Town of Coalhurst

A great place to live, work and play!

News and Updates

In this section find current and archived news releases for the Town of Coalhurst and other local news of interest to residents.

Miners Days Parade Registration

On behalf of the Town of Coalhurst, you are invited to join in the Coalhurst 2023 Miners Day Parade. As in past years, we invite you to enter your float and/or have Dignitaries, Council, or Board members participate in the parade.

The parade particulars are as follows:

  • 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.: Pancake Breakfast – Details to follow
  • 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: Parade assembly will be the Coalhurst High School on 55th Avenue
  • 10:15 a.m. -11:00 a.m.: Judging of parade entries (Note: Floats not registered before 10:00 a.m. will not be included in the judging process. There will be a 1st prize in each category and a 1st overall prize.
  • 11:00 a.m.: Parade begins

The parade will begin promptly at 11:00 a.m., led by the parade marshal and the RCMP. Please stay at least five (5) meters behind the entry in front of you and please maintain a forward motion.

Candy and marketing materials may not be distributed from your float or vehicle. Please have someone walk beside your float to distribute candy so children maintain a safe distance from the floats. If distributing flyers or other paper-based materials, these must be given by hand to individuals along the parade route to avoid any littering.

Above all, be kind and have fun!

If you have any questions, please contact Kim Horak
Email: [email protected] | Cell: 403-330-7570

To register, click here to complete the form: REGISTRATION FORM

Click here for a PDF of the Parade Route for 2023

Advance Voting is Now Open!

Advance voting for the 2023 Provincial General Election is now open. In Coalhurst, advance polls are being held at the Coalhurst Community Centre, 527-50th Ave. Coalhurst, and are open from 9am – 8pm on Tuesday, May 23, Wednesday, May 24, Thursday, May 25, Friday, May 26 and Saturday, May 27.

Election Day is Monday, May 29, 2023, with polls at the Coalhurst Community Centre open from 9am – 8pm.

During advance voting days you may vote at any advance voting location in Alberta. If you are unable to attend the Community Centre, go to https://map.elections.ab.ca/Index.aspx to find the location closest to you.

For more information about voting in this election, including ID requirements and what to do if you’ve been impacted by the wildfires, go to: https://www.elections.ab.ca/current-election-information/

Spring Clean-up

Spring Clean-up 2023

The intent of spring clean-up is to allow residents to dispose of yard waste, branches, and large items. We ask that residents use their garbage carts for regular bagged waste throughout the year to help reduce trucking and loader clean-up costs. Up to $8,000 could be saved if we reduce regular garbage from spring clean-up.

 Piles of loose debris will not be picked up.

You must have all of you Items out by 8:00 AM May 25th.

Please do not put items out before May 18th.

Items placed out after that time will be the responsibility of the homeowner/resident.

Items that will be collected:

Tree branches: stack neatly in one direction as to not impede traffic in the lane. Please bundle small branches with string. No branches over 6 ft in length. Place branches in a separate pile as they are picked up at a different time.

Bagged yard waste

Furniture and mattresses

Appliances: All appliances that do not contain freon. No refrigerators/ freezers

Metal Items:  Bikes, BBQs, other metal items place in a separate pile as metal is recycled and picked up at a different time.

Electronics: Place in a separate pile as these items are picked up at a different time.

We will not collect:

Renovation or Construction Material

Dirt, rocks, concrete, bricks, sod

Roofing Materials (shingles)

Paints, solvents, chemicals, oils, antifreeze

Car parts or car bodies

Drywall

Refrigerator, freezers, A/C units or other items containing freon gas

Important Notice from LNID

NOTICE TO ALL LNID WATER USERS MAY 3, 2023

RE: ALBERTA AGRICULTURE & IRRIGATION MAIN CANAL REPAIRS

The Board of Directors met today May 3, 2023 to review the latest information the LNID has received from Alberta Agriculture & Irrigation (“AA&I”) concerning the status of repairs to the LNID Headworks Canal (the “Headworks Canal”).  As we have earlier advised our water users, ground conditions had caused some embankment instability in a section of the Headworks Canal upstream of the Oldman River Flume.  The Alberta Government hired a contractor to effect the repairs over this past winter.  Upon completion of the repairs this spring, AA&I began to commission the repairs and turned water into the Headworks Canal on April 25th and discovered construction-related leaks at the site of the repair work.  The leaks were significant enough to warrant shutting down the Headworks Canal which was done on April 26th.

We have been advised by AA&I that additional contract resources have been engaged by the Alberta Government effective May 3, 2023 to expedite repairs.  No further water will flow in the Headworks Canal until the leaks are repaired.  We have been given no time frame for completion of these latest repairs, and we will continue to communicate with AA&I for updates on the status of the work.

For now, the District has access to water at the outlet of Keho Lake, and some water stored in the Monarch Canal from which we will continue to run minimum flow where possible, to prime pipelines and fill ponds, however,
NO IRRIGATION will be permitted, off of any of our systems, until we advise otherwise.

The Board is asking that all water users cooperate and not irrigate any acres at this time.

Please DO NOT contact your Water District Coordinator for information on the status of water and Main Canal repairs.  Contact your Board Member.  The District will keep you informed as information is received.

Water will become available, but it is not yet known as too how much and when.

The next email update will be issued on Friday, May 5, 2023.

LNID Board of Directors

Seasonal Labourers needed!

