A proposed waste management facility was a topic of discussion at the July 9 virtual council meeting for the Village of Hussar.
RemedX Remediation Services Inc, a Calgary-based remediation and waste management company, is eyeing an area of Wheatland County east of Hussar for its proposed Class II Landfill facility. If approved the facility would be located approximately 1.6 kilometers east of the village and would accept non-hazardous industrial and oilfield waste.
Mayor Corey Fisher said during the meeting, “As of right now there is nothing there that stands out glaring that would cause me any concern.”
RemedX opened a similar facility, near the town of Breton approximately 100 kilometers southwest of Edmonton, which has been in operation since April 2018.
Lorilee Dundas, a Hussar resident, said at the meeting she spoke with friends living near the Breton facility. The residents Dundas spoke with had no concerns regarding the facility itself, stating, “You wouldn’t even know it’s there.”
The only concern brought up during Dundas’ discussion was the use of heavy vehicles in the area.
Currently, Wheatland County does not have a land use bylaw to include landfill use.
“This means a developer could not submit a development permit application for one,” said Megan Williams with Wheatland County’s Planning and Development department. “(RemedX) opted to apply for their own land use, a direct control, with regulations therein very specific to their parcels and proposed development.”
A first reading to amend the land use bylaw was passed by Wheatland County council during their June 16 meeting.
The next step towards the bylaw change will be a public hearing in Hussar. Williams said, once the public hearing is closed, “Everything is considered equally; no more weight is given to a comment given by a resident in Hussar than a resident in Wheatland.”
Williams added, even if the third reading is granted and redesignation of the land is approved, RemedX would still need to apply for development permits--which are not guaranteed approval--along with other necessary permits through Alberta Transportation and licenses from Alberta Environment and Parks.
A public hearing regarding the proposed RemedX facility will be held August 18 in Hussar. Time and location of the meeting will be announced at a later date.

    A 15-year-old filmmaker from Rosebud has the industry paying attention.
    Weston Snider’s short film Dichrome, which premiered last November at the Napier Theatre has been receiving accolades and awards at a number of festivals. Its most prestigious achievement came from being selected as one of the finalists in the high school film competition for the third annual Shorts International Film Festival, presented by Heartland Films.
    Weston, a student at St. Anthony’s School, was selected as part of the festival’s High School Film Competition. There were 12 films selected to compete for the $2,000 Summer White Lynch Memorial grand prize.
    “It has been really cool to see that short film I made, for me it feels like a long time ago last summer, which I have since grown from, is still having quite a decent amount success on the film festival circuit,” he said.
    As a youngster, he dabbled with making films with friends, but when he was about 13 he decided to make something a little more involved.
    “It took us a year and a half to do but we made a 15-minute space film,” Weston tells the Mail.
    “That was kind of the moment when I realized I was good at this to the degree that I could make films possibly at a high level in the future when I am older. I took from this that I could be a filmmaker and devote my life to it hopefully.”
    In some ways, Dichrome is his second major project and shows a sophistication beyond his years.
    Growing up in Rosebud he has been around the performing arts all his life. This has shaped his ability to make stories on film and also provided him the opportunity to pursue it in a supportive atmosphere.
    “There have been so many people who have been able to help in little ways. The fact it is more of an arts town, I think if I grew up somewhere else I wouldn’t have had the courage or ever really want to make a film,” he said.
    Dichrome centres around the relationship between two very different teens, as one “tried to close his eyes to the problems of his life encounters a person who can see things that others can’t.”
    The films featured Edmonton film student Tom Kassian, as well as Snider. The rest of the roles in front of the camera and behind, featured local Rosebud talent contributing to the work, including his older brother Donovan who provides an evocative soundtrack.
    When he completed the film he entered it into as many film festivals as he could and it qualified for many. He has won best international film at the Central Film Festival, 3rd Place in the best international film as a part of the Fresh International Film Festival, a special mention award at the New York World Film Festival, and film of the year at the Stardance Youth Film Festival.   This week he learned he won the Swindon International Film Festival’s award for “Best Youth Film” and received second place in the UFA Youth Short Film Festival which had over 3,000 submissions.
    The Indy Shorts International Film Festival runs virtually July 21-26. It is an Academy Award-Qualifying festival and will be showcasing 128 films. For more information go to  https://indyshortsfilmfestival20.eventive.org/welcome