Skip to content

The year in Rocky View County

Looking back on the stories that dominated Rocky View County in 2020.

January

Rocky View County begins work on a recreation master plan. The project was initiated after council unanimously approved a Terms of Reference for the Master Plan at the Jan. 14 regular council meeting. The plan is intended to provide vision, guidance and implementation for recreational development in Rocky View over the next 20 years.

February

Redwood Meadows Emergency Services' added a new edition to its fleet. The new pumper, which cost $631,000 was funded using the provincial Municipal Sustainability initiative dollars and will be financed over five years. The department's second-newest pumper is now 10 years old.

Rocky View County partnered with the Canadian Badland Tourism Association to help boost tourism in the region. Manager of Economic Development David Kalinchuk said his department had been considering joining the tourism group since July 2010. The cost of membership in the association is $20,000.

At a regular meeting on Feb. 25, Rocky View County council approved the creation of a Direct Control District at the junction of Balsam Avenue and River Drive North and an accompanying Master Site Development Plan for Bragg Creek Brewery. Many residents called the hotel and brewery an investment into a community that was desperately in need of revitalization, suggesting it would serve as a significant draw for visitors.

March

Quebec-based spa developer Groupe Nordik, which currently operates wellness and relaxation facilities in Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba, announced Feb. 24 its fourth spa will be located in the Springbank community of Harmony, pending approvals by Rocky View County. The spa will be located on the shores of the exurban community’s Harmony Lake, just west of Springbank Airport. Construction of the five-acre spa was anticipated to begin in late 2020, with the facility’s projected opening slated for 2022. 

Rocky View County announced the closure of the County Hall, suspension of several programs and the cancellation of council and committee meetings in response to COVID-19 on March 16. 

The County had its first confirmed case of COVID-19. On March 26 five Cochrane-Springbank residents tested positive for the virus.

April

At the April 9 council meeting, the Rocky View Schools Board of Trustees said it will be decreasing its operating budget by $5.03 million to match government cuts. The move includes a reduction of $3.46 million in staffing costs and $1.57 in transportations costs. The cuts included ending 50 support staff temporary contacts and the temporary layoff of 240 support staff that was effective as of May 10.

The Springbank Dry Reservoir, also known as SR1, came one step closer to reality after Tsuut’ina First Nation removed their formal objection to the project on April 14. The new project includes potential flood berms being built in Redwood Meadows and Bragg Creek to help protect the surrounding area from flooding. The planned project will be built 15km west of Calgary on the Elbow River occupying 3,780 acres.

May

Westbrook students celebrated the official closing off the old school building on May 15 with a drive-by parade. The day served as a chance for staff and students to say good bye for the summer before the school was demolished and replaced by a new facility. The new school is 1,600 square metres of space and cost an estimated $7.1 million to build. The original school was built in 1953.

June

Construction on flood mitigation began in Bragg Creek. The design of the project will feature a mix of earthen berms and small sections of constructed walls that will serve as usable infrastructure. When possible areas will be grassed and trees will be placed in the hopes people will use the area as a minor recreation amenity. The project has five distinct construction areas, starting with Bracken Bridge and Bracken Road Sout, North of Bracken Bridge, Yoho Tinda, areas of the Hamlet South of Balsam Bridge and areas of the Hamlet North of Balsam Bridge. The project is expected to be completed in 2021.

July

Calaway Park reopened to the public on July 17. The park received the official go-ahead from the province to reopen on June 30.

Three teenagers were taken to hospital on Friday, July 24 after a severe thunderstorm caused a tree to crash onto a campsite in Bottrel Campground. The three teenagers were taken to Calgary Hospitals by ground ambulance, two with minor injuries and one with non-life-threatening multiple serious injuries. Some campers in the area said a tornado touched down during the storm.

Banff-Kananaskis MLA Miranda Rosin announced infrastructure plans for Bragg Creek’s four-way stop traffic jam. A significant capital upgrade is coming to the area that is slated to be completed sometime between 2023 and 2025.

August

In a celebration of the rural lifestyle, local farms threw their gates open and encouraged residents to visit and learn more about food and agricultural production at Open Farm Days on Aug 15.

September

The Bragg Creek Community Centre launched a new program to ensure those who require reliable Internet access have their needs met during the pandemic. The Community Centre, which has one of the most reliable connections in the community, launched a program in September to ensure that anyone who needs to can access the internet at the facility. 

October

An information session in Bragg Creek on the proposed Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir drew outrage from the residents in attendance on Oct. 8. A panel of experts, Minister of Transportation Ric McIver and Banff-Kananaskis MLA Miranda Rosin spoke at the session at the Bragg Creek Community Centre. Residents vowed to continue fighting against the project during the meeting.

Bragg Creek saw its first cannabis store open shop in the community. Cannabis Cowboy officially opened its doors to the public on Friday (Oct. 16).

November

A group of Bragg Creek residents called for the area to be designated as a critical wildlife corridor after the Alberta Wildlife Watch program identified the region as an area with high rates of animal-vehicle collision. The designation would allow local stakeholders to raise awareness on steps to reduce human-animal conflict and animal mortality rates.

At a Board of Trustees meeting on Nov. 19, superintendent of Rocky View Schools superintendent Greg Luterbach presented the Annual Education Results Report, which indicated that Rocky View Schools’ graduation rates are higher than the provincial average by more than four per cent. Among First Nations, Metis and Innuit students, the average rate of graduation is 15 per cent higher than the provincial average.

December

Bearspaw resident Charles Roy Guest, better known as Nipper Guest by his friends, was named to the Order of Canada on Nov. 26 for the establishment of an innovative profit-sharing and employee-ownership plan at Spartan Control Company Ltd., and for founding the Bearspaw Benevolent Foundation, among a variety of other accomplishments. 

A once-in-a-lifetime vote took place to determine the future of the Redwood Meadows Townsite passed on Dec. 11, when the Townsite and the Tsuut’ina First Nation overwhelmingly voted to renew the lease and secure the future of Redwood Meadows.

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks