opposition. The regional growth plan was submitted to Minister McIver for final approval on Tuesday, June 1.