The Village of Forestburg has announced the sale of 2.5 acres of land in the South Forestburg Industrial Subdivision to JQ Health Organon Inc. at the regular June 17 meeting.
The company is planning to construct and operate a Cold Pressed Canola Oil Manufacturing Plant that will process 20-50 metric tons of canola oil per day.
“We are very pleased to be able to bring our processing and manufacturing facility to Forestburg,” stated JQ Health Organon Inc. Chief Executive Officer and Founder Javeria Qadar.
“After investigating a number of potential locations for our plant, we became persuaded that the Village of Forestburg was the right partner for us as well as the neighbouring community having the ideal feedstock to enable us to locate, manufacture product and call Forestburg our new home.”
Qadar says that the company was founded with the purpose of improving the lives of people through the provision of healthy food options.
Our vision is for a healthier and better tomorrow, layered in a sustainable fashion, that is based on the hard work of Canadian farmers who have managed their lands successfully throughout generations,” says Qadar.
Forestburg village council welcomes the JQ Health Organon Inc. and the Qadar family to the community.
“For the last number of years council has been actively promoting our municipality and the broader community as the ideal place to work, invest and raise a family,” stated Forestburg Mayor Blaise Young.
“This announcement is our latest success and evidence that Forestburg is a leading growth example for rural Alberta with the balanced quality of life here that people are increasingly wanting for themselves and their families.”
Civil work on the 2.48 acre site will begin later this year with operation starting in 2023.
Three year operating plan
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Dwight Dibben presented the Village of Forestburg three year operating plan, outlining the financial terms for the 2022-2024 season.
There has been no changes to the residential tax rate in 2022 which remains at $850 per property, but council is projecting an increase by two per cent in 2023 and 2024 keeping in line with other municipalities in Flagstaff County.
There are no changes to the Special Culture and Recreation tax. It will remain at $210 per property.
Costs for utilities are also showing a flat rate with no change in the 2022 year with a two per cent increase for the 2023 and 2024 years.
Mayor Blaise Young raised concerns on the increasing price of oil.
“We have a number of things that we can see that won’t necessarily inflation-proof us, but certainly help us mitigate it over the next couple of years,” says Dibben.
Council anticipates that with the increase of costs of fuel, it will have an impact on residents.
“Again, this is the world we live in at this moment. We have to be careful, frugal and we have to ensure we are responsible to the citizens,” says Young.
Accommodations in Kinsmen RV
A written request from an individual regarding use of the camping service at Kinsmen RV park as year-round accommodations while they are in the area for work has sparked discussion about the possibility of using the space as long-term affordable accommodation.
Council discussed the feasibility, operating costs and problems that come up with this request in the long-term of workers coming and living long term in camps.
As per the Master Rates Bylaw 7:2021, the monthly rate for powered camp sites is $1400.
Council will work towards figuring out how it will handle the long-term accommodation of workers who are coming to Forestburg to work on projects in the area.
No decision has been made on the request.
Resident complaint
A resident came forward with a bylaw complaint regarding a vehicle performing stunting activities near the baseball diamonds.
The resident took pictures and captured video of the driver and sent the recordings to council as evidence. The information was then forwarded to the RCMP and a ticket was issued to the driver and council was informed that they were not a resident of Forestburg.
Council advises residents to always be aware of possible disturbances and inform them for any possible information regarding individuals who are violating village bylaws.
Daniel Gonzalez
ECA Review
