News

With Council’s Annual Organization Meeting coming up in a few months, the MD of Spirit River #133 has two members-at-large vacancies for the following boards:

• Agricultural Service Board (1 vacancy)
• Central Peace Family and Community Support Services Board (1 vacancy)

If you are interested in being considered for one or both of these boards, click Application Form or pop into the office @ 4202 – 50th Street for hard copies.

The application deadline is October 5, 2026.

Board Descriptions:

• The Agricultural Services Board is tasked with promoting sustainable agriculture, managing weed and pest control, conserving soil and water resources, and assisting in the control of animal diseases. ASBs develop and implement local agricultural policies, advise municipal council, and work with the provincial government to enforce agriculture-related legislation.
• The Central Peace Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) Board is the governing body responsible for overseeing the delivery of preventive social services in the Municipal District of Spirit River #133, the Town of Spirit River, and the Village of Rycroft. It determines how FCSS allocates funding based on local needs and provincial prevention priorities within the FCSS mandate.

To view the full document, go to Board & Committee Descriptions

The purpose of this meeting is for K Division to hear directly from residents about policing issues, including the challenges of policing large rural areas.

Please join Council during their Regular Council meeting on September 23^rd @ 9:00 AM, either in person at the MD Administration Office or virtually on Teams.

Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 265 752 763 517 63

Passcode: WD2yp3CR

For access to the agenda, click on September 23, 2026 Agenda.

The Municipal District of Spirit River No.133 has proclaimed September 21 – 27, 2026, as Rail Safety Week.

Stay Off the Tracks: Why Rail Safety Week 2026 Matters More Than Ever

Every year, trains move millions of tonnes of goods and thousands of passengers across Canada. They are a backbone of our economy and a familiar part of the landscape. Yet for too many people, that familiarity breeds a dangerous complacency.

From September 21 to 27, 2026, communities across the country will mark Rail Safety Week. The campaign arrives with sobering numbers: in 2025 alone, Canada recorded 252 railway crossing and trespassing incidents. Those events left 69 people dead and another 60 with serious injuries—lives cut short or forever changed by incidents that were almost entirely avoidable.

The message is straightforward but urgent. Railway rights-of-way are private property. Crossing tracks outside designated areas, walking along the rails, or ignoring signals and barriers is not a shortcut or a thrill—it is a high-stakes gamble. Trains cannot stop quickly. A freight train travelling at speed can take more than a kilometre to come to a halt. Pedestrians and drivers who assume they can beat the train, or who simply fail to look and listen, pay the highest price.

Education remains one of the most effective tools we have. Operation Lifesaver, a long-standing public-private partnership, works with railways, governments, police, media, and community groups to drive that message home. Their focus is practical: remind people that tracks are not public paths, heighten awareness at highway-rail grade crossings, reinforce the habit of looking and listening near railways, and stress the importance of obeying traffic laws. CN and Operation Lifesaver have asked municipalities across Canada to formally support these efforts. When local councils adopt resolutions endorsing Rail Safety Week, they help turn national statistics into local conversations—conversations that can prevent the next tragedy.

Rail Safety Week is not about fear. It is about respect. Respect for the power and speed of trains, respect for the private property they travel on, and respect for the simple rules that keep people alive. Whether you drive, walk, cycle, or simply live near a rail line, the habits are the same: stop, look, listen, and never take a chance.

This September, take a moment to talk with family, friends, and neighbours—especially younger people who may not fully grasp the danger. Share the facts. Support the campaigns. And when you approach a crossing or see tracks nearby, treat them with the seriousness they deserve.

Because every avoidable fatality and injury is one too many. And every life saved starts with awareness.

Firefighters’ National Memorial Day is observed annually in Canada on the second Sunday in September. It is a national day of remembrance dedicated to honouring the courage, selflessness, and ultimate sacrifices of Canadian firefighters who have died in the line of duty.

History

The day received its formal designation in 2017. On August 25^th of that year, then-Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale announced its establishment in Regina, Saskatchewan. A subsequent proclamation by the Governor General formally declared the second Sunday in September each year as Firefighters’ National Memorial Day. The first observance took place on September 10, 2017.

This official recognition built on earlier efforts by the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation (CFFF). The Foundation had been holding annual memorial ceremonies for more than a decade, often timed near September 11 in recognition of the broader significance of that date for emergency responders. The Foundation’s long-standing work also led to the creation of the Canadian Firefighters Memorial in Ottawa’s LeBreton Flats (the site of the Great Ottawa Fire of 1900). Designed by artist Douglas Coupland and landscape architect Mary Tremain, the monument was dedicated in 2012. It features a tall fire pole, a bronze firefighter statue cast from recycled brass couplings donated by fire stations across the country, and a granite memorial wall engraved with the names of fallen firefighters, mapped according to the province or territory they served.

Records of line-of-duty deaths date back to 1848. According to the CFFF, more than 1,300 Canadian firefighters had died in the line of duty by the time the national day was established; the total has continued to grow as new names are added each year during the annual ceremony in Ottawa.

Importance

The day serves as a national acknowledgment of the inherent dangers of firefighting and the profound personal cost borne by firefighters and their families. On this day, the Canadian flag is flown at half-mast on all federal buildings and establishments, including the Peace Tower, from sunrise to sunset. Memorial ceremonies take place across the country, with the main national event hosted by the CFFF at the Ottawa memorial. Families of the fallen are supported through programs such as the Memorial Grant Program for First Responders.

Beyond formal remembrance, the day highlights the ongoing service of Canada’s approximately 200,000 firefighters—career, volunteer, wildland, military, airport, and industrial—who protect communities from fires, medical emergencies, hazardous materials incidents, and increasingly severe wildfires linked to climate change. It underscores public gratitude for their readiness to place themselves in harm’s way and reinforces the importance of supporting both serving firefighters and the families of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

In short, Firefighters’ National Memorial Day ensures that the names and legacies of those who answered their last alarm are never forgotten, while affirming the vital role firefighters play in the safety and resilience of Canadian communities.

Discover the story behind the Canadian Firefighters Memorial in LeBreton Flats in this Decoding ART video.

The MD Transit Bus will be unavailable for public service on September 15, 16, & 17, 2026.

Please join Council during their Regular Council meeting on September 9^th @ 9:00 AM, either in person at the MD Administration Office or virtually on Teams.

Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 220 505 280 799 48

Passcode: wi3tD3hB

For access to the agenda, click on September 9, 2026 Agenda.

Congratulations to Our 2026 Bursary Recipients!

The Municipal District of Spirit River #133 is pleased to congratulate Colton Witts, Shaelyn Beaupre, and Tyler Tomkow on being selected as this year’s recipients of the $1,000 MD of Spirit River #133 Bursary.

This bursary program recognizes local students who demonstrate leadership, community involvement, and a commitment to making a positive difference. By supporting students as they pursue their post-secondary goals, the MD is proud to invest in the future of our communities and Northern Alberta.

Congratulations, Colton, Shaelyn, and Tyler!

We wish each of you every success as you continue your education and pursue your goals. We look forward to seeing where your hard work, leadership, and commitment take you!

Your future is bright—and your community is proud to support you along the way.