The Town of Coalhurst is hiring 2 Seasonal Labourers for work from May 15, 2023 to September 1, 2023 in the Public Works Department.
The ideal candidates will:
• Have the ability to work effectively under minimal supervision
• Have a clean Class 5 Driver’s License (a current driver’s abstract will be required)
• Be able to lift up to 50 lbs. regularly throughout the day
• Be familiar with the operations of various types of trucks, tractors, and lawn mowing equipment.
• Have knowledge of routine vehicle and equipment maintenance
• Have experience in sprinkler and building maintenance
This position has a 40-hour workweek and is compensated, depending on experience, between $17.33/hour and $19.50/hour.
If interested, please submit your resume by 4:30 PM on May 8, 2023 to

Kevin Lewis
Town of Coalhurst
100 – 51 Avenue
PO Box 456
Coalhurst, AB T0L 0V0
Or by email to [email protected]

*All applicants are thanked for submitting their application; however, only those considered for an interview will be contacted.

COALHURST WELCOMES NEW CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

For immediate release – Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Coalhurst Town Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Shawn Patience as the new Chief Administrative Officer, effective May 2023.

“We are very pleased to welcome Shawn to our administrative team,” says Mayor Lyndsay Montina, adding that Patience comes to the role with a wealth of experience. “He is a well-respected leader with a demonstrated commitment to efficiency, community development, and building strong organizational cultures.”

Patience is a familiar face to many in the region, having served four terms on municipal council in Fort Macleod, Alta. including three as mayor. He holds both a Local Authority Administration (NACLAA) and Land Use Planning certificate from the University of Alberta, and his background includes extensive experience in community and regional economic development including leadership roles with numerous local and regional organizations such as the Alberta Southwest Regional Economic Development Alliance and the Fort Macleod Historical Association.

“Coalhurst is a great community with such tremendous potential,” says Patience. “Every community presents new challenges and opportunities and I look forward to building on the strong relationships the Town has already established to help them achieve even more in the years ahead.”

Most recently, Patience has been serving as CAO in the newly established Diamond Valley, Alta., an amalgamation of the former towns of Black Diamond and Turner Valley. Being involved in that unique transition has been incredibly rewarding but Patience is looking forward to working closer to home.

“You don’t get many chances to come home,” says Patience, who is married with two grown children and four grandchildren. “This opportunity lets me do the work I love closer to the people I love. I am hoping to bring the experience, best practices and collaborative approach I’ve gained in other communities to the administration in Coalhurst.”

Patience will officially step into his new role in May. Reporting to Coalhurst Town Council, he will oversee Town administration and employees, ensuring that the organization effectively provides services to the community, plans for growth and delivers on Council’s key focus areas.

The Wetlands Community Engagement

Stormwater Management and The Wetlands

The Town of Coalhurst remains active in pursuing and completing upgrades to the stormwater management system to minimize the impacts of overland flooding and protect existing public and private infrastructure. Since the completion of the Stormwater Management Plan in 2017, the Town has received Provincial and Federal Grants to complete identified stormwater projects.

Phase 1: Complete

The first phase of the stormwater management plan was to complete a stormwater outfall line to the Oldman River. This phase was completed in 2020. The project was originally budgeted at $4.1 million and was completed, under budget, at a cost of $3.7 million.

Phase 2: In-process

The Town of Coalhurst is currently near the completion of the Main Wetland Storage facility. This facility is designed for stormwater retention and treatment before stormwater is discharged to the Oldman River. The wetland is designed as a naturalized pond which will settle out solids and sediment from stormwater and improve the water quality naturally before the stormwater is sent back to the environment. Water levels will be variable in the wetland to meet storage requirements for potential storms. This phase of the Stormwater Management plan started with a budget of $5.1 million but is currently projected to be under budget at just over $4.8 million.

Funding for both projects has been completed with funding from:

  • Alberta Communities Resilience Program ($1.7 million)
  • Building Canada Fund: Federal Government ($3 million), Provincial Government ($3 million), Town of Coalhurst ($3 million.)

Over the coming years, there will be more phases for additional storm retention ponds and storm trunk connection piping located within the existing portions of town, as well as in future subdivisions.

Click on the image below to zoom in on the map:

Next Steps

Town Council wants to hear from you! The land around the stormwater management system (The Wetlands) has the potential for new amenities in the community!

Opportunities to provide feedback on the future use of The Wetlands include:

The community will have the opportunity to provide feedback up to April 1, 2023.

FAQ

What is the main purpose of stormwater ponds?

Stormwater ponds are designed to collect water that runs off the streets and land in Coalhurst. The wetlands are designed as naturalized ponds which will settle out solids and sediment from stormwater and improve the water quality naturally before the stormwater is sent back to the environment.

Can you fish, boat, swim, or skate on stormwater ponds?

No. The water level of stormwater ponds can change at any time depending on the weather and drainage schedules.

Is the water in the stormwater ponds safe? 

No. Stormwater ponds may contain pesticides, fuel, animal feces, and any other material that may flow into the ponds during seasons of natural rain and snow melt.

What are the next steps for The Wetlands?

Town Council will receive the results of the engagement survey and determine the next steps against budget considerations and available funding. The Town of Coalhurst will share the results of the engagement survey with the public.

Will my taxes increase to fund The Wetlands amenities’? 

Town Council will make that decision after they consider the community’s feedback. However, as part of Council’s Strategic Plan to ensure that they “meet community needs while keeping budget in mind” (Pillar A: Goal 2), any decisions on The Wetlands will include considerations of provincial and federal grants, or private sponsorship.

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