Town council approved a request for potable water, but was opposed to joining a separate mutual aid agreement at council's meeting Monday. (file photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

In the chambers

Battleford gives thumbs up for potable water; denies separate fire services agreement

Jun 18, 2019 | 5:25 PM

The Town of Battleford’s business was strictly elemental at council’s meeting Monday.

Council agreed to turn on the tap to provide potable water to Poundmaker First Nation, but didn’t approve of a separate proposal for a mutual aid agreement for fire services with the R.M. of North Battleford.

For Poundmaker’s request for potable water, Chief Duane Antoine stated in a letter to council the First Nation community has financial support through Indigenous Services Canada for the project to serve the site known as Poundmaker2.

There would be no cost to the town, and Poundmaker would pay a fee to access the service.

Battleford Mayor Ames Leslie said “it’s very exciting” to see the initiative coming together, with an opportunity to have it completed in 2019.

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“It’s going to be a great relationship builder for our two communities,” Leslie said.

The mayor said the initiative to provide treated water to Poundmaker has been in the works for the past six years since he has been on council, and longer.

Poundmaker 2 is located three kilometres south of Battleford.

Request for mutual aid agreement denied

For a separate proposal, to enter into a mutual aid agreement for fire services with the Rural Municipality of North Battleford, the Town of Battleford ultimately decided against the request.

The R.M. of North Battleford obtained its own volunteer fire department in April, after the City of North Battleford ceased providing fire services to the R.M. as of March 31.

The Town of Battleford deemed it wouldn’t be in its best interest to enter into the proposed agreement with the R.M.

“It’s tough,” Leslie said following council. “The town doesn’t want to break down any political relationships that it has. But at the same time, as the mayor, and I think council supports the decision that we cannot string our fire department too thin.”

The distance between Battleford and the R.M. of Battleford can be up to a 35-minute drive.

“It’s not that we don’t want to provide assistance to the R.M. of North Battleford,” Leslie added. “We need to protect our own community first, and protect the agreements we have in place today. I don’t think we have the capacity to take on more, until such time that we feel the mutual response back, to cover us off if we do go out of town they can come over and cover our town. But they don’t have that capability today.”

Currently the Town of Battleford has mutual aid agreements for fire services with the City of North Battleford, as well as the R.M. of Battle River.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW