Modernized Stirling School grand re-opening on April 9

Westwind Weekly photo by Jeremy Appel Mayor Trevor Lewington and Coun. Matthew Foss at the March 21 Stirling council meeting.

Jeremy Appel
Westwind Weekly News

The newly-renovated Stirling School is having its Phase I grand opening on April 9.
The event will occur between 5:30 and 7 p.m., and will showcase the school’s new library, gym, administrative offices and common space.
It will also serve as a fundraiser, with tickets sold for $5, Coun. Matthew Foss said at the March 21 village council meeting.
“Food will be served,” he said. “And then there will be some type of short presentation for everybody to figure out where we are and where we’re going, some donor recognition, cheque presentations, things like that.”
The open house is planned for 5:30 to 6 p.m., followed by 6 to 6:30 for food, and then 6:30 to 7 p.m. for presentations.
Village CAO Mike Selk said the town is at $268,000 of its $1-million fundraising goal, but that he expects they will be much closer to their goal by the grand re-opening due to the efforts of the modernization committee.
“A lot of committee members are out actively working with businesses and organizations,” he said. “That number could significantly jump by April 9.”

Land-use Bylaw update recommended by ORRSC for cannabis legalization

Oldman River Regional Services Commission senior planner Bonny Brunner wrote a letter to village council recommending it update its Land-use Bylaw to prepare for marijuana legalization later this year.
“Everybody’s making these amendments to the Land-use Bylaw,” Selk said, adding that Brunner is already working on changing the Land-use Bylaw to bring it into compliance with the new Municipal Governance Act.
Brunner is also the planner for Coutts, Warner, Milk River, Raymond and the M.D. of Taber.
Mayor Trevor Lewington said that with the 100 m restriction on cannabis sales near schools or parks, it’s unlikely the village will have any stores in the near future.
“It’s certainly a future consideration,” he said. “I don’t think there’s anywhere for us to go at this point.”
Selk agreed.
“There just aren’t places in our community where we could have that,” he said.