It's hard to believe that we are coming to the end of another amazing & eventful year in the Town of Killam.
Like all communities, we have had reasons to celebrate & reasons to grieve; we have shared in happy times & sad times. But whatever the event or emotion, we are blessed to be able to share with & lean on great friends & neighbors.
I have attached my message to the Town of Killam for Christmas 2012 following. I hope you find it interesting, and welcome your comments as always.
From our family to yours, Merry Christmas & the best in the new year.
Tammy & Bud
This past year we have had some collective achievements to celebrate.
Three of our community members were awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for their contribution to community. Congratulations to Ralph Sorenson, Robert Borth, and Sharleen Chevraux for receiving this honor, and congratulations to all recipients in our region.
In May Killam honored leaders past & present at the Hall of Fame event. Ralph Sorenson, Bob Gabruck, Herb & Marion Wilson, and John Albert Neely (Killam’s first Mayor) were inducted into the Hall of Fame, in a very well attended banquet & presentation.
Congratulations to Small Business Week award winners Fee & Sons Funeral Service (Customer Service), Campbell McLennan Chrysler (Community Spirit), and O’Brien Autobody (Small Business of the Year). These businesses set a great example for our growing business community. Also congratulations to Bradley Link who was recognized as an Outstanding Youth.
Killam was the lead municipality in receiving the “Minister’s Award for Municipal Excellence for Partnerships” from Alberta Municipal Affairs. This partnership is the development of the Eastern Alberta Trade Corridor project, a joint effort of Battle River Alliance for Economic Development, North East Alberta HUB, Palliser Economic Partnership, and its 83 municipal members.
Our community has taken delivery of a new Fire Truck in July to ensure our fire department staff continues to have the appropriate equipment to do this important job. Many thanks to our fire service volunteers for their commitment to deliver this service.
Our Main Street (50th) rebuild has been completed and we continue to receive positive comments from residents & visitors, including through a ‘First Impressions Survey’ project we completed with the Town of Castor. Castor’s impression of Killam can be found in their report, currently posted on the Town of Killam Website. As well the Main Street project was recognized by Alberta Public Works Association as their ‘Project of the Year’.
In addition, our 46 Street has been rebuilt. Pavement needed to be replaced, and there was also a need to correct an issue with the flow of rain water.
Killam competed this past summer for the title of “Pinkest Little Town in the West”, a Wild Pink Yonder Fundraising Project for Breast Cancer Research. The community participation was amazing, with fundraisers throughout the summer & pink decorations everywhere. Killam placed a very respectable 2nd in the competition, had a lot of fun doing it, and raised a lot of money for a good cause.
In other news, you may be interested to know that the equalized assessment for our municipality is just over $85 Million. This is the total market value of all properties within our corporate limits. Killam continues to grow, which is important to our future as a community.
Killam continues to be active in working with other levels of government and with the associations that represent us at those levels. Through Alberta Urban Municipalities Assn. (AUMA) and directly to provincial government, we are advocating for renewal of the Municipal Sustainability Initiative. Federally, through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), the program is the Federal Gas Tax allotment to municipalities. Our infrastructure is aging, and these funding programs are very important to allow us to deal with the issue of replacing those assets essential to our community.
Council continues to play an active role in work with our neighbors as well, in the areas of fire service, regional housing, waste management, medical staff recruitment, family & community services, and others.
On a sad note, Killam Town Councillor Blake Kinzer lost his battle with cancer this past year. The loss of Blake, former Mayor Reg Fee and other leaders in our community impacts us all; we will be thinking of their friends & family as we enter the Christmas season.
Our leaders and volunteers are very important to our sustainability; the people in our community are our greatest asset, and I want to thank you all for everything you do that has a positive effect on Killam. Our success depends on us being a great community to visit, to live in, and to work in, and our collective words & deeds define that success.
In October 2013 we will be having elections for Town of Killam Council and for Battle River School Board Trustee. If you are interesting in pursuing one of these positions, now is the time to start educating yourself on what the duties, time commitment, etc. are. For more information on the municipal election process or the positions of Mayor or Councillor, contact CAO Kim Borgel or speak with any of our Council members.
A big thank you goes out to our Town of Killam employees. CAO Kim Borgel & her team work hard daily to carry out policy developed by Council – sometimes not an easy task. Your efforts are much appreciated.
As we enter the final days of 2012 I hope you are able to spend time with family & friends, reflect on your blessings, and appreciate the good things we share as a community.
On behalf of my Council colleagues and our families, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and the very best for 2013.
Sincerely,
Bud James
Mayor
