RED DEER, ALTA. — The 2018 Alberta Urban Municipalities (AUMA) Conference and Trade Show was hosted in Red Deer last month for the first time in 20 years.
More than 1,000 delegates from across the province came to meet with provincial government officials, attend workshops and listen to various sessions.
The AUMA conference also honoured municipalities excelling in infrastructure.
Red Deer, along with the nearby communities of Lacombe, Blackfalds and Lacombe County, received the Sustainability in Collaboration Award.
They were chosen for their work on the North Red Deer Regional Wastewater System project, an inter-municipal initiative to address water quality in the Red Deer River, and to support the continued growth and sustainability of the central Alberta region.
“The City and our municipal counterparts appreciate that the partnership between our central Alberta communities is being recognized with an AUMA Sustainability in Collaboration Award,” said Tara Veer, Red Deer mayor, in a press release. “The North Red Deer Regional Waste Water project is a demonstration of Red Deer and the region’s long-term commitment and leadership to improved environmentally sustainable and financially efficient practices to protect the Red Deer River and watershed as a whole.”
The communities partnered to build a 28-kilometre wastewater pipeline, along with associated infrastructure, to connect them all to a regional wastewater treatment facility in Red Deer.
The system returns wastewater to the same basin from which it was drawn after treating it to a high environmental standard. According to AUMA, the project provides long-term sustainability in addressing the region’s critical wastewater needs.
Throughout the conference, meetings were held with provincial cabinet members to discuss a variety of topics, including infrastructure and energy infrastructure needs.
“Council raised some of our most urgent and pressing community issues, including the need for shelter and associated supports, with Minister (Irfan) Sabir, minister of community and social services,” said Veer. “The minister heard the significant challenges our council raised and committed to working with the city to find a long-term solution for our community.”
Marg McCuaig-Boyd, Alberta minister of energy, also met with attendees to discuss and provide updates on energy diversification developments and other important energy issues, such as the need for expanded pipeline infrastructure.
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