On March 18, the Vermilion Town Council met for a regular council meeting with a lengthy agenda. The public portion of the meeting lasted nearly two and a half hours before moving into a closed session. All council members were in attendance, along with members of administration and economic development.
At 6 p.m. sharp, Deputy Mayor Joshua Rayment called the meeting to order. Before proceeding, he asked if there were any additions to the agenda. While no other councillors had additions, he included one under the closed session related to intergovernmental relations. Councillor Kevin Martin moved for the adoption of the amended agenda, and the motion was carried. The minutes from the March 11 council meeting were then accepted after Councillor Conlon made a correction noting his in-person attendance. Councillor Snow also proposed three amendments, which were incorporated.
Sgt. Corey Buckingham presented the Vermilion RCMP Quarterly Community Policing Report for the period of October 1 to December 31, 2024. The seven-page report provides a snapshot of human resources, financial data, and crime statistics for the Vermilion Detachment. Sgt. Buckingham requested council to review their policing priorities for the upcoming fiscal year, emphasizing the importance of their input. He also spoke about the real-time operations center (RTOC), encouraging councillors to participate in a ride-along to gain insight into the latest policing technologies and resource coordination.
Throughout his presentation, Sgt. Buckingham outlined various statistics, initiatives, and objectives, including town halls held by the RCMP detachment. He announced that the Vermilion RCMP now has a Facebook page, allowing them to share important information that may not warrant an alert system notification but is still valuable for public awareness. He also provided an update on staffing, noting that the detachment currently has nine established regular member positions but only seven are filled. Two vacancies remain due to a transfer in January. However, he anticipates filling these positions in the coming months, with one experienced officer already identified. He also mentioned that a workload analysis supports adding at least two more officers to meet demand.
Councillor Pulyk expressed appreciation for the statistics and highlighted concerns over property crimes, including break-and-enters, thefts from motor vehicles, and mischief. He asked Sgt. Buckingham to comment on the numbers, noting they appeared relatively high. Sgt. Buckingham acknowledged the concern but explained that property crime remains a top priority. He noted that the category of break-and-enter covers various incidents, including thefts from industrial sites, fenced compounds, and oil and pump shacks. While numbers are down from 2017 and 2018 levels, he emphasized the need for additional support to continue reducing crime.
Councillor Conlon clarified that the statistics represented the entire detachment area, not just Vermilion. Sgt. Buckingham confirmed this and offered to provide town-specific figures if requested.
Council then moved on to a presentation from Alberta HUB and NAGO. With no public submissions or attendees for commentary, discussions proceeded to the issue of animal sheltering, particularly the letter from the Town stating that the town could no longer take in animals. During the March 11 meeting, a concerned resident raised questions, prompting council to gather more information before addressing the issue formally.
Interim CAO Mike van der Torre explained that Border Paws had requested an annual facility access fee donation of $40,000 for the town to receive discounted intake rates for animals. However, this request was made after the town’s budget had already been approved. Given that the town only spent $7,000 on animal intake in 2024, he stated that the proposed cost was far beyond the available budget. Additionally, Border Paws could not guarantee space even if the town provided the $40,000 donation funding. Without an agreement in place, the town has no designated facility to take in stray or abandoned animals. As an alternative, the Vermilion Vet Clinic will continue to assist in reuniting lost pets with owners, but if owners are not found, the town is responsible for placement, which could cost up to $1,000 per dog and $500 per cat, with no assurance of shelter availability.
Councillor Snow inquired about the cost increase, noting the town’s previous expenditure of $7,000. Van der Torre estimated that covered around 13 to 15 intakes, making the proposed $40,000 fee a significant jump. Deputy Mayor Rayment acknowledged the importance of animal shelters but emphasized the financial burden on the town, stating that such a contribution would amount to nearly a one percent increase in taxes for ratepayers. He commended the administration for exploring options and hoped a local volunteer group would step forward to support animal care.
Councillor Conlon clarified that the new policy does not apply to dangerous animals, which remain covered under existing bylaws. Councillor Pulyk questioned whether nearby communities such as Wainwright or Vegreville had shelter facilities Vermilion could access, as well as the possibility of provincial support from the SPCA. Van der Torre responded that most smaller communities rely on volunteer-run organizations and that no provincial or federal funding exists for such initiatives. He noted that while some towns donate space for animal care, it is typically managed by volunteers rather than government-funded services.
Other agenda items included a staff recommendation for the removal of municipal reserve, a request for advance funding from the Vermilion District Housing Foundation, and the Vermilion Provincial Park budget. Committee reports were presented from the Economic Development Committee and the Good Life Institute. Council also reviewed correspondence related to contributions to the local Chamber of Commerce, minutes from the February 25 County of Vermilion River meeting, and the March 11 county agenda.
Following the completion of public business, council moved into a closed session pursuant to Part 1, Division 2, Section 17(2) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
If you are unable to attend council meetings in person and would like to stay up-to-date on council meetings it is available by Zoom starting at 6 p.m. You can register through the Towns’ website at https://www.vermilion.ca/your-government/council/council-schedule/ ,copies of the agenda and minutes of previous council meetings can be found at https://vermilion.civicweb.net/filepro/documents/1225/
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