Members from about 12 northern municipalities and counties want to improve government farm aid programs to assist drought-stricken farmers in their areas.
“I believe we have a role to play to find any shortcomings that are in place,” said Don Currie, a councillor with the County of Westlock and an organizer of an ad hoc multi-municipality committee.
“It looks like a number of programs are in place, but they have their limitations.”
A meeting was organized by the County of Thorhild to find some solutions for farmers in drought-affected regions. The counties of Athabasca, Smoky Lake, St. Paul, Westlock, Lakeland, the Municipal Districts of Bonnyville, Lesser Slave River and the Buffalo Lake Metis Settlement joined in.
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“We’re looking for ways that perhaps might be some form of assistance for people suffering from the drought,” said Currie.
Fourteen more counties and municipalities from the Peace River region are expected to join the group in a meeting in Slave Lake, Alta., at the end of August.
Currie said the group isn’t interested in attending protest rallies, but wants to work with the government to fix programs already in place.
“There are a number of groups demonstrating. I won’t have a part of it. There has to be more work done with government to ask for whatever.
“We’re looking for information to work with the government, not fight with them,” Currie said.
Northern Alberta MLA Walter Paszkowski said drought was a recurring theme on a recent tour of municipalities.
“The drought is the most severe drought in many years,” said Paszkowski, minister of municipal affairs. “At my home (in Sexsmith) it’s the most severe in my lifetime.”
