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MUNICIPAL DISTRICT OF BIGHORN NO. 8PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

RE: BYLAW NO. 08/19, ROCKY VIEW COUNTY AND M.D. OF BIGHORN INTERMUNICIPALDEVELOPMENT PLAN

DATE: TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020

TIME: 10:00 A.M.

LOCATION: M.D. OF BIGHORN MUNICIPAL OFFICE (COUNCIL CHAMBERS)2 HEART MOUNTAIN DRIVE, EXSHAW, ALBERTA

PURPOSE:

An Intermunicipal Development Plan between the MD of Bighorn and Rocky View County was prepared to meet the requirements ofSection 631, 636 and 638 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA), which mandates IDPs between municipalities. An IDP is a municipal,statutory planning document defined by the Municipal Government Act that provides a framework for collaboration and coordinationwith respect to development. The purpose of the Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP) between Rocky View County and the MunicipalDistrict of Bighorn is to set a policy framework for planning matters that includes future land use, environmental matters, transportation,and items of mutual interest as it applies to lands in proximity to the shared boundary and defined in the IDP Area. The IDP also containspolicies that define how communication, cooperation, decision-making and dispute resolution shall occur for lands within the IDP Area.

Bylaw 08/19 and Schedule A – Rocky View County and MD of Bighorn Intermunicipal Development Plan may be reviewed by the publicon the municipal website (www.mdbighorn.ca) or at the Municipal District of Bighorn Municipal office in Exshaw during regular workinghours (2 Heart Mountain Drive, Exshaw, AB). For website users, please search Bylaw 08/19 on the municipal website.

REPRESENTATION:

The public hearing for proposed Bylaw 08/19, will provide the public with an opportunity to address Council. Oral and written commentsand suggestions are invited and should be addressed to the point of the draft bylaw. They may be made by any person or group ofpersons, or a person acting on his, her or their behalf, who claims to be affected by the proposed draft bylaw; and from any other personswhom, at the hearing, Bighorn Council wishes to hear. Interested persons or groups may only make a submission or presentation once.

Technical Documents, may also be submitted, and may include, but are not limited to, engineering reports, consultant’s studies,environmental impact assessments, geotechnical investigations, groundwater evaluations, ground/slope stability reports, flood riskassessments, traffic impact assessments, historical surveys, utility master plans and other similar documentation.

Written submissions may be made by the persons described above and must be received in the Municipal District of Bighorn No. 8Municipal Office, #2 Heart Mountain Drive, P.O. Box 310, Exshaw, Alberta, T0L 2C0 by the dates as indicated below:

• Technical Documents and other written submissions in support of the proposed bylaw must be received no later than4:30 p.m., January 10, 2020.

• Technical Documents and other written submissions which are not in support of the proposed bylaw must be received no later than4:30 p.m., January 20, 2020.

• Petitions and any other written submissions must be received by 4:30 p.m., January 20, 2020

Oral presentations may be made at the hearing by individuals or groups (as described above), whether or not they have submitted awritten presentation. Oral presentations should be limited to five (5) minutes, except that a person speaking as a representative of a groupof persons may speak for a maximum of ten (10) minutes.

DOCUMENTATION:

A paper copy of Bylaw No. 08/19 and Schedule A – Rocky View County and M.D. of Bighorn Intermunicipal Development Plan, may beinspected by the public at the Municipal District of Bighorn Municipal office in Exshaw during regular working hours. A copy of Bylaw08/19 is also available to view or download from the M.D.’s website (www.mdbighorn.ca). For website users, please search Bylaw 08/19on the municipal website.

Similarly, Technical Documents and similar written documentation, petitions, letters and other written submissions may be inspected afterthe dates noted above at the M.D. of Bighorn office.

For additional information, contact the M.D. of Bighorn No. 8 office at 403-673-3611 or 403-233-7678 (Calgary direct line).

Robert Ellis, C.A.O.MD of Bighorn No. 8

4 - COCHRANE EAGLE, December 26, 2019

2020 vision through the lens of an optometristBy Cathi Arola

The Eagle

The turn of the decade presents an uncharted realm of intriguing mysteries.

What does 2020 have in store for our humble piece of paradise at the base of Big Hill in the Bow River Valley? Wait for it. We’ll all know soon enough.

In 2000 Dr. Tom Wilk opened Mountain View Optometry, then a 630 square-foot space on Fifth Avenue. His office phone number is 403-851-2020 and, well, he’s in the business of 20/20 vision. Wilk seemed like an ideal candidate to share his 20/20 vision for 2020 in Cochrane.

