A photo last Fall at Elk Ridge. (File photo/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Growing communities

Elk Ridge receives conditional approval as Resort Village

Jun 29, 2021 | 3:30 PM

The Hamlet of Elk Ridge is moving one step closer to officially being a Resort Village.

The Ministry of Government Relations has officially approved the application and the incorporation will take effect Jan. 1, 2022. Hamlet board chair Morris Sawchuk cautioned paNOW the status is not official yet.

“It’s provisional that we meet the conditions that the government has set out,” he explained

Those conditions include having both a council and administrator in place by Dec. 31. Until that time, the hamlet will remain under the governance of the District of Lakeland. The election date though has been set for Sept. 4, with nominations on July 31.

(NIgel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

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The application process itself has been nearly four years in the making, but first, the hamlet was required to display good governance for a period of three years. They were also required to complete a restructuring agreement with the District of Lakeland, which was completed last year. Both the District and the Elk Ridge Community Owners Association have also offered letters of support for the change.

“We didn’t get everything we wanted but by the same token we feel we are better off moving onward,” Sawchuk said.

When the application was raised at a 2019 District council meeting, the reason explained for the hamlet wanting to go out on its own was the community had grown to the point where it wanted to look after its own growth. When asked about the current change in ownership at Elk Ridge Resort, and what impact that had on their plans moving forward, Sawchuk expressed excitement.

“These people are spending money and they have a long-term plan,” he said.

To help the transition process, the province has appointed a special committee. All current bylaws and resolutions in effect will continue to be for one year after incorporation or until sooner repealed or others made in their place. Tammy Knuttila, administrator for the District of Lakeland, explained the loss of rate payers from Elk Ridge represents a $150,000 cut in tax revenue, but she added there will be no impact on either administration or protective services. There will also be savings in other areas.

“We will have to pay less, based on our population, for our library, for our assessment, for our RCMP levy,” she said. “

Knuttila added money in the hamlet’s reserve will be their starting funds, as well as any taxes unpaid at the end of the year.

nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell