As many of you know, recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters is a continual challenge for many communities in Alberta. What you may not be aware of is that the there is a toolkit available for municipalities and their local fire departments to assist in recruiting and retaining people for these important roles. In 2008, the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association hired Volunteer Alberta to develop a strategy and toolkit to assist volunteer fire departments. This report, known as the ‘Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment and Retention Strategy’, consists of a series of recommended initiatives with supporting documentation to assist with toolkit implementation. The report highlights a series of initiatives, which were developed to combat th [ ... ]

The Elected Officials Education Program (EOEP) has experienced significant growth over the last few months by expanding its online-based curriculum. EOEP students now have the opportunity to take 13 of the 21 EOEP courses through online learning. Online learning offers flexibility in scheduling as elected officials can register at any time and have up to sixty days to complete each course. Learning costs are also reduced as there is no travel needed and the majority of online courses are offered at only $250 each. The EOEP is continuing to expand its online course offerings so students have a choice for their learning preferences. In addition to the EOEP’s online offerings, the EOEP will be hosting four course seminars this fall in Edmo [ ... ]

April 04 04 12 Telus Customer Solutions Delivery Team Available to Municipalities 04 11 12 AAMDC Welcomes New Policy Analyst 04 12 12 AAMDC Resolutions Expiring 04 14 12 Impacts of the 2012 Federal Budget on Municipalities 04 18 12 AAMDC Meets with Non-Political Organization 04 18 12 Who Will You be Voting For-- A Municipal Platform Round-Up 04 25 12 AAMDC Releases Spring 2012 Advocacy Report Card *login required* 04 04 12 Results of the Well Drilling Equipment tax Survey 04 25 12 Railway Crossings Consultation March 03 07 12 Health Quality Council of Alberta (HQCA) Calls for Review of Emergency Medical Services 03 07 12 Proposed Seniors Property Tax Deferral Act 03 07 12 Government to Review Surface Rights and Expropria [ ... ]

The AAMDC is now accepting applications for its 2012 Scholarship Program. Students from rural Alberta are invited to submit their applications, postmarked no later than August 6, 2012. The AAMDC Scholarship Program is designed to encourage young rural Albertans to pursue post-secondary education that can make a meaningful contribution to their communities. The scholarship provides $1,000 to five rural students, one from each of the five AAMDC geographic regions. Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

-Reside in a rural municipality that is a member in good standing of the AAMDC (municipal district, county or special area). Residents of cities, towns and villages are ineligible.

-Be registered in his or her first four years [ ... ]

The Municipal Excellence Network (MeNet) website is a valuable resource for all Alberta Municipalities. We would like to remind our members about the MeNet resource library and encourage municipalities to submit bylaws and policies that have been particularly impactful in their communities. The MeNet library is divided into simple, easy to use sections that include relevant reference documents such as: employee and CAO performance evaluation samples, bylaw templates, data collection tools and much more. To submit a bylaw and/or policy to the Municipal Excellence Resource Library, email the information to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . All practices must be provided through a practice collection form, which can be downloaded here. For any questions reg [ ... ]