Business as usual has resumed in the Village of Morrin following challenging times that began in 2020. Despite these challenges, the village had a resilient year with a zero per cent increase on municipal taxes, and progress was made in the development of a new school.
For nearly a year the village had no council and was overseen by Official Administrator Harold Johnsrude; he was appointed by Municipal Affairs following the dissolution of the former council in December 2020.
In February, the village declined a consideration to purchase the Blooming Prairies seniors four-plex, and instead elected for the complex to continue being managed by the Drumheller Seniors Housing Foundation (DSHF). The reasoning stemmed from concerns the complex would lose out on provincial funding if it was purchased by the village, and Mr. Johnsrude wanted to keep a low-cost housing option for area seniors; Mr. Johnsrude did request DSHF inform the village of any future decisions regarding the facility.
During budget deliberations in April, it was discovered village utilities were underfunded, and the village increased utility fees by 10 per cent, which came into effect in July. Despite these shortfalls, $5,000 was allocated as a one-time grant to the arena and $24,302 to offset unpaid taxes from the Municipal Operating Support Transfer (MOST) funds from the provincial government, and the municipal tax rate from 2020 was maintained.
Progress on the new Morrin School continued following the appointment of a prime consultant in October 2020; by May about 40 per cent of the overall design was complete with the consultant wrapping up the detailed design stage. In December the Mail was informed Prairie Land School Division will be securing a general contractor for the project in early 2022.
The Friends of Morrin School Council has raised $632,304.60 to support bleacher space, a library expansion, and additional educational space in the new school.
Following the October municipal elections, a three-person council was set to take over operations from Mr. Johnsrude. Prior to their swearing-in, two of the three councillors-elect handed in their resignations. The remaining councillor, M’Liss Edwards was sworn-in and the village re-opened nominations for a by-election.
Chris Hall and Lorraine McArthur put their names forward and were acclaimed following the closing of the nomination period. Following swearing-in, Hall was appointed as the village’s new Mayor, with McArthur as Deputy Mayor.

The Town of Drumheller is collecting feedback on traffic changes related to the Downtown berm so they can be addressed with residents, commuters, and business owners.
The Town understands this berm design has traffic implications, so there will be many conversations to come about this.
They’re working with the Downtown Area Revitalization Plan (DARP) team to come up with solutions that meet the goals of the revitalization program, and with the emergency services department to come up with solutions to meet the needs of the response times for the community.
Please stay tuned on the Drumheller Flood Mitigation website, social media, and advertising for more information as this project progresses.
To submit your feedback regarding the Downtown berm traffic implications, fill out the online survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Downtown
DrumTraffic
Or, if you prefer to fill out a paper copy, stop by Town Hall.
As a reminder, the survey ends on January 20, so if you want to submit your feedback do so before then.
To watch the recording of the Downtown berm Open House on December 9, 2021, where the lead engineer went into depth on the Riverside Drive
assessment and results, go to https://floodreadiness.
drumheller.ca/be-informed/past-community-
sessions
The Flood Mitigation Office will also be holding a second Downtown berm Open House (virtual only) on Thursday, January 13, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom. This Open House is to encourage communication between the Community and the Flood Mitigation Office, so residents have the chance to learn more about the project and the corresponding traffic
implications.
It is also a great opportunity to inquire about any questions or concerns you may have. Register for the Open House at https://floodreadiness.drumheller.ca/be-informed/community-events
The recording will be posted online within a few days after the event at
https://floodreadiness.drumheller.ca/be-informed/past-community-sessions