MD OF TABER: June 30 council highlights

Posted on July 16, 2026 by Vauxhall Advance

By Carl Rodrigo
Vauxhall Advance

The Municipal District of Taber (MD of Taber) Council assembled on June 30 for its regular council meeting, opening with introductions from council members, staff, and guests. The council meeting began with Reeve Tamara Miyanaga calling the meeting to order and reviewing the agenda – council agreed to move the RCMP delegation ahead of the public comment period for future meetings. 

The agenda was accepted as presented, and the minutes from the June 9 council meeting were approved. Concerning the declaration of any potential conflicts of interest – Martin Kondor noting a cultivated lease in the MD. 

RCMP Report

Sergeant Stewart Gemmill of the RCMP presented the May 2026 statistics for his detachment – MD of Taber and surrounding hamlets. They received 112 calls for service with 99 calls made within the MD of Taber. Property and persons crimes are down, and patrols noted as lower than usual. Council discussed concerns about rural crime such as copper wire thefts from pivots.

“We laid charges in four criminal investigations during the month of May… fourth thefts of copper wire. Arrests and charges were laid into a string of copper wire thefts,” said Sgt. Gemmill during his RCMP report at the June 30 MD of Taber council meeting.

Council also requested increased patrol during peak hours on Wednesday and Sunday concerning road mischief and gatherings in Taber and surrounding area. Year to date, total Criminal Code offences are down about 30 per cent from 2025.

“What I have seen in the last little while is a real increase in some of the activity on our roads that isn’t that beneficial… large groups of people… after that, there is a lot of racing,” stated Councillor John Turcato, on peak times for road issues in Taber and surrounding areas.

Geremia Lease Dispute sent to Administration

David and Fran Geremia of the Enchant area brought forward a lease dispute dating back roughly 65 years, to when their land was leased through Alberta’s Special Areas Board before coming under the MD in the early ‘60s. They said that when payments later switched from crop share to cash rent, their land was never properly inventoried, leaving them billed at grassland rather than cultivated rates for decades. Council moved briefly behind closed doors, then referred the matter to administration for a report at a future meeting.

Explore Inc. Optic Fibre

Council decided to move forward on a municipal access agreement with Xplore Inc., allowing the company to bury fibre optic cable in MD roads and area to bring high-speed internet to close to 1,000 homes around Taber and east towards Grassy Lake under Ottawa’s Universal Broadband Fund. The project will connect 1,378 properties, with speeds up to one gigabit per second. A company representative said the build targets homes that are underserved. 

A staff report warned buried fibre optic cable can complicate road work – relocating a mile runs about $50,000. Council approved it with two changes, cables must stay within 1.5 metres of the road boundary, and Xplore will pay one permit fee for every 10 instead of paying for each. 

Coun. John Turcato voted against the deal and argues the MD should not bear early relocation costs on its own right of way, unlike pipeline crossings where the crossing company pays in full. Xplore said the formula is a national standard and it is taking real financial risk servicing a small and scattered customer base. 

“So you’re comparing two different industries, oil and gas have a way bigger budget, way bigger profit margins to be able to handle that kind of a reconstruction… With ISPs we deal with smaller budgets… The responsibility to pay for that slowly gravitates to us. Now the relocation schedule provided in the agreement that has been agreed upon is one that’s been provided by the CRTC, that manages telecommunications, so it’s been deemed fair, and we use it across Canada,” explained Explore Inc.’s Municipal Relations Department manager, Tracy Chalifoux.

Reece Tamara Miyanaga said a permit-fee break “gave her a pause” but backed the project, noting no one is forced to switch providers. The motion was carried, with Councillor Turcato, Reynolds and Kondor opposing the motion. 

A Motion on the Referendum, raised then withdrawn

Late in the meeting, Deputy Reeve Layne Johnson introduced a motion asking council to declare that Alberta’s future lies within Confederation, ahead of the province’s Oct. 19 referendum. He said he wasn’t trying to change firm minds but hoped to reach undecided residents and keep the conversations civil.

“This is going to impact every resident in Alberta. It’s here now. It has the potential to impact generations to come. This will have more impact on us than anything we are going to deal with during the four year term of this council. It’s that cut and dried, and if we’re not prepared to take a position on this, I question why we’re even on council,” said Councillor Johnson

Coun. Turcato pushed back. “This is not our lane,” he said, calling it a provincial matter for individuals, not a municipal council. Coun. Martin Kondor agreed council shouldn’t steer anyone’s vote, urging residents to do their own research rather than lean on Facebook or a neighbour. Coun. David Torrie suggested the MD could say something positive about being part of Canada without telling anyone how to vote. The CAO also reminded council that municipalities draw their power from the province, not Ottawa, and should stay in their own lane.

“I think it’s important that people understand all of the referendum questions. I think we get, I know the one is the most impactful, but I think it’s also important that everybody understand what all of them are, so that when you come to the ballot box, you understand what you’re voting on, and you’re not just clicking a box that you haven’t researched. I think everybody needs to research each, all 10 of these, and come to your own decision to make sure you get out to vote. That’s the most important part…,” said Councillor Turcato. 

Reeve Miyanaga said she wasn’t comfortable putting council on record, noting families in her own division have declared themselves on both sides.

Council agreed to use scheduled “Coffee with Council” sessions to remind residents about the referendum, promote voting, and encourage research, rather than hosting a separate event.Council acknowledged the referendum is a highly significant and emotional issue for the community, and stressed the need for civility and respect throughout the process.

After lengthy discussion, Johnson withdrew the motion, saying he recognized it wasn’t fair to force council to take a position, but that the referendum remains the defining issue of the term. 

Also on the Agenda

• Council reviewed regional fire-service billing, signalling support for recovering costs on insurable incidents and for charging owners after repeat false alarms from automated alarm systems.

• Members directed administration to study solar power options for the MD’s SCOPE irrigation project and adopted what staff described as minor housekeeping updates to last year’s employee handbook.

• The MD’s provincial funding allocation under the Local Government Fiscal Framework sits at about $1.72 million for 2026, up from $1.73 million in 2025 and with an estimated $1.9 million in 2027.

• In another written operations report, a wet spring was cited as a key driver of May operations, with councillors highlighting saturated roads, drainage problem spots, and heavy wear on gravel routes, particularly near feedlot traffic.