Raymond council considering Knight’s Crossing bylaws

Posted on November 20, 2025 by admin

By Heather Cameron
Southern Alberta Newspapers
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On November 10, the Town of Raymond held public hearings for Bylaw No. 1155-25: MDP 958-09 Knight’s Crossing Amendment, Bylaw No. 1156-25: Knight’s Crossing ASP, and Bylaw No.1157-25: LUB 987-11 Knight’s Crossing Rezone. Council and Administration decided to hold the public hearings for all three bylaws at once. 

Councillor Evans first made a motion to close the regular Council meeting and go into the public hearing, and the motion was carried.

Councillor Johnson then made a motion to open the public hearing for Bylaw No. 1155-25: MDP 958-09 Knight’s Crossing Amendment and the motion was carried.

Councillor Eakett then made a motion to open the public hearing for Bylaw No. 1156-25: Knight’s Crossing ASP and the motion was carried.

Finally, Councillor Kindt made a motion to open the public hearing for Bylaw No.1157-25: LUB 987-11 Knight’s Crossing Rezone.

Town of Raymond Planning and Development Director and Development Officer Tyler Nelson then explained his role in the process.

“My role in this procedure is to present to Council planning considerations that would be relevant for the decision that you have in making these bylaw amendments and changes,” said Nelson. “Any developer that comes to the office with a plan where an ASP is required, I will work with them and Administration to prepare an application that is deemed suitable to bring to Council in the form of an ASP and in this case, also an MDP amendment and a bylaw change.”

Nelson went on to explain the history of the lands in question.

Since approximately 2008, Nelson explained, the Town has shown interest in the annexation of the lands. Prior to 2008, Nelson explained, there was a landowner that was in opposition to annexation into the Town. 

“In 2023, the process started moving forward, and in July 2024, the first the annexation was approved by the Minister and completed,” said Nelson. “At that time, the lands were brought into the town arraignment under our jurisdiction. And for the last year and a half, we’ve been awaiting this ASP to come in, and the zoning on the lands has remained the remnant county zoning which was Urban Fringe. Now, we’re at the point where we can present the MDP amendment, the ASP amendment, and the Bylaw amendment.”

Bylaw 1155-25, Nelson stated, is an amendment to the Town’s Municipal Development Plan. The Municipal Development Plan, Nelson said, an overarching guide how to the Town uses the lands within the town boundaries and the developments that can go on them. 

“The Raymond Municipal Development Plan serves to guide future growth and development toward the community’s desired future,” said Nelson. “It provides a foundation for the decisions council, town administration, and other decision-making bodies will make in a framework to coordinate municipal bylaws, policies, programs, and investments. The policies in this plan are the blueprint to build the Raymond that residents imagine. a vibrant, safe, beautiful, and growing community that maintains its unique character by promoting a sense of community and providing opportunity, choice, housing, recreation services, and employment.”

Nelson explained that the land in question is 17 and a half acres immediately east of Raymond Hospital and prior to July 1, 2024, they were in the County, but after that date, they were annexed into the town, but the MDP didn’t indicate it because it was annexed so recently. Bylaw No. 1155-25: MDP 958-09 Knight’s Crossing Amendment, Nelson explained, would give a designation in the MDP for part of that area to be zoned Parks and Open Space, part to be zoned Commercial, and part to be designated Urban Reserve. First reading of the bylaw was given at the October 6, 2025 Council meeting.

Bylaw No.1157-25: LUB 987-11 Knight’s Crossing Rezone, Nelson explained, is intended to enable Council to adopt an area structure plan for the Knight’s Crossing Area. Nelson also explained that the zoning that is currently applied to that area is a historical zoning that was given by the county called Urban Fringe, a zoning that does not currently exist within the Land Use Bylaw, but the Town wants to amend the Bylaw so the zoning can be altered. Part of the area, Nelson stated, would be zoned Parks and Open Space, part of the land , which equals approximately 7.9 acres, would be zoned Commercial, and part of the land, approximately 4.11 acres, would be zoned Urban Reserve, which is what the designation is that the Town uses when they want to reserve land for future use.

Bylaw No. 1156-25: Knight’s Crossing Area Structure Plan, Nelson explained, includes components such as a transportation plan, an infrastructure plan, a stormwater plan, pedestrian pathways, links to nearby schools and other nearby resources. Knight’s Crossing, Nelson stated, is intended to be a commercial shopping plaza that will include retail areas, a grocery store, fast food establishments, a fuel service station, convenience store, as well as multi-family residential units, all of which will be created in multiple phases, with some of the land also being used as a skate park and a storm water retention pond, The main entry to this area, Nelson explained, will be immediately adjacent to the entrance to the hospital, off 400 East, but there will also be other entrances and approaches, including on the south side on 100 north along the golf course road.

