Municipal Affairs has completed its preliminary review of the dealings of the Village of Carbon and has opted not to move forward with an inspection.
In July of this year, the Mail reported a petition instigated by the residents of Carbon for an inspection into the affairs of the village was deemed to be sufficient. With this completed, Minister of Municipal Affairs Ric McIver, requested ministry staff to conduct a preliminary review.
In a letter dated August 25 to Mayor Bryan Peever, the Minister thanked the Village for its cooperation, but ultimately said they would not be going forward with an inspection.
“…concerns raised by petitioners indicate discontent with decisions of council; however, there was no indication that council is acting beyond its legislated authority,” states the letter from McIver. “Municipal inspections are an extraordinary measure and I do not undertake lightly. In light of the findings of the preliminary review and out of respect for the jurisdiction of the courts, as well as the democratic role of locally elected officials, I have decided not to conduct a municipal inspection into the Village of Carbon.”
While the Minster decided against an inspection, he notes there are some concerns brought forward that require some attention.
“The review identified some areas of concern, including the conduct of the 2021 general election and allegations of misconduct surrounding a councillor's employment status with the village and/or pecuniary interest,” the letter states. “Both of these concerns have clear legislated rules through the Local Authority Elections Act and the Municipal Government Act, respectively that give the courts jurisdiction to determine the validity of such concerns and order appropriate remedies if necessary.”
The Minister recommends some training may help.
“To address the concerns brought forward by the petitioners relating to municipal procedures and council's responsibilities, I strongly recommend the village access a roles and responsibilities workshop conducted by ministry staff during a meeting open to the public. This session will provide important transparency and accountability to residents in the village’s fulfillment of the role of governance and operations. It will also ensure all members of council and senior administration have a common understanding of the integral respective roles needed for a thriving community.”

Star Mine Suspension Bridge in Rosedale has been closed to the public for more than two years, pending planned repairs to bridge supports on the northeastern bank of the Red Deer River, and Town of Drumheller council moved to begin the expropriation process during the regular Monday, October 3 council meeting.
A routine inspection of the bridge in May 2020 determined the supports on the northern bank of the river were in poor condition, which prompted the closure of the bridge for public safety concerns, but the Town has been unable to complete necessary repairs as these supports are located on privately owned land.
“The Town, Alberta Transportation, and their respective agents have been in negotiations with the current landowner for several years but cannot reach an agreement as the landowner wishes to trade for land that neither party owns or controls,” stated Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Darryl Drohomerski during the meeting.
He explained the bridge, along with the lands north of the bridge and the parking lot south of the bridge, are owned by the province through Alberta Transportation.
The Town signed an agreement with the province in 1998 for administration, control and maintenance of these areas. However, a narrow strip of land immediately north of the river, on which the northern bridge supports sit, was owned by CP Rail as part of a spur line for the Star Mine site, and this meant the supports were on private rather than public lands.
This land was then sold by CP Rail to a private landowner rather than to the Town of Drumheller.
CAO Drohomerski noted, although the current landowners have granted the Town temporary access agreements to repair the bridge, as the Town is responsible for the care and control of the bridge, it is in the best interests for the Town to own these lands outright.
As the Star Mine Suspension Bridge is a well-known attraction, drawing tourists and locals to the area, completing repairs and re-opening the bridge to the public has been a priority.
CAO Drohomerski added, at this point, expropriation is the “only resolution to move this repair forward,” though this may present some delays.
Council unanimously approved moving forward with the expropriation process.