Council Action Plan 2026-2029: Lac La Biche County - Our Natural Advantage

Council Action Plan

2026–2029

Lac La Biche County: Our Natural Advantage

Together, we’re building a future where our community thrives across all seasons and all stages of life.

Table of Contents

Land Acknowledgement

We respectfully acknowledge the traditional and ancestral lands of the First Nations peoples of Treaty 6, Treaty 8 and Treaty 10 territories and the Homeland of the Métis people. Lac La Biche County continues to be home to Indigenous peoples since time immemorial, and we recognize the vital contributions of Indigenous culture, history and perspectives in our shared past, present and future.

A Message from Council

Lac La Biche County: Our Natural Advantage

We are truly blessed to live in a region of both natural beauty and economic prosperity. Our lakes, forests, and open spaces define who we are, while our strong industrial base and welcoming communities create opportunities for families to build their lives here.

As Council, we recognize that to continue thriving, we must evolve how we serve our residents and plan for the future. Over the past year, we’ve engaged extensively with residents, business leaders, and community organizations to understand what matters most to our community. Through town halls, surveys, and countless conversations, a clear vision emerged— one that balances economic growth with quality of life, supports families at every stage, and positions our region as a destination worth visiting and a place worth calling home.

Council is evolving to focus on priority portfolios that align with our community’s aspirations. Rather than spreading our efforts thin across many initiatives, we’re concentrating our energy and resources on four transformational priorities that will define the next chapter of Lac La Biche County’s story.

Four Transformational Priorities

Council is concentrating energy on four transformational priorities:

Recreation & Tourism:

Creating year-round destination experiences for visitors and residents

Social Wellness: Supporting health, housing, and families

Industry Growth:

Attracting businesses and workers

Education:

Building regional training excellence

These four priorities represent our commitment to making Lac La Biche County not just a place to work, but a place to thrive. Each priority is championed by dedicated Council members who bring expertise, passion, and accountability to their portfolios.

Priority 1: Recreation & Tourism

Priority: Recreation & Tourism

Transforming Lac La Biche County into a 4-Season signature destination

Our region is already known for its natural beauty and outdoor recreation. We have the potential to become a year-round destination that draws visitors from across Alberta and beyond through strategic investment in signature experiences, sports hosting, and a strong calendar of events.

Recreation and tourism are economic drivers that support local businesses, create employment, and strengthen community identity. A four-season strategy means investing in winter experiences, shoulder-season events, and memorable visitor infrastructure.

Key Initiatives

Lake Rehabilitation Program: Launch and advance a science-based, phased program to restore lake health, beginning with studies, pilots, and monitoring while enhancing recreational access.

Signature Floating Pier: Complete engineering, environmental work, and regulatory submissions to achieve investmentready status for phased construction and waterfront activation.

Year-Round Events Strategy: Increase festivals, markets, cultural events, and recreation programming so there is always something happening.

Music in the Park Festival: Launch a summer concert series in 2026 to activate public spaces and build a signature community tradition.

Sports Tourism: Expand and promote tournaments, meets, and seasonal sport events using existing indoor and outdoor assets (arenas, artificial turf, ball diamonds, fields, grounds, aquatic centre, and recreation facilities).

Winter Skating Trail & Lake Rinks: Pilot a skating trail and rinks on the lake with evening ambience (including tiki-style lighting) and supporting amenities where feasible and safe.

Winter Recreation Park (Pilot – 2027 Q1): Pilot winter recreation programming (golf course pilot site option) using temporary features and operations to test demand and refine a permanent concept (including tubing and ski-slope options).

Golf Course Clubhouse: Advance concept planning and delivery options for a clubhouse that supports tournaments, year-round events, and winter operations.

Waterfront Recreation Exploration: Evaluate enhancements such as marina improvements, family-friendly water features, and other signature amenities to strengthen the visitor experience.

Council Leadership

Councillor Travis Lansing and Councillor Vic Toutant champion this priority, focusing on signature experiences that showcase natural beauty while building sustainable economic returns.

Why This Matters

Tourism diversifies the economy, supports local businesses, and enhances community pride. Visitors bring spending that supports jobs in accommodations, dining, retail, and services.

Priority 2: Social Wellness

Priority: Social Wellness

Supporting families with health, housing, and childcare

At the heart of our community are families—parents raising children, seniors who built our region, young professionals starting careers, and everyone in between. Social wellness means creating conditions where every family can thrive.

Healthcare access, housing options, and quality childcare are interconnected. Council’s approach focuses on practical, partnership-driven solutions that address immediate needs while building long-term capacity.

