The Village of Rockyford is looking forward to a busy 2014 and has their minds on growth.
    This year village council welcomed two new councillors to their fold. Dahlia Cheshire and Jayne Koester are in their first term. Darcy Burke is continuing as Mayor for the next year, as it is an elected position decided at each organizational meeting
    “We have had a couple meetings with our new councillors and they have some good ideas, some fresh ideas and they are eager individuals to become involved and to learn politics and the business of the Village of Rockyford.  I am very excited about what these two individuals will provide for the betterment of our village,” said Burke.
    Mayor Burke says the village is busy with a number of initiatives; one of importance being the completion of its sewage lagoon expansion.
    “Once we get that completed it gives us the ability to move forward on the expansion of our new subdivision,” said Burke.
    He explains that Alberta Environment would not let them expand until it had sufficient capacity in its sewage lagoon to service the new development. This has held up the process for about three years.
    “We are excited to have that in the completion phase and next year we will start to revisit that subdivision,” said Burke.
    The subdivision has space for about 25 residential parcels, on the northwest corner of the village. He said however, they are looking at creative ways to market the development.
    “Council is looking at whether it wants to move this forward as residential lots or maybe we want to try something new in the way of country residential lots,” said Burke.
    This means larger parcels, possibly up to one-third acre lots.
    “We felt is could be an attraction,” he said.
    The council will also be looking at the completion of the water and sewer infrastructure on the last two blocks of Main Street and then paving it.
    “It all shows progress. Any of these projects in this day and age cost a lot of money and takes a lot of thought and planning.  So you make sure you don’t make a mistake,” he said.
    He says Main Street is an attraction and source of pride for Rockyford.
    “I cannot personally tell you how many compliments we get for our Main Street. In rural Alberta it is pretty tough for some of these villages to survive financially. We are no different but at the same time you have to provide the people who visit your community the feeling of ‘wow’ when they enter your village.”
    He said businesses have bought into the Main Street and that is part of what makes it successful.
“We are very proud of it. It is a revitalization project that worked 100 per cent.”
 
 

 Wildrose Energy Critic and MLA for Brooks Strathmore Jason Hale made the following remarks upon news the Joint Review Panel recommended approving the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline today:
     “I’m pleased to hear that the Joint Review Panel has given the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline the green light. This project will allow much-needed access to global markets and help spur economic growth across the country.
     “Albertans want to see their resources developed responsibly and transported safely. The panel identified 209 recommendations that would help improve the safety of the pipeline. Protecting the environment must remain a top priority as this project moves forward.
     “I am very encouraged to see that the panel was able to cut through the noise, examine the evidence and find that ‘opening Pacific Basin markets is important to the Canadian economy and society,’ and, ‘would bring significant local, regional, and national economic and social benefits.’
     “This is the argument that we have long been making.  It’s time for everybody to begin to work alongside our provincial and federal partners to ensure that we can meet conditions outlined in the report, meet our environmental obligations and help our economy prosper.”