Burstall town council approves credit union proposal

By Stu Salkeld
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Your West Central Voice

BURSTALL – The Town of Burstall council approved a proposal from their local credit union for banking services. The resolution was passed at the Sept. 22 regular meeting of council.

In a phone call with Your West Central Voice newspaper Oct. 21, Burstall Mayor Colleen Bodnarchuk stated that councillors at the meeting passed a resolution authorizing the mayor and chief administrative officer (CAO) to sign a deal with Prosperity Credit Union to provide banking services to the municipality for five years.

The mayor noted Burstall and District Community Centre, the community hall, donated their surplus to the town for a project that is to be completed by the end of 2029: paving of the parking lot between the centre and the credit union. Bodnarchuk stated she hopes that the project can be carried out sooner than 2029. It was also noted that Burstall tries to get paving work done every two years and none was done in 2026.

Councillors heard a report on the recent Fall Fair which they were told was successful and well-attended. The mayor observed that a wind-up meeting will be held Oct. 29 where organizers will know how well the event did financially. Bodnarchuk stated that proceeds from the event benefit many local facilities such as a swimming pool, curling rink and a number of others.

It was reported that an instalment of about $9,600 of the Build Communities Strong funding was received, which Burstall disperses for certain projects. While it’s not known exactly which projects this money will be used for, it’s possible it may be for water tank repairs.

Councillors heard an update on how busy Burstall’s lagoon has been. It was noted the town performed some buttressing work at the lagoon as a result. The mayor noted Burstall does quite well financially through corporate users of the lagoon.

The councillors were happy to hear Burstall has benefited recently from a number of corporate donations from companies such as PC Energy, Keyera, CNRL and Pembina. It was noted that the donations will support municipal facilities or emergency services.

The mayor reported that councillors also heard the Public Works foreman’s regular report, including an update on tree service and pruning. Bodnarchuk stated that council wanted to clean up Lions Park a bit by removing some dead trees and grinding out some stumps.

Crack-sealing was conducted in late summer, with the mayor noting that most of the work was completed.

The Public Works report also included a note that some leaky valves at the water treatment plant were inspected. It’s thought they are not urgently serious but will be repaired as regular maintenance.

Sewer line flushing was also conducted, which the town hires a contractor to perform. Bodnarchuk stated that the town is still finding some cloth wipes or similar objects in the sewer lines, which can cause some issues. The mayor asked that residents not flush anything that would better belong in a garbage bin.

Mayor Bodnarchuk noted that councillors are preparing for the 2027 budget, with a meeting scheduled Dec. 1.