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Profile: Erin Fairhurst

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Council pushes back on provincial gravel pit rules

Written on . Posted in Civic & Government, Environment.

MD of Pincher Creek council will tell the province it has concerns about changes that give provincial gravel pit approvals priority over local planning, following its Sept. 8 meeting.

Council also heard a neighbour’s objection to a proposed gravel pit east of Pincher Creek and agreed to keep subsidizing waste service at Castle Mountain Resort.

Provincial gravel pit approval changes

Council directed administration to send the province the MD’s concerns about proposed changes to how gravel pits are approved.

Alberta Environment and Protected Areas is updating its Code of Practice for Pits. The changes follow amendments to the Municipal Government Act through Bill 28 and recommendations from the provincial Sand and Gravel Task Force.

The province and municipalities have each played separate roles in approving aggregate pits on private land, with the province focused on environmental impacts and municipalities on land-use planning.

Bill 28: Municipal Affairs and Housing Statues Amendment Act, introduced a new section to the MGA that makes provincial approvals paramount. Municipalities are required to bring their land-use bylaws and planning documents in line with decisions made at the provincial level rather than running a parallel approval process.

The MD received information from Rural Municipalities of Alberta, which said in a Sept. 18 statement: “Based on what is known and not yet known about how x. 619.1 will be implemented, the change may introduce significant risks to municipalities, landowners and industries.”

The RMA lists:

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—Impact of poor co-ordination and alignment across different government processes.

—Limited ability to appeal a pit registration coupled with a lack of public hearing or community engagement in the provincial registration process.

—Unclear division of roles and responsibilities with potential unintended consequences.

—Need for improved communication and inspection and enforcement measures to prevent expansion of operators with a poor history of compliance.

Proposed gravel pit rezoning

Council also held a public hearing on Bylaw 1374-26, which proposes changing the land-use designation of a quarter-section east of Pincher Creek (NE-7-9-1-W5) from agricultural to direct control. The proposed rezoning would allow gravel pit development on the property.

The public hearing drew a written objection from an adjacent landowner, but no one appeared in person to speak against it.

The neighbour argued there is no need for a third gravel pit within less than a mile of the site, urging the MD to explore alternative sites or expand existing pits rather than disturb native grassland.

The letter raised concerns about dust, noise, traffic and groundwater contamination, and said the pit could put the writer’s property, livestock and family at risk, and permanently harm land values. The letter asked council to reject the application and prioritize conservation of the grassland over further extraction.

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Gavin Scott, senior planner with the Oldman River Regional Services Commission, outlined the history and reasoning behind the proposed amendment.

An open house is scheduled for Oct. 1 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the MD council chambers.

Castle Mountain Resort to keep free recycling and garbage service

Council agreed to continue providing Castle Mountain Resort Inc. with a fully subsidized cardboard recycling service and residential garbage bin after reviewing the expense of the arrangement.

Administration will write to the resort to say the service continues at no cost for now but could be revisited.

The cost varies, says Jessica McClelland, executive assistant for the MD. The landfill picks up a full cardboard bin at an average of $317 a trip, plus the landfill’s tipping fee.

“Some months it’s once; some months it could be twice,” she says.

Library seeks support for dark sky event

Pincher Creek Municipal Library asked the MD for financial support for a dark sky event planned for January 2027. The library plans to expand the program to two days, running 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day.

The total cost is expected to be $8,200. The library has already secured $6,000 through grants, leaving $2,200 to raise.

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Council received the request as information and recommended the library contact the MD’s grant writer to explore other funding options.

Lundbreck growth study

Council gave second and third reading to Bylaw 1373-26 after a public hearing at which no one spoke and no written submissions were received.

The bylaw amends the MD’s municipal development plan, replacing an existing hamlet policy with new wording that requires the Lundbreck Hamlet Growth Study be referenced in all future development matters in the hamlet.

It also calls for the study to be periodically updated with current data and progress on its action items.

Council approves ALUS letter of support

Council also approved a letter of support for Alternative Land Use Services, which is applying for funding through the Ecosystem Services Grant Program.