Two decades ago Wilk came to Cochrane to pur-chase a motorcycle from a couple he knew. He casu-ally asked them about eye care in town. His friends told him there were a few places, but the majority of Cochranites still go to Calgary for optometry services.

Wilk looked around, liked what he saw and got

in touch with a realtor. His office remained in the Fifth Avenue location until they outgrew the space in 2006. Mountain View Optometry moved to a spa-cious bright office in the heart of Historic Down-town Cochrane at 404 1st St. W. Wilk and his wife also operate a practice in Crowfoot in Calgary.

“When we came to Cochrane the population was just over 11,000,” Wilk said.

“It had been that way for awhile. Within the last 10-12 years the population doubled so much so that Cochrane was considered the fasted growing community in North America.”

He said the population in 2006 stagnated while negotiations between the town and Rocky View County - over annexed land from the county - slowed down.

“There was a lot of developers chomping at the bit to build this community because everybody had the same idea — they wanted to move to Cochrane,” said Wilk.

“It was close to Calgary and within driving dis-tance. Once the the MD opened up additional lands for development, boy things just skyrocketed.”

Wilk says his business has lived through - and thrived - during two cycles where development has peaked. He said between 2007 and 2008 the population ballooned. Despite the boom Wilk says the town still feels very rural even though it’s more urban now.

“The people of Cochrane are still the same as the people I started seeing way back in the day. They’re very, very friendly. Very genuine and very loyal if you give them a reason to be loyal to your business. They will certainly continue to patronize your busi-ness and give you that benefit.”

Based on his experience serving our commu-nity you’d be surprised to learn that Wilk lives in Calgary and commutes every morning to work. It’s a 20 minute drive from his Scenic Acres home in the city and he wouldn’t trade the commute for anything. Wilk used to ride his motorcycle, but after seeing deer and moose carcasses on Highway 1A he’s opted to give himself a fighting chance in a vehicle.

He attributes his affinity for Cochrane to his in-volvement in the town’s Rotary. Wilk was president of the organization in 2013-14 and at his inaugura-tion celebration he learned about the spirit that is Cochrane.

On June 19, 2013 Wilk and other Rotarians were enjoying a celebratory dinner at Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park. Wilk said one of the park’s employ-ees approached the group and advised them of the devastation that the Bow River was wrecking on nearby areas. The group rose to action, changed their clothes, and helped sandbag the banks of the Bow River in Cochrane.

“That was a neat story to kick off my presidency at Rotary, but more than that it exemplifies the community spirit that exists here in Cochrane.”

“People are really willing to drop everything to help their fellow neighbour.”

He said when he got to Cochrane there were hun-dreds of community members boarding a shuttle bus and helping at the river bank. He added that some went as far as High River to help homeowners clean out their damaged homes.

“It’s difficult to find a town of this size or any

Dr. Tom Wilk at work at Mountain View Optometry at 404 1st St. W.

Photo by Cathi arola

size that has the depth of community spirit that Cochrane has.”

He notes that with the massive population growth Cochrane has had some challenges that will burden the town into the new year.

“Obviously infrastructure is lacking. We have a ton of traffic issues,” Wilk said.

“I think everybody had their hopes high that some of that was going to be solved relatively soon, but with provincial cutbacks, the municipality isn’t getting their share of the funding to make this happen.”

He points to the Highway 1A/22 interchange, Centre Avenue upgrades and Jack Tennent bridge project and says when those projects are complete Cochrane will be a differ-ent community from an accessibility perspective.

“We’re going to get past these chal-lenges. We’ll see a new and improved Cochrane before we know it.”

In the meantime Wilk will continue to immerse himself in charities. In addition to Rotary he’s been involved

with the Kimmet Foundation, Optom-etry Giving Sight and Operation Eye Sight. The latter charity is working to build a hospital to do cataract surger-ies and primary care facilities that can handle eye glass needs and commu-nity health in Malawi in east Africa.

“I think it’s important for us that work with sight loss on a daily basis to continue to remove barriers for ac-cess.” He notes that more than 80 per cent of learning is visual with children and in some places in the world a pair of glasses is out of reach.

Wilk’s Cochrane office is planning a top secret thank you celebration for his longtime and valued customers in the new year. As for his future, he says his business is still growing and they’re not planning to change loca-tions anytime soon. As he enters 2020 with the rest of us, Wilk looks back at his time in our town and remarks that his love for our community has grown.

“I feel like a Cochrane resident. I feel like this is my community.”

carola@cochrane.greatwest.ca

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December 26, 2019 COCHRANE EAGLE - 5

Dr. Tom Wilk Photo by Cathi arola

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