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Questions answered at amalgamation BBQ

Turner Valley and Black Diamond council members were on hand during the question and answer barbecue. Besides burgers, residents got information and had their questions answered about amalgamation and the upcoming transition to Diamond Valley.
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The towns of Black Diamond and Turner Valley held a barbecue and amalgamation information session at the Country Food Mart picnic area in Black Diamond on June 22. Residents had their questions answered by council members and staff from both municipalities during the event.

The towns of Black Diamond and Turner Valley held a barbecue and information session on Wednesday, June 22, inviting residents to bring their questions about amalgamation. 

Council members, mayors and staff of both towns were on hand during the free event held at the Country Food Mart picnic area in Black Diamond. 

Turner Valley resident Lora Hinman said the barbecue was a perfect opportunity to ask those nagging questions and get clarity on the many different aspects of amalgamation. 

Transparency and updates are important, given all the new information coming out about the now-certain amalgamation, she said. 

Dozens of people attended the barbecue and talked with councillors, neighbours and others, asking questions, getting clarification and catching up.

Turner Valley Mayor Barry Crane said many of the questions he’s heard revolve around costs. 

“There’s still that belief that we’re going to be paying extra for RCMP,” he said. “That’s not the case.” 

With over 5,000 people, the new municipality of Diamond Valley will have access to grant funding that will help reduce those costs, he said. 

Information from an amalgamation fact sheet prepared by the towns predicts the Municipal Police Assistance Grant, available to municipalities with more than 5,000 residents, would provide the new town with $242,000 annually.

The new town would have to pay about $308,000 per year for policing, approximately $25,000 less than the cost of policing each town separately. 

Crane said he has also been asked if Turner Valley is losing its history.  

“I say absolutely not,” he said. “It changes, and that’s what we’re looking at.” 

Crane said the towns are working to ensure people have correct information, using social media to quickly “cure rumours with facts” about the coming merger of the two communities. 

“Social media has actually been a weapon to be used for good in this case,” Crane said. 

Hinman has been happy with the level of communication from the towns about amalgamation so far, although she said people who don’t use social media might not feel as well informed. 

“I think they have communicated quite well through social media,” Hinman said, adding that she received some information by mail, too. 

“As long as they keep people in the loop, I think people will be fine.” 

Crane said the Province agrees that this is a great move for the communities. The merger got formal approval in May through an order in council. Turner Valley and Black Diamond will become  the Town of Diamond Valley as of Jan. 1, 2023. 

Amalgamation has been an on-again, off-again conversation between the two Foothills communities since the 1980s. The idea began to pick up steam again over the last 10 years, with the towns entering a Joint Friendship Agreement in 2012 and carrying out a feasibility study about the subject in 2017.

Elected officials of Black Diamond and Turner Valley supported amalgamation through votes held before and after the municipal elections last October. A second vote was requested this year to see if the new councils supported the move and both votes passed with identical results. Black Diamond voted 4-3 and Turner Valley council voted unanimously in support of the move.


Robert Korotyszyn

About the Author: Robert Korotyszyn

Robert Korotyszyn covers Okotoks and Foothills County news for WesternWheel.ca and the Western Wheel newspaper. For story tips contact [email protected]
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