Key Initiatives

Community Health Hub: Secure land and complete a concept and design package to enable expanded primary care and coordinated medical, mental health, and wellness services through partners.

Seniors Housing Strategy: Advance a business case and land options for a continuum of seniors living; engage developers and partners to move projects forward.

Childcare Space Expansion: Audit underutilized County-owned spaces and work with operators to convert viable spaces into licensed childcare facilities.

Community Safety Partnerships: Strengthen coordination with enforcement, non-profits, and community groups focused on prevention and safer public spaces.

Housing Enablement: Reduce barriers and explore tools that increase housing supply and support affordability, including developer incentive options where appropriate.

Council Leadership

Councillor Tony Marczak and Councillor Omer Moghrabi lead this portfolio with a focus on achievable solutions, leveraging partnerships with provincial agencies, non-profits, and the private sector.

Why This Matters

Quality healthcare, safe housing, and reliable childcare are foundations of a thriving community. Strengthening these supports helps families stay, reduces stress, and improves long-term outcomes.

Priority 3: Industry Growth

Priority: Industry Growth

Attracting industry and families to “Live and Work Local”

Our industrial sector is the economic engine that powers the community, providing family-supporting careers. Real prosperity happens when workers call the community home, not just their workplace.

The Live and Work Local strategy improves housing, services, and recreation so workers can be home for dinner, participate in community life, and put down roots. This builds stability for employers and vibrancy for the region.

Key Initiatives

Industrial Site Readiness (Investment-Ready): Complete a utilities and infrastructure audit and maintain a registry of investment-ready lands to support investment attraction.

Investment-Ready Site Registry: Create and market a clear inventory of investment-ready sites, updated as servicing and approvals advance.

“Be Home for Dinner” Campaign: Targeted marketing to employers and workers emphasizing proximity to family, recreation, and amenities.

“Support Local” Campaign: Champion local businesses and service providers while building vendor readiness within procurement regulations.

Small Business Supports and Incentive Options: Bring forward targeted tools to encourage storefront revitalization, new business starts, and expansions.

Council Leadership

Councillor David McDonald and Councillor John Mondal bring business and economic development expertise, balancing growth with thoughtful community planning.

Why This Matters

Industrial growth funds community services through the tax base and creates local employment. When workers live locally, their spending supports businesses and strengthens community stability.

Priority 4: Education

Priority: Education

Becoming a regional hub for public safety training and skills development

Education builds opportunity and prepares residents for available careers while supporting lifelong learning. The Alberta Public Safety Institute (APSI) is a unique opportunity to position Lac La Biche County as a regional training hub.

By expanding APSI and strengthening affordability and retention supports, we can create year-round economic activity and strengthen workforce stability.

Key Initiatives

Portage College & Industry Expansion: To prioritize the expansion of Portage College as the primary hub for regional workforce development, focusing on curricula for emerging technologies and advanced manufacturing.

APSI & College Synergy: To evolve the Law Enforcement Training Centre into the Alberta Public Safety Institute (APSI) in collaboration with Portage College, leveraging shared academic and facility infrastructure.

Advanced Technical Infrastructure: To advance planning for specialized field operations and training facilities, including an indoor firearms range, to support year-round professional certification.

‘Stay & Grow’ Talent Pipelines: To enhance bursaries and scholarships for residents attending Portage College who commit to local residency and employment post-graduation.

Integrated Trades & Apprenticeship Pathways: To formalize partnerships between the County, Industry, and Portage College to expand local apprenticeship placements and strengthen skilled trades pathways.

Council Leadership

Councillor Blair Norton and Councillor Warren Young lead this portfolio with a practical, outcome-focused approach that connects education to workforce and economic development.

Why This Matters

Expanding training capacity builds human capital, attracts students to the region, and strengthens public safety staffing across northern Alberta while supporting local retention.

Implementation Roadmap

Implementation Roadmap

Transforming vision into reality requires disciplined execution across multiple work streams. The roadmap below summarizes how the four priorities advance over time through phased delivery.

Timeframe Key Actions

• Launch “Be Home for Dinner” and “Support Local” campaigns.

• Initiate studies and design for lake rehabilitation and waterfront projects.

• Finalize and launch events, sports hosting, and tourism marketing.

• Advance concept and options for a Golf Course Clubhouse.

2026

— Foundation (Enable & Design)

2027 — Build & Pilot (Test & Package)

• Finalize the safety approach and launch-ready operations planning for winter lake skating trail/rinks and winter recreation pilot.

• Secure Health Hub land.

• Complete childcare space audit.