From there, Nelson touched upon the planning considerations, stating that the first area they look at is statutory documents and what developers have to say regarding some of the goals and aspirations that are outlined in the Town’s plans, emphasizing the importance of balance when it comes to economic and residential developments in town.

ORRSC Senior Planner Bonnie Brunner then shared that with respect to the intermunicipal development plans, there are no conflicts or inconsistencies, and invited Council and everyone in attendance to note that when the IDP was adopted back in 2013, the piece of land was still under the county’s jurisdiction, and even when there was an amendment to the IDP in 2020, the aforementioned land was still under the county’s jurisdiction. Within the IDP, Brunner explained, there is a land use concept that is intended to assist decision makers in the County of Warner when issuing decisions on development in the fringe to ensure compatibility and allow for an orderly and efficient transition to urban densities in the future.

That said, Brunner explained, the land use concept for the area does identify it as a potential neighborhood unit that’s comprised of residential, associated commercial, parks, and open space. 

“At the time that the annexation was proposed and moved through the Intermunicipal Development Committee process, those issues and concerns were discussed and there were no inconsistencies identified at that time,” explained Brunner. “Likewise, now, the IDP and the proposals in accordance with the IDP have been forwarded to the County for their consideration in accordance with that plan and we have received comment from the County that this is consistent with what we would expect.”

Likely in the new year, Brunner explained, there is going to be an intermunicipal development plan committee meeting to discuss how the community’s boundaries will become affected by the IDP.

“With that, what would occur is a plan amendment that will officially change the boundary of the Town of Raymond to correspond with what has been annexed,” explained Brunner. “According to the current IDP, everything that’s currently in the town boundary does not have any land use designation or future land use designation assigned to it because it’s wholly within the town boundary, and that anything within the town boundary is then the jurisdiction of the municipality to deal with.”

Ultimately, Brunner explained, ORRSC’s opinion is that there is no conflict or inconsistency between that plan, and the proposed MDP amendment is consistent with the IDP. 

Brunner also confirmed that all relevant referral agencies, including Alberta Transportation, Alberta Health, Fortis, and the County of Warner, have no concerns.

The floor was then opened to the applicants, and David Longpre, who represents one of the development partners behind the proposed shopping plaza, and Reed Hudson, Longpre’s partner in the project, a Senior General Manager of Southwest and Midwest Design and Construction in Lethbridge, Alberta and a County of Lethbridge resident, were then invited to speak.

“We’re really very excited to speak with you today about this project, an opportunity we believe will bring real and lasting benefits to the residents and businesses of Raymond,” said Longpre. 

Longpre went on to explain that Knight’s Crossing was first conceived by his group about two and a half years ago, and since then, it’s taken time and effort to bring together a strong team of partners to make the idea of Knights Crossing a possibility. 

“In that process, a group of respected national and regional retailers have identified Raymond as what they say an underserved market, a community with far greater potential than it currently may realize and greater than others in the Southern Alberta market,” said Longpre. “Their research, which includes data on population growth since 2012 and market spending potential, confirms that Raymond is a market well worth their investment. Just as your town’s founder, Jesse Knight, once saw similar opportunities here more than a century ago. In fact, the name Knight’s Crossing is meant to honour that same spirit of vision, progress, and community prosperity. Today, we have retailers ready to invest millions of dollars into Raymond through Knights Crossing. Their data also shows that Raymond serves a surrounding trade area of 6 to 8,000 people, many of whom currently travel north to Lethbridge for their daily shopping needs. A project like Knights Crossing can be effective to keep those spending dollars here in Raymond, supporting local jobs, services, and very importantly, new tax revenue. These retailers understand their role in enhancing community benefits, offering choice, convenience, and competitive pricing that help families stay and shop locally. They see Raymond as a hub, a growing community where people live, work nearby, and want to enjoy more amenities close to home. Knight’s Crossing is not a negative to Raymond’s heritage or way of life. Rather, it’s a natural next step in serving a community that has nearly doubled in size in the past 15 years and is poised for even more growth. Consider what Raymond already offers: close proximity to a major city yet with safe family-oriented lifestyle, excellent public amenities for families and children, strong access to health care, and a new high school for education, outstanding sports and recreation programs, affordable housing, low crime, and a strong moral foundation. These are exactly the features both for established families and attracting new families, young and experienced, to your wonderful community.”

As Raymond grows, Longpre explained, it is important to ensure residents, both current and future, have access to the services and conveniences they want and need. 

