Facilities/Infrastructure
Sturgeon County prepares for its re-opening strategy
Sturgeon County, Alberta – The Government of Alberta announced its provincial Stage 2 relaunch as of June 12, 2020. Sturgeon County will continue to take direction from Alberta Health Services to prevent the spread of COVID-19 cases and we will also monitor the number of positive cases of COVID-19 in the region.
“Sturgeon County will be implementing a carefully planned and staged approach to re-opening municipal facilities to the public,” states Mayor Alanna Hnatiw. “And residents can expect the delivery of services to look different.” Changes will include enhanced infection control measures – including physical distancing requirements, practicing good hygiene, monitoring for symptoms and making changes related to COVID-19 conditions accordingly. Necessary facility modifications are underway and targeted re-opening dates may be subject to change at the discretion of the County.
Updated July 6, 2020
Re-Opening Stage 1: July 2, 2020
- Council Chambers to re-open for a quorum of Council by June 30.
- Sturgeon County front counter services to re-open for business on July 2, 2020 as follows:
- Sturgeon County Centre – all services including tax payments, except for Development Support Services, opening with Stage 2.
- Agriculture Service Trailer
- Family & Community Support Services
- Protective Services
- Sturgeon South
- Assessment Services (July 15th at Sturgeon County Centre)
- Family & Community Support Services continues to offer virtual and telephone services for residents seeking supports. Call (780) 939-8334 for more information.
- Sports fields and diamonds for casual use and bookings for organized sports are open (following all Alberta Health Services guidelines).
Re-Opening Stage 2: Aug. 4, 2020
- Council Chambers to re-open with appropriate social distancing requirements
- Development Support Services counter at Sturgeon County Centre
Re-Opening Stage 3: To-Be-Determined
- Occupancy limit in Council Chambers and common areas will increase following the advice of the Government of Alberta.
- In person meetings or collaboration no longer discouraged provided health regulations are being followed.
For a listing of recreation facility/amenity re-opening timelines, visit sturgeoncounty.ca/COVID19. Sturgeon County continues to encourage phone and online contact with Sturgeon County staff, including online bill payments, where possible. Please call 780-939-4321 before coming to Sturgeon County offices.
As a reminder, Sturgeon County tax payments are due on June 30th; however, penalty fees are waived until the end of August 2020. If you are not able to pay your taxes by June 30th, please register for an extension at www.sturgeoncounty.ca/COVID19/Tax-Payment to waive the tax penalty fees.
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July 10, 2020 – Garage and Yard Sales in Sturgeon County
Residents who wish to host or attend a garage or yard sale are encouraged to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19 by following the health and safety precautions required by Alberta Health Services. While the Province has relaxed restrictions with stage 2 of its relaunch, garage sales have the potential to violate mandatory physical distancing and sanitizing requirements.
For your safety, and the safety of others, some recommendations for garage/yard sales are:
- Implement practices to minimize the risk of transmission of infection among attendees, like providing hand sanitizer.
- A maximum of 100 individuals at an outdoor gathering, and 50 individuals at an indoor gathering are permitted with 2 metres of distance maintained between members of different households.
- If you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, do NOT host or attend a garage sale.
As much as possible, Sturgeon County residents are encouraged to comply with the COVID-19 General Relaunch Guidance and any other applicable Alberta Health guidance found at: https://www.alberta.ca/biz-connect.aspx
For more information about Sturgeon County’s COVID-19 response, visit https://www.sturgeoncounty.ca/COVID19
May 14, 2020 - Risk of Water Stagnation in Sturgeon Industrial Park and ProNorth Industrial Park
During the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses have been affected by low or zero occupancy and reduced water flow through the building. Under these conditions, water may stagnate, disinfection residuals decline and water temperatures change, creating environments which may support microbial and chemical risks in water systems. In Sturgeon County, Sturgeon Industrial Park and Pro North Industrial Park are most at risk. To reduce those risks and prepare for building re-entry, Alberta Health Services recommends water systems be flushed for 15-30 minutes prior to reopening.
Read the “GUIDANCE FOR FLUSHING WATER SYSTEMS” for more information.
April 29, 2020 – Community Garage and Yard Sales are Not Permitted
Sturgeon County is reminding its residents that community garage and yard sales are not permitted until provincial public health orders are relaxed or cancelled due to COVID19. Please refer to the public notice for more information.
April 20, 2020 – Redwater Sandhills Natural Area under Provincial OHV Ban
Update: The Alberta government lifted OHV Ban late Friday, April 17. This included Redwater Sandhills Natural Area, as for fires this area it remains “No Open Fires” permitted. There are no other fire bans or otherwise within Sturgeon County.
Bylaw 1476-20 Burning Bylaw
Cancelled: April 16, 2020 – Redwater Sandhills Natural Area under Provincial OHV Ban
On Tuesday, April 14, the Alberta government issued a fire ban for Alberta’s Forest Protection Area, provincial parks and protected areas and banned recreational off-highway vehicles (OHV) on Crown land in the Forest Protection Area.
Alberta Fire bans.ca/ or Alberta Parks.ca/redwater-pra/
In Sturgeon County, this ban applies to the use of OHV in the Redwater Sandhills Natural Area. This area is currently signed prohibiting open fires year-round and will have OHV Ban signage posted by Provincial authorities.
Residents are encouraged to continue responsible burning practices. Conditions throughout the County relating to fire hazards are being monitored and if required, restrictions or bans will be implemented and communicated at sturgeoncounty.ca on social media. Fire permits are available online at sturgeonservices.ca
April 3, 2020 – Alexander First Nation Road Closure
In keeping with a number of public measures to protect communities from COVID-19, Alexander First Nation (AFN) has temporarily limited access to their Nation.
- Sturgeon County residents should note that road closures and checkpoints may impact their normal travel patterns.
- These changes are part of the State of Emergency declaration issued by AFN Council earlier this week in order to limit the pandemic risk to Nation residents.
- At this time, no outside visitors are permitted to enter the Nation.
- Access to affected roads is being monitored and all travellers will be detoured unless they are AFN residents.
- While we recognize that these temporary changes may be inconvenient for some, the continued health and well-being of all of our Sturgeon County residents is the utmost priority.
- Sturgeon County appreciates your patience and compliance with these temporary new travel conditions within our region and will provide further updates on any changes.