Alberton Fire Department annual report
The Alberton Fire Department saw a significant reduction in calls in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic stopped firefighters from attending medical calls in mid-March.
Activity at the fire hall was also restricted to emergency responses at the request of the P.E.I. Fire Marshall’s office.
The department responded to 89 calls in 2020, down from 216 calls in 2019.
By location, 64 calls were outside the town limits and 25 were inside Alberton.
The Alberton firefighters spent a total of 5,235 hours on emergency responses an another 5,561 on training and public relations.
“As we can see from these numbers, our members continue to dedicate many hours in service to the Town of Alberton and surrounding communities,” said the report submitted by Fire Chief Shannon Dumville and Deputy Fire Chief Darrell Graham.
The department has acquired a new tanker truck and has plans for a new water rescue boat.
“After the recent tragedy that occurred off Fox Island, we have determined that our water response capability was not adequate for the operations that we require,” said the report.
Fire department membership stands at 32 members with three new probationary members and two retirements.
“We have had two members reach 40 years of service, two members have reached 30 years of service and five members have reached 20 years of service. This exemplifies the dedication of our members and we congratulate then,” said the report.
Alberton’s Emma Drive subdivision rezones lots for duplexes
A total of 16 residential lots in Alberton’s Emma Drive subdivision were rezoned recently.
Eleven lots on Emma Drive and five on Oak Lane were changed from Single Unit Residential to Two-Unit Residential on the town’s zoning map and from low density residential to medium density residential on the future land use map.
The town held a public meeting on Feb. 17 to allow for community participation. Two residents made comments, but they did not pertain to the subdivision’s zoning. There were no other comments on the rezoning.
Alberton budget meeting sees thin attendance
The town of Alberton hosted a public budget consultation meeting on Feb. 24.
No members of the public attended.
Blair Duggan, deputy mayor and finance committee chair, presented the budget which contained no increases in sewer rates or tax rates for the coming fiscal year.
Town revenues were boosted by the sale of lots in the Emma Drive Subdivision. The sale of four lots is expected to close in April and an additional 10 will close in November.
The town plans to build a splash pad and a new storage building and has budgeted in case it needs to replace some of its equipment.
Canada Games 2023 is another line item on the town’s budget. As an event host, they were asked to contribute a per capita amount to the Games.
“As there is a slight surplus this year, council decided to pay the entire amount this year rather than spread it out over three years,” said the meeting minutes.
Alberton Public Library annual report
More than 1,800 people have Alberton library cards, heard Alberton town council at a recent meeting.
The annual report from the public library collated data from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2020. During the year, more than 6,700 books, CDs, DVDs, magazines and other items were checked out. The public access computers were booked for 171 sessions and 31 children attended library programs.
The Alberton Public Library is located at 11 Railway St. and is open Tuesdays from 3 to 8 p.m., Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Alberton recreation report for February
The winter carnival in Alberton was a great success, said Keenan Wilkie in his February report to council.
Nearly all events were at full capacity, he said.
Next up is a “Find the Pot of Gold” hunt for St. Patrick’s Day.
Wilkie also has plans for an Easter egg hunt with prizes and one “golden egg”. Council granted him $300 to cover the cost of various prizes for the contest.
