Proudly Serving Vermilion And Area Since 2004

At the May 05, 2020 meeting Council approved the final 2020 budget. The budgeted expenditures for operations are $14,217,341 with capital acquisitions planned at $1.6 million. In response to the COVID19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic and the severe challenges faced by residents and businesses in our community, Council challenged administration to forego the 1.9% tax increase proposed in the preliminary budget of December 17, 2019 minimizing the impact to service levels with a zero ta

April 8, - Due to the on-going Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic, Council has recognized the potential severe hardship on many homeowners and businesses in our community, and as such at the April 07, 2020 council meeting passed the following motions to try to ease the burden. • That Council for the Town of Vermilion waive all penalties on late payment of utility accounts from April 01, 2020 to June 30, 2020. • That Council for the Town of Vermilion defer 50 per cent of the muni

According to The Town of Vermilion, due to COVID-19 (the Coronavirus pandemic) and the interest of community safety, the Minister of Municipal Affairs has postponed the By-election scheduled for April 27, until October 2021. This in effect cancels the By-election and authorizes Town Council to operate with its current six members until the General Election in October 2021. According to CAO and Returning Officer, George Rogers, Vermilion was not alone and other communities we

Vermilion Town Council held a regular meeting on February 18, and discussed the requirement for an upcoming by-election. Tanis Henderson indicated her resignation effective immediately on February 10. “It’s unfortunate; we will miss her input and wish her all the best,” said Mayor Caroline McAuley. A motion was carried to hold the by-election on April 27. As a result, intending candidates must submit their nomination papers in person by 12 p.m. on March 16. Amendments w

Snow Seekers were in Vermilion working on a production showcasing Vermilion’s options for winter wellness on January 24 - 25. Snow Seekers are a branch of Seekers Media and provide an online digital magazine/video platform where they promote winter sport, outdoor and travel media through a collaborative effort with tourism organizations in Northeastern Alberta. For approximately six years, Seekers Media has been working with Vermilion’s economic development office to levera

Photo submitted Approximately 75 people attended the Town of Vermilion’s Public Hearing on December 3, where they discussed the possibility of passing Bylaw #14-2019. Bylaw #14-2019 proposes an amendment to the land use Bylaw #11-2013 regarding micro-cannabis production at the C4 Shopping Centre District. Mayor Caroline McAuley welcomed everyone and noted that if defeated, they would have to wait one year before it could come back to council. She also noted that they had not

The Town of Vermilion’s Facility Enhancement Committee hosted a ‘Think Ice Plant’ meeting at the Vermilion Regional Centre on August 28. The current one has been in place since 1962, and the new one is expected to come with a $2 million price tag. The Town has committed $500,000 towards the project, and the committee has raised an additional $64,000. Committee chair, Kevin Martin, noted that the County of Vermilion River contributed $50,000 of those through a grant. Over

The Town of Vermilion was the first place in Canada to have new Hook’d technology installed, offering free wifi during the Vermilion Fair. Hook’d was invented by Jeremy Fried, and each pod covers 2,000 metres and is able to hold 1,800 devices. They are also able to overlap and draw from underused areas to support overused areas. “As a community, we are now saying broadband is a utility, and we want to start making it affordable. It is critical for business and for education

The Town of Vermilion’s Airport Master Plan was recently released and recommended resurfacing the taxiway and apron within the next five years for an estimated $2,161,800. The plan completed by Tetra Tech noted that Vermilion has strong transportation connectivity. “It is located at the junction of Highways 16 (Yellowhead) and Highway 41, a north-south highway linking Cold Lake to Medicine Hat. The Yellowhead Highway is twinned from Lloydminster to Jasper. In addition, the

Children and adults had tons of fun during the Canada Day celebrations in Vermilion on June 28. Communities in Bloom hosted a Pancake Breakfast at the Fire Hall to kick things off. Throughout the morning and afternoon, several businesses joined in the fun by offering special tokens or promotional products. The Credit Union Parking was full of several children’s activities including the Library Book Sale, VIBE offering smoothies, a bouncy house, Kerplunk, and Alberta Health Se

Town Council Angela Mouly Reporter Vermilion Town Council met on February 5, and invited the public to comment on their draft of the 2018-2021 Strategic Plan. The strategic priorities of the draft include 1) Community Engagement 2) Grow a Resilient and Vibrant Community through strong economic development 3) Infrastructure for Today and Tomorrow 4) Enhance Health and Livability of the Community. More draft details will be made available at vermilion.ca, and residents can

Town Council Angela Mouly Reporter Deputy Mayor, Robert Pulyk, chaired and welcomed everyone to Vermilion Town Council’s first meeting of 2019 on January 15. Councillor Clint McCullough took the oath to be appointed Deputy Mayor for February and March. Derek Young noted that a new sewer inspection camera is part of the 2019 budget, and that the town is currently renting one, as their previous one went down. “The one we would like most is the Ridgid SeeSnake Self-leve

The Vermilion Town Council Meeting was full of heated decisions on December 18. CAO George Rogers said, “It’s my pleasure to introduce our new Director of Finance, Jay Warawa.” Warawa is a chartered professional accountant who moved from the Municipal District of Lesser Slave River. He previously worked in the Peace Country, and territorial government. He has been a director of finance for the past 10 years and in finance for the past 15 – 18 years, so his experience is sur

Photo supplied The CFCW Critters will be coming to Vermilion on January 10, and will play the Buffalo Coulee Sabres at 7 p.m. The Critters are a volunteer hockey team who raise funds all across the province for all types of causes. On December 13, the Critters played in Leduc raising $6,500 for a Thorsby non-profit organization. So far this season, they have raised $24,500, and overall they have raised $1,172,925. In Vermilion, they will be fundraising for a new ice plant,

The proposed 2019 Budget was shared during the Town of Vermilion’s Council Meeting on December 4. The presentation delivered by CAO, George Rogers, included highlights of the operating budget, tax rates, assessment, staffing, capital budget, budget summary, and initiatives for the coming year. A large expected cost will be the new Wastewater Treatment Plant. The $19 million project will be partially funded by provincial and federal grants. According to the proposed budget,

The Vermilion Health Coalition hosted a WalkABle Alberta session at the Vermilion Regional Centre on October 10. Alberta Health Services (AHS) sponsored the event; and health promotion facilitator, Graham Matsalla, presented the workshop along with guest speaker, Ryan Martinson, from Stantec. Staff and councillors from the Town of Vermilion and members of Alberta Health Services, the Vermilion Health Coalition, senior’s care, and a town resident were in attendance. The worksh

A larger than normal crowd appeared to express concerns during the Cannabis Open House and Town Council meeting on July 17. Bylaws for Smoking and Vaping as well as Cannabis Regulation and Control were discussed. Mayor, Caroline McAuley said, “The bulk of guests expressed concerns regarding that they don’t want our community to become a cannabis hotspot and that they don’t want cannabis to be what Vermilion is known for. Council later addressed these concerns by looking at p