Chestermere City Council received the draft operating financial plan for 2021 and 2022 for information during the regular meeting of council on Dec. 17.

“We’ve approved the 2020 operating financial plan, which now become the budget, and we approved the five-year capital plan. The other items left are the 2021 and 2022 financial operating plan,” said the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Brenda Hewko.

“What we do know about financial plans is that all plans are subject to change, and it’s based on the best information available at the time,” she said.

The United Nations has released another alarming report, outlining the scale of the challenge facing the world if we want to hold greenhouse gas emissions to levels where people can comfortably live on the planet. The report by the World Meteorological Organization states that despite a lot of promises from world leaders, greenhouse gas emissions continued to rise in 2018 “with no sign of a slowdown, let alone a decline.”

I’ve come up with a way to address climate that might appeal to the entrepreneurial spirit of Alberta. From now on, whenever some pesky 16-year-old climate activist from Sweden says the words “climate crisis,” let’s sub in the words “brilliant opportunity to make a fistful of money.”

 Mayor Marshall Chalmers reflected on the accomplishments of the city council throughout the year and the steps moving forward to make “Chestermere Amazing” during the annual Chestermere Chamber of Commerce Mayor’s Breakfast on Nov. 28.

“Chestermere is a prime destination, sunshine, beaches, peaceful tranquility, dynamic opportunities, recreational lifestyle, surfing, skating, and most importantly a place with a bright future,” Chalmers said.

  When the current city council was elected, they had a list of immediate priorities, such as mitigating Chestermere Utilities Incorporated (CUI), reducing a planned tax increase of two percent...