“Knight’s Crossing represents one piece of that larger vision,” said Longpre. “As developers, our role is to navigate the complex process and details of bringing the parts together for an amenity such as Knights Crossing. Yes, growth brings change and change is not always easy. But where there is growth, change is necessary. New businesses mean new customers and that creates opportunity. Even for existing Raymond retailers, instead of viewing this as competition, local businesses can see it as a chance to attract new spending to themselves to be captured by their own businesses.” 

Ultimately, Longpre emphasized, Knight’s Crossing is about building on Raymond’s strengths, not replacing them. 

“It’s about supporting a thriving, family-oriented community while embracing the progress that will help it continue to prosper for generations to come,” said Longpre. “Just as Jesse Knight saw opportunity here 125 years ago, we see that same promise today. How do people envision Raymond 5 to 10 years from now or more as many new and younger families move here? Do you simply wait and see, or do you get ahead of the curve? Because the relocation of families to Raymond started a long time ago and with the cost of housing elsewhere, it looks to be more robust than ever for that activity to take place. And the final point is that in the game of living, one cannot simply have an eye on where the ball is. One rather needs to keep their eye on where the ball is going. There’s no perfect answer, but whether we like it or not, growth and changes are happening, and it is our responsibility to the youth who are coming behind us to be proactive. not to leave things the same as they were for us 35 years ago, but to make it something these new families want and need for the next 35 years. Doing nothing is not the right answer for them.”

Hudson then took a turn to speak.

Our company has proudly served Southern Alberta for the last 45 years,” said Hudson. “We’ve built communities and continue to serve our clients’ needs with care, honesty, and integrity.”

The Knight’s Crossing project, Hudson explained, has been in the works for nearly two years and those involved have been working to ensure that every detail reflects the respect for the Town of Raymond, its people, and its future, those people being locals who have invested in the area.

“This was a conscious choice,” said Hudson. “With their wealth of experience and contacts, they could have easily hired a non-local general contractor who might bring outside trades and not fully understand the nuances of a small-town project. Instead, they chose to keep this project local with people who live, work, and invest in Southern Alberta, including me. Because building in a small town is about relationships, trust, and respect, not just building buildings.

Hudson stated that those involved in the project are also mindful of the concerns of residents regarding preservation of the downtown area.

“We understand respect and share the desire to keep the downtown healthy and strong,” said Hudson. “We do want the downtown of Raymond to continue to be vibrant, welcoming, and historically rich. The downtown is the heart of Raymond, and the Municipal Development Plan rightly emphasizes preserving its heritage. We also heard from groups committed to downtown beautification and revitalization. At the same time, though, we’ve spoken with community members and the business leaders, and what really keeps coming up is there is not enough commercial space in the downtown to accommodate the growth that Raymond is experiencing and will continue to experience.”

Over the past five years, Hudson explained, Raymond’s population has grown roughly 14 per cent.

 “With that growth comes responsibility,” said Hudson. “The town must ensure service, amenities, and opportunities expand alongside its population. That’s why we worked closely with the Town Administration to select the Knight’s Crossing location. a site that allows responsible, right-sized commercial development while respecting the downtown and the broader municipal development plan.”

The name Knight’s Crossing is deliberate, Hudson emphasized, as it honors Mr. Jesse Knight, the founder of Raymond, a brave visionary and entrepreneur who believed in progress, community, and opportunity.

“Our project carries the same spirit,” said Hudson. “Honoring the past while building for the future is our mantra for this. Change can be challenging, especially in a small town, but history shows us that projects like Victoria Park, the new high school, and the rodeo grounds initially faced some pretty intense uncertainty, and yet they became valued parts of the community once they were completed. We are also asking Council to do what is right for Raymond’s long-term growth. To consider not just the present, but the future, a thriving downtown, a growing population, and a community with choices and opportunities for all. Knights Crossing is a thoughtful, well-scaled, and community-minded development. It honors Raymond’s history, respects the downtown, supports local entrepreneurialism, and strengthens the commercial base that allows the town to invest in its heart and its people. Like Jesse Knight, we believe in Raymond’s potential, and we are proud to play a part in this next chapter.”

The public was then invited to share their thoughts on the proposed Knights Crossing development. 

After the public shared their thoughts, Council discussed what they had heard briefly and then Councillor Eakett made a motion to close the public hearing for Bylaw No. 1155-25: MDP 958-09 Knight’s Crossing Amendment and the motion was carried. Councillor Johnson then made a motion to close the public hearing for Bylaw No. 1156-25: Knight’s Crossing ASP and the motion was carried. Finally, there was a motion presented to close the public hearing for Bylaw No.1157-25: LUB 987-11 Knight’s Crossing Rezone and the motion was carried.

A motion was then made to table discussion for all three bylaws so the information presented at the public hearing could be reviewed further and the motion was carried.