This release was issued under a previous government.

Winners for 2018 are: Calgary, Drumheller, Coaldale, Lethbridge and Smoky Lake.

The annual awards are presented to municipalities in the categories of partnership, innovation, safe communities, and for larger and smaller municipalities. They are a way for municipalities to share best practices so they can learn from each other and improve services they provide to Albertans.   

“One of my favourite things is getting to hear about the great things happening in Alberta’s municipalities. With these awards, we get to share those great stories with the rest of the province and recognize the hard work, dedication and out-of-the-box thinking demonstrated by these communities. This is a true celebration of local government.”

Shaye Anderson, Minister of Municipal Affairs

Quick facts

  • The Minister’s Awards for Municipal Excellence have been presented for 17 years.
  • This year, the province received 45 applications, up from 37 last year.
  • Winners were chosen by an arms-length committee composed of representatives from municipal associations.

Backgrounder

City of Calgary (Larger Municipalities award)

The City of Calgary began building a wireless Internet of Things network in 2016. When complete, this project will provide wireless signal coverage for a large part of Calgary to accommodate 100,000 Internet of Things sensors. This will allow the city to develop and deliver new services and prepare for city-wide applications such as noise and air-quality monitoring.

Town of Drumheller (Innovation award)

The Dinowalk - Dinosaur Street Walk Project adds a digital layer of information to wayfinding signage to encourage pedestrians to learn how dinosaurs shaped Drumheller's natural history. This approach means that smartphone users can access information, comparable to street-level interpretive information, linked to Wikipedia. Using this approach makes it possible to promote the use of digital information sharing, without the costs associated with conventional interpretive signage. 

Town of Coaldale (Safe Communities award)

The Town of Coaldale established an effective, well-rounded and collaborative emergency management training program that has improved the level of emergency preparedness and public safety. In 2017 the town implemented training initiatives that increased the level of confidence, skills and knowledge of its emergency management agency and town staff to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies and disasters. This has added greatly to public safety in Coaldale.

Town of Smoky Lake (Smaller Municipalities award)

Smoky Lake Grows Entrepreneurs is an initiative aimed to help small business develop and grow in small, rural communities. A contract business coach works with entrepreneurs, the chamber of commerce and Grades 7-9 students at Smoky Lake’s H.A. Kostash School and teaches them about running a business. Together, businesses and organizations learn about doing business and supporting sustainability after the project ends.

City of Lethbridge (Partnership award)

The Traditional Knowledge and Use Agreement is a partnership between the City of Lethbridge and Blackfoot Confederacy Nations (Blood Tribe, Piikani Nation and Siksika Nation). The project aims to identify and understand places of traditional land use, ecological knowledge and spirituality within the boundaries of the city. The information gathered will inform land use and parks planning projects and on-going heritage management in the city.