The new millennium could see a new municipality in the district with councillors in Alberton and La Vallee talking about amalgamation.
Although a motion to look at the possibility of merging with La Vallee was tabled Dec. 8 by Alberton councillors until their next meeting in January, Reeve Judy Koski noted the two municipalities already have had an informal meeting on the issue.
“The two townships are looking to the future,” she said. “We’re looking to find efficiencies for the taxpayer.”
“Right now, it’s just getting some information–the pros and cons on both sides,” noted La Vallee Reeve Ken McKinnon. “I don’t think we’re very serious at this stage.”
The main reason spurring the urge to merge has been the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Reeve Koski said, noting the minister has been making not-so-subtle hints all fall that the Harris government would like to see amalgamations happen.
With those kinds of signals coming down the pike, Reeve McKinnon said communities “have to be prepared.”
“The scary thing is we don’t really know what the government is going to do, or mandate us to do,” he remarked. “I would sooner that the people make the choice themselves rather than have the government–someone outside the district–make the choice for us.
“If we were to do some type of amalgamation, it would lessen our chance of being forced into some big amalgamation later on,” he reasoned.
And the two communities seemed suited for each other, Reeve Koski said.
“La Vallee’s almost a mirror of our township,” she noted. “The population is the same, the administration is almost the same–we have a lot in common.”
“We’re both basically rural communities,” echoed Reeve McKinnon. “There’s no big population centres. They are very similar for sure.”
He added amalgamating with Emo was another option La Vallee could look at, although there have been no discussions as of yet between Emo and La Vallee councils.
The idea of merging the two communities isn’t a new one, either. Reeve Koski said the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing funded a financial impact analysis between Alberton and La Vallee about three years ago but things never went any further.
“At the time, we also included Miscampbell and Dance,” she noted. “The last time we looked at it, it would have actually cost us money to take those two on–and the ministry doesn’t give any incentive to take the unincorporated on [right now].”
“It’s going to cost the organized municipalities if they amalgamate with the unorganized,” agreed Reeve McKinnon. “I think the government has to put some sort of incentive program there to make it worthwhile.”
Still, Reeve Koski acknowledged one Alberton councillor wants to look into amalgamating with Fort Frances as well so township residents can decide which option is best for them.
But she added she wasn’t too keen on going east.
“That’s only me,” she stressed. “I’m not speaking for the rest of council.”