After confirming information about its business plans and safety improvements, Prairie Gardens and Adventure Farm will offer ongoing agritourism activities and special events this fall.
Prairie Gardens addressed the following public safety and land use requirements:
- Completed improvements to comply with provincial building and safety codes.
- Made safety and functional improvements to public parking areas and property accesses.
- Developed plans, which specify business hours, noise limits, and other site factors, to offer diversified agriculture services (petting zoo and corn maze)
- Confirmed traffic plans that align with intersection limits to safely support vehicles – current intersections can support roughly 50 vehicles per day according to Alberta Transportation.
- Proposed measures to safely support events with a higher volume of traffic (up to about 180 vehicles per day). These special events – scheduled over 13 days on most weekends between Aug. 19 and Oct. 22 – will have temporary speed limit changes, signage, visitor management systems, on-site staff, and other measures to protect public safety.
Questions?
Contact Planning and Development Services
780-939-8275
Email
During special events, the speed limit on Lily Lake Road near Prairie Gardens will decrease from 100 kilometres per hour to 80 kilometres per hour. Prairie Gardens will use the noted measures to accommodate higher volumes of visitors.
The volume of traffic that can be safely supported by intersections is set by Alberta Transportation. Business owners are responsible for road improvements when their business is the source of increased traffic. A temporary development permit allows Prairie Gardens to operate during its 2023 peak season and ensures appropriate public safety measures are in place. Special events for 2024 and beyond need consideration of infrastructure improvements.
Sturgeon County will conduct periodic enforcement spot checks to monitor compliance.
Sturgeon County supports local agribusiness and agritourism
Last year, Sturgeon County launched new supports for agricultural landowners, helping them further diversify their operations through agribusiness and agritourism. These supports include a range of uses such as agricultural processing facilities, u-picks and agricultural experiences such as farm-to-table dinners and corn mazes.
Sturgeon County does not require permits or approvals for traditional agricultural operations, such as raising and cultivating crops and livestock.
Sturgeon County continues to advocate for diversified agriculture. At the Rural Municipalities of Alberta spring convention in March, rural municipalities supported Sturgeon County’s ask for a provincial review of agribusiness and agritourism. This resolution seeks a joint provincial/municipal review to look at how government can encourage diversification, align regulatory requirements and help the sector grow responsibly.