ALUS pays farmers and ranchers to maintain wetlands, grassland and other habitat on working land.

Committee meeting

The MD council committee met earlier the same day. Committees make recommendations rather than decisions.

Food centre reports increase in demand

The Pincher Creek and District Community Food Centre told the committee it served 427 people between May 2025 and April 2026, including 282 existing clients and 145 new clients.

The number was up from 412 people in 2024-25 and 197 in 2023-24.

The centre provides free food hampers to eligible residents in the town and MD, based on a means test.

An average of 77 households were served each month. The centre recorded 785 deliveries and 140 pickups. People in Pincher Creek can have hampers delivered, while rural residents generally pick them up in town.

The centre reported $392,314 in income and $341,895 in expenses for the year. Board chair Davina Brown also reviewed the centre’s strategic priorities and outcomes with the committee.

Councillors discussed ways the MD could help promote the food centre, including a program that allows ranchers to donate beef in exchange for a tax receipt.

Tourism group seeks $12,500

Representatives from the South Canadian Rockies Tourism Association told the committee the organization is seeking municipal funding for the 2026-27 year to support regional destination marketing and management.

Senior board adviser Sacha Anderson and executive director Erin Fairhurst outlined the association’s work, which they said helps secure additional partner funding and supports tourism projects without adding to the workload of municipal staff.

The association said the municipal contribution would form part of an 80-20 funding request to the province, with the town and MD of Pincher Creek, and Improvement District No. 4 providing the 20 per cent local share.

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The association outlined several areas of planned work. One is a resident sentiment campaign aimed at helping rural residents understand tourism and provide feedback about its growth.

It is also developing a detailed inventory of tourism assets across the MD. The inventory will include attractions, recreation sites, events, accommodations, short-term rentals and visitor services. The association said the inventory could help identify needs such as signage, parking, washrooms and trails.

Another proposed focus is public education around responsible recreation. The association plans to promote Leave No Trace principles, safety guidelines and appropriate recreation areas.

The association also detailed its regional advocacy work involving transportation, signage, trails, parking, cellular coverage and recreation access. It said a regional approach could help connect local priorities with provincial tourism strategies and future funding opportunities.

The association is also exploring a destination marketing fee, a levy on hotel and other accommodation bookings that funds tourism promotion. It said any such fee would require local discussion, industry participation and municipal consideration.

RMA convention plans finalized

The committee also reviewed plans for the Rural Municipalities of Alberta fall convention and trade show, running Nov. 2 to 5 in Edmonton.

Couns. Dave Cox and John MacGarva will take a budget and finance course Nov. 2, then join the remaining councillors, the chief administrative officer and the public works manager for the convention.

Related stories

News briefs from July 14 MD of Pincher Creek council table

Food Security, Gravel Pits, Land-Use Planning, Municipal Government Act, Public Hearings, Recycling, Responsible Recreation, Tourism

Graphic with the text "Municipal News from the Town of Pincher Creek" on the left side, featuring a stylized image of people seated around a meeting table on the right.

Town delays tourism funding decision, seeks more information

Written on . Posted in Business & Economy, Civic & Government.

Pincher Creek town council has postponed a decision on a $12,500 tourism contribution after councillors questioned how much of the South Canadian Rockies Tourism Association’s work directly benefits the community.

At its Aug. 24 regular meeting, council heard a proposal from the association for a contribution toward regional tourism promotion and development.

While councillors see potential value in gaining access to provincial funding and regional tourism initiatives, they also want a clearer picture of how the organization spends its money and what Pincher Creek could expect in return.

Council voted to table the request until Oct. 26, and asked Coun. Valerie Wynder, who represents the town on SCRTA’s regional tourism advisory committee, to gather additional financial information.

SCRTA is the region’s official destination management organization, representing the Town and MD of Pincher Creek, the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass and Castle Provincial Park.

Erin Fairhurst, SCRTA executive director, told council the association is asking each of the region’s three municipalities for an identical $12,500 contribution for 2026-27.

