Joe McWilliams
Lakeside Leader

Nothing is going to happen any time soon, but the Town of Slave Lake is taking a closer look at what it would take to develop a new industrial park south of Hwy. 2.

Council had asked town staff to come up with a strategy on making new land available for industrial use. It got all that and more at its Dec. 13 meeting, including estimated costs for each of a couple of options.

Three areas for new industrial parks were discussed in the report. One – which appears to be the least problematic – would be south of Hwy. 2 on the eastern edge of town boundaries – possibly extending into the M.D. of Lesser Slave River. The other two are north of town along Hwy. 88 (low-lying land a problem) and west of town, on the south side of Hwy. 2. Storm water management would likely be a troublesome aspect of development there, council was advised.

Going straight to the preferred option (the southeast one) the report presents a couple of options for its development. The least-expensive of these would be to start from the west (just next to Greenleaf, the bulk fuel station). It’s estimated at $6.1 million for water, sewer and a road extension. This would be enough to open up 10 – 12 industrial lots.

The next steps, as suggested in the report, would be to hold discussions with various interested parties, which include the M.D. of Lesser Slave River and the landowners (one of which is the provincial government). An ‘industrial land study’ might also be a good idea, which would entail hiring a consultant.

Councillor Brice Ferguson asked about the process of getting Crown land turned over by the province for the purpose. It starts with a letter of intent to the province, said planning and development director Laurie Skrynyk.

“They go through the process,” she said, which would hopefully result in the land being declared ‘surplus.’

“The process is typically lengthy,” she said. “As in a couple of years.”

In spite of that, and the costs, councillors seemed generally in favour of continuing the process.

Councillor Kimberly Hughes, who made the motion to accept the report as information and “to begin discussions with affected landowners,” called the cost of servicing “a staggering amount, really!”

Councillor Ferguson said he’s in favour of the industrial land study.

“We need room to grow,” he said. He added that consultation with the Sawridge First Nation would be in order.

It would be prudent to bring it to the Regional Tri Council as well, said the mayor.