• Align partners on APSI scope and curriculum pathways.

• Advance feasibility for innovation/skills options.

• Finalize and launch a visible 2026 events calendar including Music in the Park.

• Complete Winter Park site preparation (permissions, safety plan, procurement, and minor readiness work) to support the 2027 Q1 pilot.

• Launch Winter Recreation Park pilot in 2027 Q1 and refine permanent concept.

• Pilot winter lake skating trail/rinks with enhanced evening experience where feasible.

• Advance waterfront readiness as approvals allow.

• Activate initial childcare spaces with operators.

• Engage developers on seniors and housing projects.

• Publish investment-ready registry and strengthen investment packages.

• Advance APSI facility planning and early expansion steps as partnerships and funding align.

• Confirm clubhouse delivery pathway and next steps.

2028–2029 — Deliver & Expand (Build & Operate)

Success Metrics

• Open and activate signature recreation projects as phases are completed.

• Expand year-round events and sports tourism calendar (up to three signature annual sports events by 2029).

• Advance lake rehabilitation actions based on evidence and results.

• Scale partner-enabled wellness and housing initiatives.

• Grow tri-service training operations.

• Implement scholarships and apprenticeship supports.

• Report progress on milestones and refresh the plan annually.

• Participation in recreation, events, and sports hosting over time (facility utilization and signature event growth).

• Progress on lake rehabilitation milestones and monitoring results.

• Winter participation measures including skating trail/rinks and Winter Park pilot outcomes.

• Housing and childcare capacity enabled through partnerships and County-led actions.

• Investment-ready site inventory readiness and investment inquiries supported.

• Training cohorts hosted, programs added, and graduate retention supports implemented.

Governance & Accountability

• Quarterly Council priority portfolio reviews.

Regular partner and stakeholder engagement as projects advance.

• Progress updates tied to milestones and phased delivery.

• Dedicated project management and coordination as needed for complex initiatives.

STRATEGIC QUICK WINS 12-18 MONTHS

Key Takeaways

Why do these priorities matter?

Each priority connects to what makes communities thrive: economic opportunity, quality of life, and supports that help families succeed.

Strategic Outcomes

• Economic diversification through tourism, education, and small business growth that creates year-round activity.

• Workforce attraction and retention by making it easier for workers and families to live locally.

• Career pathways through accessible training aligned to regional employment needs.

• Community vibrancy through year-round experiences and essential services.

The Economic Case

Tourism generates direct spending on accommodations, dining, and retail. Education investments create year-round student and training populations that support local businesses. Small business supports stimulate entrepreneurship and job creation. Together, these priorities strengthen diversification and resilience.

The Social Case

Healthcare, housing, and childcare are key determinants of whether families can thrive. Addressing these needs systematically improves wellbeing, reduces stress, and creates conditions where children and seniors can succeed.

Getting Involved In Our Community’s Future

Strategic plans succeed when communities embrace them. Council provides direction, but achieving this vision requires participation from residents, businesses, and organizations across Lac La Biche County.

For Residents

• Participate in consultations and share feedback on priority projects.

• Volunteer with community organizations aligned with the Council’s priorities.

• Support local businesses and tourism operators year-round.

• Share ideas and concerns with Council representatives.

For Businesses

• Explore partnership opportunities on tourism and recreation projects.

• Participate in “Be Home for Dinner” employer campaigns.

• Support workforce training through APSI and local education partnerships.

• Invest in community sponsorship and development.

For Organizations

• Collaborate on health, housing, and childcare initiatives.

• Partner on education and training programs.

• Contribute expertise to planning and feasibility work.

• Coordinate service delivery to maximize impact.

Engagement Mechanisms

• Annual progress reports detailing achievements, challenges, and next steps.

• Stakeholder roundtables with business, education, healthcare, and community leaders.

Together, We’re Building Our Future

This Action Plan is a commitment to building the community we all want to live in. Council’s focus on Recreation & Tourism, Social Wellness, Industry Growth, and Education provides a roadmap for addressing pressing challenges while seizing emerging opportunities.

The four priorities are interconnected: tourism supports businesses; social wellness helps attract and retain families; industry growth provides jobs and tax base; education builds human capital and career pathways. Together, they reinforce prosperity and quality of life.

Council will provide regular progress updates, celebrate milestones, adjust course when needed, and maintain focus on outcomes that matter to residents. Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we are creating a future worth celebrating.

“Lac La Biche County is more than where we work - it is where we live, raise families, and build lives. This Action Plan ensures that every resident has access to opportunities, services, and experiences that make our community truly exceptional.”