Platform Detail

Balancing the Pillars of Sustainability

Environmental
Economic
Social

Priorities, Issues & Opportunities

Engage Council to assist our City Staff with the following initiatives:

Public Safety

Support programs such as the drug dog and DARE programs to help rid the community of all illegal drug activity
Support changes to the high risk areas of traffic safety with improved lighting, increased speed control and additional crosswalk marking initiatives
Implement programs reinforcing “Crime is not welcome in St. Albert”
Work to develop assertive vandalism programs
Implement animal bylaw updates (cats and dogs)

Initiatives for People with Special Needs

Review and support various programs for individuals in need of special support including seniors in need
Develop an additional affordable housing option that will be supportive of many of the disabled adult St. Albertans
Plan for affordable housing options for properties such as the Grandin Mall redevelopment and the Badger lands development

Civic Pride

Begin to implement and market our tourism strategy
Increase the number of events, hostings and celebrations
Develop a “Community of Choice” marketing campaign
Re-visit the Business Revitalization Zone and restore the vision for Downtown

Property Taxes

Minimize increases to our residential taxes
Improve on the current residential/non-residential tax balance
Continue with plans to reduce our reliance on debt
Institute an aggressive marketing strategy for industrial and commercial interests

Relationships with Other Governments

Establish an Edmonton-St. Albert Intermunicipal Affairs Committee
Begin to work within the framework of the new Sturgeon County/City of St. Albert Intermunicipal Affairs Committee
Assist in the creation of a new Alberta Capital Region alliance or structure

Our New Boundaries

Further clarify land use areas and development plans within the annexed area
Begin more comprehensive environmental planning considering all factors for the annexed area
Plan for an eco-area residential development node within St. Albert
Develop long term transportation links for this region
Implement an affordable housing project on the newly acquired Badger lands
Add non-residential developments to diversify our tax base and move closer to an 80-20 split of residential to non-residential assessment base
Protect existing natural areas

Transportation

Complete entire Ray Gibbon Drive – Western Regional Road
Secure provincial funding for Ray Gibbon Drive (WRR)
Re-assess public transit master plan
Create a regional master plan for transportation for the next 25-50 years
Work with Edmonton on establishing long term transportation plans that are sustainable for decades to come, including LRT planning, road networks, and trail planning

Facilities, Utilities, Waste, Services: Existing and New

Substantially improve our recycling systems
Thoroughly review our current garbage rates, disposal approach, fees and programs
Finalize the old RCMP building decision for its future
Finalize future City Hall space needs and future library needs
Complete and start up Fire Hall # 3
Re-examine the need for and scope of Fire Hall #1 rebuild
Complete new football field & related Riel Park enhancements
Begin to ensure developers offer eco-housing options
Ensure Servus Place is fully financially self-sustaining
Continue to maintain and upgrade all our utility infrastructure with a non-failure strategy in mind

Big Lake and Related Ecosystems

Support the planning to allow for Lois E. Hole Centennial Provincial Park to be more fully appreciated with appropriate accesses, protection, trails, and education areas
Implement and support more programs that celebrate and educate the community of the local ecosystems

Parks and Open Spaces

Implement wildlife welcoming strategies to nurture more diverse ecosystems within the City limits
Further enhance and integrate the Grain Elevator Park within St. Albert
Institute the new tree bylaw
Institutionalize a natural infrastructure maintenance program

“Imagine St. Albert”

Please Imagine:

Imagine for a moment a picture in your mind of the community we dream of building and handing over to our grandchildren; the community that we are actually renting from the future generations; a community with the very high standards of excellence.

Imagine our neighbourhoods being free of crime and vandalism

Imagine our community where the most disadvantaged and vulnerable are welcome and cared for

Imagine our culture when it is free of drugs, prejudice, bullying and intolerance
Imagine our community where everyone regardless of age, race, and ethnicity can live, thrive and worship free of prejudice and judgment

Imagine if our police, (our RCMP), were always able to work on the prevention of crime and prevention of accidents rather than having to be in a response mode for them at times

Imagine if our protective services personnel; our firefighters and emergency personnel were always able to work on prevention of emergencies rather than having to be in a response mode for them

Imagine if the military personnel in our community were always able to work on peaceful capacity building, rather than having to be involved in conflict at times

Imagine our community working in a fully cooperative nature with all surrounding municipalities for the overall public good of the region

Imagine our community where growth is always “smart growth” and always pays its own way

Imagine our community where all diverse forms of transportation co-exist; where pedestrians, handicapped people, users of two-wheel transportation, users of four-wheel motor vehicles and public transit are all options and are all considerate, supportive and complimentary of one another

Imagine our community where sidewalks, trails and bus stops are all safe, all well lit, all clean and all accessible; and additionally, imagine if the trails are connected throughout the capital region

Imagine our community where wildlife is more often seen in our neighbourhoods and along water ways because of our wildlife welcoming programs and systems

Imagine our community with world-class recycling facilities, practices and systems – a community where waste is treated as a resource

Imagine our community where everyone trusts each other, ideas are shared, and where the governing, administrative and public service bodies are always perceived as performing with integrity, transparency and efficiency

Imagine where more of our citizens can work in St. Albert without having to commute away from the City of St. Albert

Imagine our community where businesses and the residents can all prosper together

Imagine our community where the tax balance is 80% residential and 20% non-residential; imagine if our marketing strategy made this forever important

Imagine our community where business and residents always work hand-in-hand for the betterment of our overall economic well-being

Imagine our community where everyone can afford to live in affordable housing without undue financial stress

Imagine our community where all forms of arts, religion, culture, recreation and sports exist – where diversity of activities make for a complete, highly participative and rounded community

Imagine our community alive with tourists

Imagine our city where our downtown is vibrant, with flourishing shops and businesses, hosting successful merchants, bustling with life, alive with festivals and performances, celebrations taking place, people painting, dancing and singing; and a public square where people gather

Imagine our parks and open spaces being themed such that we nurture a diversity of activities and interests

Imagine......

“Imagine St. Albert”

St. Albert is a unique community with a very desirable quality of life. The City must have a Mayor and Councillors with vision, energy, and commitment to maintaining and continuously improving this life-style. City leaders must be able to imagine the St. Albert we want and uphold the standard of excellence we have come to enjoy.

Over the next several years, St. Albert has the opportunity to further its progress toward an even more “sustainable community”- a community that further improves our quality of life, further honours our commitment to the environment, and brings further heritage recognition and economic opportunities to our city beyond what we have seen in the past. We need to clearly define what this sustainable community future means for people and business while mutually sharing, with respect, the ecosystems we live within. This can only be done by addressing the needs of the stakeholders who wish to share in the economic benefits, enjoy our natural environment, and gain the benefit of the social well-being of our community.

We must imagine and we must act.