One more box has been ticked off in the Athabasca region’s new pool project.
Athabasca University’s land transfer to the Town of Athabasca was finally approved via Order in Council, according to a Jan. 18 Alberta government press release.
The Order in Council came through nearly four months after it was anticipated. Athabasca-Sturgeon-Redwater Colin Piquette said in a meeting with Athabasca County council Oct. 10 the Order in Council was anticipated by Sept. 28.
Town of Athabasca Mayor Colleen Powell said her council is very pleased to see the transfer approved.
“I was hoping it would’ve been done earlier. I think everybody was,” she said.
Town of Athabasca assistant chief administrative officer Rachel Ramey said the land transfer’s approval does not impact the project, aside from eliminating AU as a stakeholder.
“It doesn’t impact it in any way. We had a pretty good understanding with the university going into it,” she said. “Things will just continue to move along as planned now.”
Powell said AU had to be asked permission at certain stages of the project while they still owned the land.
“What it does mean is that when the town is doing something on university land, they no longer have to work with university staff,” she said. “It was all pro forma, but it was just an annoyance. So we eliminate that, and it’s the final tick in the box on that particular thing.”
