Town of Drumheller council has approved amendments to the 2025 Utility, Operating, and Capital budgets, as well as a one per cent overall increase to the previously approved tax rate bylaw following the regular Tuesday, April 22 council meeting.
These amendments are due to several significant budgetary pressures stemming from multiple unplanned water operations repairs at the beginning of 2025, and projected budget shortfalls in both the Operating and Capital budgets due to unplanned repairs and increased costs stemming from ongoing instability due to tariffs imposed by the United States.
Chief Financial Officer and Corporate and Community Services Director Victoria Chan explained that council previously approved the 2025 Utility Rate Bylaw in November 2024, and the budget overages and shortfalls caused by unexpected repairs in early 2025 will not affect user rates. However, it was noted these will be funded through both Water and Sewer/Wastewater Reserves.
A total of $408,000 was requested to support four projects--cleaning and isolation valve repair at the Raw Water Ponds, as well as water main repairs in the amount of $100,000 each; land purchase at 2940 South Railway Avenue in the amount of $188,000; and reallocation of the energy supervisor salary in the amount of $20,000-with $304,000 being transferred from the Water Reserves, and $104,000 transferred from Sewer/Wastewater Reserves.
Along with the Utility Budget transfers, council also approved a transfer from reserves of $443,544 to support an anticipated deficit in the 2025 Operating Budget. This deficit stems from four major areas-an additional $21,000 for IT Services, which was recently awarded to Reality Bytes Inc.; along with an unplanned smoke alarm issue at the Badlands Community Facility (BCF) which required $25,000 to rectify the issue to address the concern, and an additional $10,000 required for an unplanned fire pumper repair.
The Town is also preparing for potential cost increases stemming from the implementation of tariffs by the United States by preparing to use an estimated $106,000 in cost savings from the elimination of the Consumer Carbon Tax to offset these potential tariff impacts.
Two additional projects which were not initially included in the 2025 Capital Budget have also caused shortfalls within the budget. A Design Phase Readiness project for the Hoodoos Parking area, estimated at $250,000, which will be funded through Capital Reserves and revenue from the Paid Parking program, will be added to the Town’s Capital projects, as well as reclamation of Lehigh estimated at $400,000; Lehigh reclamation will be partially funded through a $226,000 grant from the Alberta Drought and Flood Protection Program, with the remainder being supported by Capital Reserves and tax base funding.
To accommodate for the Operating and Capital budgetary shortfalls, council approved a transfer from Capital Reserves in the amount of $150,000 and $212,280 from the Contingency Reserve to support the two additional Capital projects. Council also approved a one per cent increase to the tax rate, bringing the total tax rate to four per cent, which will increase the Operating Budget by $47,000 and the Capital Budget by $424,000.

While election watchers had to wait Monday night for results across Canada, the count in Battle River-Crowfoot was decisive.
Incumbent MP Damien Kurek had no trouble retaining his seat. He captured more than 82 percent of the vote. This is higher than his 2021 results, where he captured 71.3 per cent of the vote.
Brent Sutton of the Liberal Party captured about 11 per cent. James Mackay of the NDP received just over 4 per cent of the vote, Jonathan Bridges of the People’s Party of Canada received just under two per cent of the vote, and the Green Party received less than one per cent.
“Parliament looks very different from how it did in February. It is an honour to have a mandate from the people of Battle River Crowfoot to continue to work for them in parliament to make sure their voices are heard, and it will be very interesting to see what this new parliament looks and feels like,” said Kurek. “As we get recalled here, in what I am assuming the next couple of weekends, where there is also a very different policy agenda.”
It was less than an hour after the last poll closed that most networks declared that Mark Caney would be the next Prime Minister and the Liberal Party would be forming a government. It took hours, however, to determine whether it would be a majority or a minority.
In the end, the Liberal Party of Canada captured 169 seats, up from 160 seats in the 2021 election, short of the 172 needed for a majority.
Prime Minister Carney’s acceptance speech centred around many of the challenges facing Canada, including trade with the US, sovereignty, job creation, building homes and creating a resource corridor.
“I began with humility, and Canadians are ambitious, and now more than ever, it is a time for ambition, it is time to be bold to meet this crisis with an overwhelming positive force of a United Canada," said Carney.
The Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) made gains and captured 144 seats, up from 119 seats in 2021.
Leader Pierre Poilievre was not able to retain his seat in the Carleton Riding, a seat he had held since 2004. He indicated he would stay and fight.
“We are cognizant of the fact that we didn’t quite get over the finish line. We know that change is needed, but change is hard to come by; it takes time, and it takes work. That is why we have to learn the lessons of tonight so we can have an even better result the next time Canadians decide the future of the country,” Poilievre said in his speech.
The NDP were decimated in the polarized race, capturing only seven seats and losing official party status. Leader Jagmeet Singh lost his seat.
In the Bow River Riding, newcomer David Bexte of the CPC captured the seat with 78.7 per cent. Bentley Barnes of the Liberal Party received about 17 percent of the vote, and Luisa Gwin of the NDP received 3 percent. Tom Lipp of the Christian Heritage Party and Aaron Patton of the United Party each captured under one per cent of the vote.
All results listed are preliminary until declared official.