Edson’s town council approved two new financial reserves and gave first reading to a rezoning bylaw during its first regular meeting of 2026, on Jan. 6.
The new reserves will include an Operating Reserve and Capital Reserve to provide dedicated funding for building maintenance and long-term facility planning. The town is expecting greater investments in municipal facilities to be required in the coming years; these reserves are intended to strengthen financial sustainability and ensure proactive planning is possible.
The Operating Reserve will fund ongoing facility operations and maintenance, while the capital will support future facility rehabilitation, replacement or expansion needs.
Transfers to and from these reserves are managed through the annual budget process. The reserve policy is next due for review in January 2028.
Council also passed first reading of Bylaw No. 2329, which would amend the Land Use Bylaw to redistrict a parcel from a Service Commercial (C2) district to a Direct Control Open (DC-O) district. Town officials say this change could facilitate expanded services proposed for an existing approved group care facility at 4920 1 Avenue.
Currently, supportive housing, formerly noted in the Land Use Bylaw as group care facilities, is not a listed use in the C2 district. The operator’s proposed expansion, therefore, requires an amendment to approve this facility type in C2 zones.
To address this conflict, council is exploring an amendment that would change the facility’s parcel (Plan 1494 AC, Block 6, Lot 31-37) to DC-O. This would allow council to:
- Set customized rules and conditions for land use and development that may not fit neatly into existing districts.
- Retain discretion to approve or refuse development permits, even if an application meets the written rules.
- Address unique or sensitive situations, such as developments with significant community impact, complex design requirements, or uses that require closer oversight.
The group care facility provides services to vulnerable people in the community and has applied for provincial grant funding that requires it to offer those services 24/7. Currently, it is only permitted to take in clients overnight when the temperature reaches -25 C with windchill. If the facility is rezoned to DC-O, it can submit a development permit to expand its services, and council would act as its development authority.
More information and an analysis will be shared at a public hearing on the matter, which is yet to be scheduled.
