Local politicians often have trouble looking past the borders of their own municipalities, and with good reason. They are elected by local voters to handle local issues. But when your municipality lies in the circle surrounding Edmonton, it’s obvious co-operation and farsightedness is key, if not required, for growth.
That’s why it was so refreshing this week to hear both St. Albert Mayor Nolan Crouse and Sturgeon County Mayor Tom Flynn release a joint statement, saying both municipalities were making new commitments to look seriously at co-operation and make sincere efforts to work together.
The bad blood between the two municipalities has been discussed for years, and it wasn’t unusual in nature. Urban and rural neighbours often get off on the wrong foot over things like annexation, recreational facilities and revenue sharing. For years St. Albert and Sturgeon politicians have said they’d work to make the relationship better. But talk was cheap, as little or no progress was made.
Both mayors stated they’re interested in meeting on a regular basis to talk about things like planning, and it really couldn’t come at a better time. There are plenty of interesting ideas and great opportunities for both municipalities to benefit from.
For instance, the city and county could look at teaming together to tackle that ever-elusive light industrial development plan. By pooling resources and contacts, both municipalities could work together to attract business, and their plans would likely get a warmer reception at the Capital Region Board as opposed to individual, competing economic development approaches.
The Villeneuve area structure plan, linked to the county’s desire to see more rural residential housing, is another great opportunity. The area obviously demands a variety of housing options, including acreages, but placing them on the city border would essentially hem St. Albert in from growing beyond its current northern boundary.
The Villeneuve Airport could realize its dream of emulating the Springbank Airport in Calgary with both the city and Sturgeon becoming ardent champions of its growth. As the hub for service to the north, Villeneuve would be the conduit to economic growth for both municipalities.
All successful relationships require sacrifice. Hopefully, St. Albert and Sturgeon will discover this as they work together and also realize that sacrifice usually results in far more benefit than either partner could have found alone.
