Sturgeon County Council Recap: June 16, 2026

Here are the highlights from Sturgeon County Council’s regular meeting on June 16, 2026.

PROCLAMATIONS

Mayor Hnatiw proclaimed June 21, 2026, as National Indigenous Peoples Day in Sturgeon County.

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

Request for Municipal Tax Relief for Tax Roll 3024001

Sturgeon County resident Amanda Bodhi presented to Council to request municipal tax relief for 2025 property tax arrears, based on compassionate grounds as outlined in section 6.12 of the Municipal Tax Relief Policy.

Council referred the request to Administration to present a recommendation at a future Council Meeting.

YEG-ZVL Noise Advisory Committee Appointment

The YEG/ZVL Noise Advisory Committee reviews and makes recommendations concerning issues related to aircraft-generated noise in the Edmonton region.

Council approved that Mayor Hnatiw be appointed to the YEG-ZVL Noise Advisory Committee effective immediately.

2026 T1 Financial Report

Council received the 2026 T1 Financial Report for the period ended April 30, 2026 as information.

Council approved that $750,000 from the Heartland Signage Project be released to the Machinery & Equipment Reserve.

Bylaw 1712/26 – Morinville Colony Redistricting – Second and Third Readings

Council passed Bylaw 1712/26, which amends Land Use Bylaw 1385/17 to redistrict lands associated with the Morinville Colony to provide for a range of residential, agricultural, institutional, and other uses normally associated with a communal farming colony.

Bylaw 1709/26 – Waste Management Regulations – Second and Third Readings

Council passed Bylaw 1709/26, which is a County-led amendment to the Land Use Bylaw. The regulations seek to provide greater clarity in responding to enquiries about potential new waste management facilities and better assist development compliance regarding unauthorized sites.

Bylaw 1707/26 – Dynamic Demolition and Recycling Redistricting – First Reading

Council gave first reading to the bylaw. A public hearing will be held at a future meeting to receive public input before Council considers further readings of the bylaw.

Bylaw 1707/26 proposes to amend Land Use Bylaw 1385/17 to district a portion of 26431 Township Road 540 from AG – Agriculture District to DC26 – Direct Control District 26 to better accommodate an existing aggregate recycling yard business.

Bylaw 1715/26 – Prairie Gardens Redistricting – First Reading

Council gave first reading of the bylaw. A public hearing will be held at a future meeting to receive public input before Council considers further readings of the bylaw.

Bylaw 1715/26 would amend Land Use Bylaw 1385/17 to redistrict Prairie Gardens & Adventure Farm (56311 Lily Lake Road) from AG – Agriculture District to AG2 – Agriculture 2 District to accommodate an existing agriculture support service operation.

Bylaw 1708/26 – Repeal of Bylaw 1259/11 – Sierra Ridge and Riverside Springs Development Area Off-Site Levy Bylaw – Second and Third Readings

Council passed Bylaw 1708/26, which repeals Bylaw 1259/11.

Bylaw 1259/11 was passed in 2011 but was never reconciled. This has resulted in outdated capital infrastructure cost estimates, allocations, benefiting lands, and associated engineering and planning studies. As a result, it may present an inaccurate picture of development costs in the area and create financial risk for the municipality.

Bylaw 1716/26 – Heartland Incentive Bylaw Amendments – First Reading

Council gave first reading of Bylaw 1716/26, which would introduce a process to reduce uncertainty and ambiguity during applicant assessment appeals.

Council also voted to undertake a review of the Heartland Incentive Bylaw and the Major Investment Incentive Bylaw and directed Administration to provide a report to Council by Q1 2027 to confirm alignment with the County’s economic development objectives and reflect the current economic conditions and competitive position; and further, that the intake of new applications to both programs be paused until this review is complete.

Feasibility of Extending Sturgeon County Broadband Fibre Program to Sturgeon Valley Estates Subdivision

Council directed that Administration prepare a design drawing package to extend Sturgeon County’s broadband fibre program to the Sturgeon Valley Estates subdivision at a cost of up to $20,000, to be funded from the Municipal Tax Stabilization Reserve.

Council also passed a motion for additional Councillor requests for the broadband fibre program to be referred to the Capital committee for discussion and consideration.

Notices of Motion

Members of Council gave notice that they intend to introduce the following motions at the June 30, 2026 Regular Council Meeting:

Emergency Access to the North Saskatchewan River

That Administration to engage partners in the Industrial Heartland regarding recent interest in an emergency river access on the North Saskatchewan River and bring forward a summary to Council by September 2026 of inputs, responsibilities, and any required municipal approvals or supports that may be required.

Dark Sky Policy

That Administration bring forward terms of reference for a Dark Sky Policy to the July 14, 2026 Regular Council Meeting.

Community Grant Program Review

That Administration review Sturgeon County’s operating and capital community grant programs and bring back options in Q4 2026 to fund non-profit organizations that do not operate facilities.

Report on Employee Work Arrangements

That Administration provide a report to Council at the August 25, 2026 Regular Council Meeting on employee remote and hybrid work arrangements, and known financial, legal, and practical implications to any adjustment options.

County Funding for signalization at the Provincial Intersection at Highways 643 and 38

That Administration work with the Government of Alberta to determine the feasibility of signal installation at the provincial intersection at Highways 643 and 38.

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

Ecological Health of Redwater Recreation Area

Council received the Ecological Health of Redwater Wildfire Area presentation as information. The presentation provided scientific context related to post wildfire landscape recovery, ecological sensitivity, and the potential influence of recreational activities such as off-highway vehicle (OHV) use.

STARS Presentation

Council received the annual STARS presentation as information. The Committee also recommended that the annual contribution to STARS be increased to $3 per capita, an annual increase of $12,000, beginning in 2027.

Fast facts about land use bylaw amendments and public hearings

At Sturgeon County, before Council gets public feedback on a proposed land use bylaw amendment, it gives the proposed bylaw first reading. This does not mean Council supports the bylaw; this allows the proposed bylaw to go to the next stage of the bylaw process, which is gathering public input.

Public hearings, along with other public notices, are promoted on the public notices page on the Sturgeon County website as well as in local newspapers, on social media, and on road signs in accordance with the new Sturgeon County Public Notification Bylaw.

Public hearings are open to any members of the public to view or provide input.

Viewing the public hearing: You can view the hearing in-person or via livestream at www.sturgeoncounty.ca/CouncilMeetings
Making a written submission: you can provide a written submission by email up to the close of the public hearing.
Speaking at the public hearing: you can provide a statement at the public hearing in person or via videoconference. You are encouraged to pre-register to speak in-person at the public hearing. If you wish to speak via videoconference, you must register at least 24 hours prior to the opening of the public hearing. Register by contacting Legislative Services at 780-939-8029.

When considering public input, Council considers how and to what degree the person is impacted by the proposed amendment.