Leduc County, Beaumont, farmers planning to push back against annexation

The city has moved to start the annexation process for this parcel of land, that would extend Edmonton's southern boundary to include the Edmonton International Airport west of the QEII, and to Township Road 510 east of the QEII. Supplied.

Communities, and farmers directly affected by the City of Edmonton’s intention to annex two large parcels of land south of the city are questioning the city’s plans.

On Tuesday, Edmonton’s City Council voted to move forward with plans to annex two sections of land – totaling more than 15,000 hectares – in an effort to allow residential, business and industrial development to grow.

“We need to have our city grow and we hope that taxation as it grows will continue to be greater than the income that it produces,” Mandel said Tuesday.

It’s that growth farmers such as Ed Wedman are worried about – Wedmanvill Dairy Farms has been in production on the same half section of land, located just south of Edmonton in Leduc County for decades.

“This is not just a piece of dirt, we are talking communities that have been here for over 120, 150 years,” Wedman said.

Others in the area wonder what the move will mean for locally grown food.

“Why would you pave over some of the best land in the province? Where there’s a lot of land, that’s certainly not as productive,” Sprucedale community resident Curt Makepeace said.

The growth plan also conflicts with the plans of another community, as part of the eastern section of land had already been the subject of discussion between the Town of Beaumont, and Leduc County.

“Beaumont is one of the fastest growing communities in Canada, and the second fastest in Alberta,” Marc Landry with the Town of Beaumont said.

Landry said town administration has been in discussions with Leduc County, in the hopes of acquiring nearly 1,600 hectares of land – some of that is land outlined in the city’s plans.

“The area being proposed by the City of Edmonton is in some of the same area that Beaumont was looking to grow, so this will have, for sure, an impact,” Landry said.

The county itself was quick to come out against the annexation plan as well – County Mayor John Whaley told CTV News the county is willing to hear about Edmonton’s offer, but “If we had a preference or a choice in the matter, we would say, go away, leave us alone.”

On Wednesday, Leduc County issued a press release responding to the city’s plan, and said county officials ‘feel no obligation to hand over County investments and future tax base to another municipality’, even though relations with neighbouring municipalities have been good.

“These lands are attractive to our neighbours because of the forward planning undertaken by Leduc County to ensure our sustainability,” Whaley said in the press release. “Annexation notices bring a sense of frustration when a neighbouring municipality wants us to forfeit our tax base for their benefit.”

County officials said the ‘spirit of collaboration’ would continue as the city’s proposal is assessed – and residents and business community will be invited to participate in its evaluation.

Edmonton also needs approval from the provincial government before moving forward.

“It’s the same situation with every annexation,” Municipal Affairs Minister Doug Griffiths said. “Nobody wants to give up the tax base, but municipalities need room to grow, and investments do too.”

The next step in the process includes municipal hearings – they’re hearings Wedman and Makepeace are planning to attend.

“This is good land, we have to protect it,” Makepeace said.

With files from Ashley Molnar