According to SCRTA’s proposal, the contribution would support regional destination management and marketing while helping the association secure additional provincial funding.

Fairhurst said the timing is significant because of a temporary funding structure through Travel Alberta. Under that arrangement, every $2 a municipality contributes can be leveraged into an additional $8 in provincial support, a ratio available for one more year.

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She said a financial commitment from municipal partners would also help SCRTA appear as a lower-risk investment to the province for future funding.

“In simpler terms, if we can find a way to have solid strategic and financial partnerships with our municipalities, the province will prioritize funding SCR over other areas,” she said.

Fairhurst said the association has reinvested about $1.8 million into the region since 2022 through grants, partnerships, marketing and other initiatives, with more than $60,000 in direct investment tied to Pincher Creek programming each year.

The $60,000 breaks down into more than $15,000 annually through shoulder-season grants and buy-in marketing campaigns promoting Pincher Creek businesses, more than $10,000 for digital media campaigns, and more than $30,000 for digital maps and base-camp promotions.

Those figures do not capture broader regional campaigns that also highlight the town.

The shoulder-season program has provided grants to groups and businesses including the Pincher Creek and District Chamber of Commerce, Flint Rock Ranch, Lost Things Distillery, Pincher Creek and District Agricultural Society, Pincher Creek Allied Arts Association and Thanksgiving Ranch, Fairhurst said.

But councillors questioned how much of SCRTA’s overall spending reaches Pincher Creek directly.

Mayor Wayne Oliver noted that if the $1.8 million invested since 2022 was spread evenly over four years, it would amount to roughly $450,000 annually. He questioned what the remaining funds — beyond the roughly $60,000 tied to Pincher Creek — were spent on.

Chris Matthews, chair of SCRTA, said the figures included regional marketing, work in other jurisdictions, staff costs and advocacy. He said SCRTA now has permanent staff — a shift from its earlier years as a volunteer, board-run initiative during the Covid-19 pandemic — and is supported with office space through Community Futures in Crowsnest Pass.

Coun. Sahra Nodge questioned whether Pincher Creek businesses were receiving the same level of benefit from SCRTA as businesses in the MD and Crowsnest Pass. She sought assurance that hospitality businesses in Pincher Creek, in particular, would see tangible benefits from the town’s contribution.

While the town has been involved with SCRTA for less time than the other jurisdictions, Wynder said, she believes Pincher Creek has significant opportunities to benefit.

She pointed to the town’s position as a potential base camp for visitors travelling to attractions such as Waterton Lakes National Park and nearby ski areas, and suggested SCRTA could help with projects such as trail-related infrastructure and sports tourism.

Wynder said SCRTA’s ability to access funding the town cannot, could be valuable, particularly because the town does not have a designated economic development position.

Coun. Brian McGillivray shared the concern about the return on a potential $12,500 investment and asked how much SCRTA funding goes toward payroll versus direct program spending.

Oliver wanted more information about SCRTA’s finances, including its number of employees, the share of its budget used for operating expenses and how its digital marketing campaigns direct visitors toward Pincher Creek.

Wynder told council she spoke with Fairhurst before the meeting and understood the contribution could be considered as part of the town’s 2027 budget rather than an immediate expense.

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Council agreed, and passed a motion to postpone discussion until Oct. 26, directing Wynder to gather further financial information in the meantime.

In an interview after the meeting, Fairhurst said SCRTA has more than 20 members in Pincher Creek and the surrounding MD, supported through promotion, advocacy, professional development and funding opportunities.

This is the first time SCRTA has requested funding from municipal partners.

Fairhurst said SCRTA is also involved in a new Destination Canada project focused on the Highway 3 corridor, alongside Tourism Lethbridge, Tourism Medicine Hat and the Town of Taber — an effort she said presents an opportunity for Pincher Creek.

Before town council revisits the request in October, Fairhurst said, SCRTA hopes to deepen its relationship with all three municipal partners through active engagement and investment. She said a formal partnership would let the town guide tourism strategy while reducing duplication of work already underway.

Destination Marketing, economic development, Regional Tourism, Tourism Funding