Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) presented a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award to Vulcan County, Alberta, for its Annual Budget for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2023. In order to receive this award, a governmental unit must publish a budget document that meets program criteria as a policy document, as a financial plan, as an operations guide, and as a communications device.

Click Here to view the 2023 Annual Budget Report

As Fire Prevention Week approaches, Vulcan County Emergency Services reminds residents:

“Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention.”

Sept. 26, 2023 — Vulcan County Emergency Services is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) — the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week^TM (FPW)  for more than 100 years — to promote this year’s FPW campaign, “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention^TM.” The campaign works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take when cooking to keep themselves and those around them safe.  

According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires and deaths.

“Year after year, cooking remains the leading cause of home fires by far, accounting for half (49 percent) of all U.S. home fires,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy at NFPA. “These numbers tell us that there is still much work to do when it comes to better educating the public about ways to stay safe when cooking.”

Vulcan County Emergency Services encourages all residents to embrace the 2023 Fire Prevention Week theme, “Cooking safety start with YOU,” said Jennifer McMaster, Fire Prevention Officer. “A cooking fire can grow quickly. I have seen many homes damaged and people injured by fires that could easily have been prevented.”

Vulcan County Emergency Services offers these key safety tips to help reduce the risk of a cooking fire:

1. Watch what you heat. Always keep a close eye on what you are cooking. Set a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
2. Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Always keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner.
3. Have a “kid- and pet-free zone” of at least 3 feet (1 meter) around the stove or grill and anywhere else hot food or drink is prepared or carried.

To find out more about Fire Prevention Week programs or to request a presentation in Vulcan County please contact Jenn McMaster at 403-485-3122 or via email.

For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and cooking safety, visit www.fpw.org.
For fire safety fun for kids, visit sparky.org.

Council is hosting their next “Coffee With Council” session at the Mossleigh Community Hall on Thursday, October 19, 2023. The purpose of these events is to informally discuss ideas, questions or concerns of the Division 1 ratepayers with their Councillor, the Reeve, and the CAO.

Our Corporate Services Department has recently released the 2023 Annual Budget Report which provides readers with a comprehensive overview of our budget. The report breaks down each operating segment and provides information about the expenditures and associated funding.

Vulcan County has been the proud recipient of the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association.

For information about the budget report and our budgeting process, please contact the Corporate Services Department at 403-485-2241.

Click here to view the 2023 Annual Budget Report.

Vulcan County will be holding a Public Hearing for Public Notification Bylaw 2023-021 on August 2, 2023 at 11:05 a.m. The purpose of the bylaw is to authorize alternate methods of advertising statutory notices. Currently, notices must be circulated in the local newspaper for a two-week period, and mailed to affected residences. The bylaw proposes that the Vulcan County website be designated as the primary method for advertising notices along with mailing to affected residences, with the option of circulating in the newspaper and advertising on social media.

Click here for more information on the public hearing and how to provide feedback

THE TARPING BYLAW SURVEY IS CLOSED.

Please take our quick survey to provide feedback on a proposed NEW tarping bylaw. County Council wants to hear from residents regarding a bylaw that would allow officers to ticket drivers for not securely tarping their vehicle. 

For more information on this bylaw and to complete the survey, visit here.

In accordance with our Fire Services Bylaw 2023 – 010, Section 13, “No person shall possess, handle, discharge, fire or set off consumer fireworks or Display fireworks in the County without first obtaining a fireworks permit.”

The penalties for contraventions to this can range from fines to the cost of the response.

Permits are required for fireworks within ALL areas of Vulcan County, including the Town of Vulcan and the Villages of Arrowwood, Carmangay, Champion, Lomond and Milo. A permit can be obtained only through our office.

Please call 403-485-3115 and visit this link for further information on this particular Bylaw.

AHS has issued a blue-green algae advisory for the Twin Valley Reservoir. Residents living near the shore and visitors to the reservoir are advised to take the following precautions:

• Avoid all contact with cyanobacterial blooms.
• Do not swim or wade or allow your pets to swim or wade in any areas where cyanobacteria is visible.
• Do not feed whole fish or fish trimmings from this reservoir to your pets.
• Consider limiting human consumption of whole fish and fish trimmings from this reservoir, as it is known that fish may store toxins in their liver. (People can safely consume fish fillets from this reservoir).
• Do not use water contaminated with cyanobacteria to water edible plants. This is particularly important for plants with edible parts exposed to the ground surface (such as cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes, and other salad vegetables).

For more information, please visit the AHS Website Advisory.

We are receiving many calls about the toxic weed Black Henbane being found within Vulcan County. Currently it has been reported in Vulcan, North to the River, and around the landfills. All parts of this plant are poisonous to humans and animals when ingested. There are no selective herbicides that are registered for use on Black Henbane. For pictures and more information, including how to get rid of it, please click here . You can also call our Agricultural Fieldman at (403)485-3101.

The Marquis Foundation Board is pleased to announce details of a project that is underway to build a new lodge facility that would provide serviced housing options for seniors. Vulcan County is proud to partner with the Town of Vulcan and local Villages in providing funding to support this project.