No matter your fitness level, you can join the Flagstaff Fitness Challenge by downloading the Strava app onto your smartphone and searching “Flagstaff Fitness Challenge“.

Here, participants can share their activities, cheer on others and compete on the weekly leaderboards.

All participants who log at least one workout in a week will have their name entered in a draw for that week’s weekly prize package (the challenge runs for six weeks). Please note that participants are only eligible for one weekly prize pack.

If you log at least one activity in all six weeks, your name will be entered into the grand prize draw! It’s that easy!

The six-week Flagstaff Fitness Challenge started July 1, 2024. We urge you to rise to the challenge!

General Guidelines

• Participants do not have to live in Flagstaff County to take part in the Flagstaff Fitness Challenge.
• Winners are responsible for prize pickup at the Flagstaff County Administration Building.
• A photograph of each winner will be taken when picking up a prize.
• All participants are encouraged to cheer on your fellow fitness enthusiasts through Strava, while also sharing photos and feedback from your workouts.
• And most importantly, all participants are encouraged to have fun!  

2024 Weekly Prizes

Each week, any participant who has logged at least one activity in our group on Strava will be entered into our weekly draw! The weekly prize package includes:

💪 Free bicycle tune-up from Grizzly Country Bike Shop
💪 Flagstaff County hoodie
💪 Flagstaff County water bottle
💪 Flagstaff County toiletry bag
💪 Flagstaff Region adult colouring book and crayons
💪 Flagstaff Region journal (featuring Kristen Kueber artwork on the cover)
💪 Flagstaff Region candle (from Creations by Kim)
💪 Flagstaff Region lip balm
💪 Gritin resistance bands or Jessica Janzen’s Bring the Joy book

Note: Participants are only eligible for one weekly prize pack. Flagstaff County Communications Coordinator Cary Castagna will reach out via email (ccastagna@flagstaff.ab.ca) to each week’s winner to confirm pickup details.

• Week 6 Winner

  Lois Odegard

   

• Week 5 Winner

  Dayna Leganchuk

• Week 4 Winner

  Brenda Maylor

• Week 3 Winner

  Brandon Whidden

• Week 2 Winner

  Julie Pasztor

• Week 1 Winner

  Roxy Korth

2024 Bonus Prizes

The bonus prize sponsor of this year’s six-week Flagstaff Fitness Challenge is Daryl Parr of Forestburg-based Flex Fitness!

We are going to be drawing five names for a one-month membership to the fitness centre in Forestburg (courtesy of Daryl). All you have to do is follow Daryl Parr on Facebook and DM us through our Facebook page “FITFLAGSTAFF” for your chance to win!

Special Offer

Daryl Parr of Flex Fitness is offering 30 days of FREE custom coaching towards his Metabolic Fat Loss System. Simply apply at: https://flexfitnesscoach.com/coachingapplication.

2024 Grand Prize Draw

If you log at least one activity in all six weeks, your name will be entered into the grand prize draw

2024 Grand Prize

Shirley Damberger of HOM of Well Being is donating a massage along with a gift basket that includes things to help take care of the body and muscles such as Cryoderm (a topical pain relief product), muscle and joint bath bombs, a cork roller, and a routine natural deodorant sample.

Brittany MacMillan of BAM Fitness is donating Gritin exercise resistance bands, which come with a four-week workout plan!

Flagstaff County will also be giving out Flagstaff Bucks as part of the grand prize!

Grand Prize Winner

The winner of our grand prize draw in 2023 was Nicole Nychyporuk.

Sponsors

The following local businesses are generously sponsoring prizes:

• BAM Fitness
• HOM of Well Being
• Grizzly Country Bike Shop

History of the Flagstaff Fitness Challenge

The Flagstaff Bike Challenge was established in the summer of 2020 as a way to encourage the region’s residents to get outside, get active and feel connected to the area in a safe manner during the pandemic. It was designed for participants of ALL ages and abilities. The Flagstaff Bike Challenge continued in 2021 with a few minor tweaks.

In 2022, the challenge was expanded to include a variety of activities, including walking, running, hiking, swimming, weight training, yoga and much more! It was rebranded the Flagstaff Fitness Challenge. The aim of the Flagstaff Fitness Challenge is to encourage residents to move more, resulting in a healthier region!

About Strava

Learn from tree expert Toso Bozic on a wide variety of topics!

• Fireblight
• Spruce Beetle
• Caragana Aphids
• Cytospora Canker on Coniferous
• Site Preparation for Tree Planting
• Frost Crack Damage
• Black Knot

By Nick Dunn

This year’s spring started with drought being the top of conversations as we were all concerned about the current moisture levels and their potential impact on the upcoming crop season. This year’s winter again, lacked a snowpack and led to minimal run-off. The Battle River was running well below normal flow rate as it peaked in May at 7.5 cubic metres/second, when normal flow for May is around 15 cubic metres/second. The Battle River starts in Battle Lake and flows east throughout the plains of Alberta and into North Battleford, Saskatchewan, where it connects with the North Saskatchewan River. Water within the Battle River is fed from run-off, which makes this river unique and a tell-tale for run-off conditions. This year’s spring sub-surface soil moisture was rated moderately low to near normal. Meteorologists also forecasted El Nino to affect Canadian prairies throughout our most precipitated month of June. El Nino is a weather pattern that we typically see every 2-7 years and can last 9-12 months. It is naturally caused by oceans being warmer than normal by more than half a degree and lasting for several months. This delivers warmer temperatures and drought to Canada and northern states, as we were experiencing. Our sponge (soil) was empty, and we needed moisture to seed into.

Just as anxiety reached its all-time high, we welcomed the early precipitation and to date we have received between 6-9 inches of rain within our borders. Crops are doing better than forecasted with many producers in the area applying fungicides to help suppress disease pressure from the warm moist conditions. Some pastures have rebounded from last year’s drought conditions with many producers completing their first cut of hay. We have also seen a slight increase in roadside haying due to the vigor within our roadsides. There are still variations within Flagstaff and across the province in terms of crop maturity and quality.

Producers know that nothing is guaranteed until it’s in the bin, or pile. We need continued precipitation throughout the rest of this year to help combat the heat and allow our crops to continue to mature. Some of the southern areas of our county are losing moisture rapidly with the heat and winds. Pictured in the map you will see that the Southwest corner of Flagstaff is experiencing extremely low precipitation accumulation once in 25 to 50 years.  

We are also in need of future years of good snow pack and run-off, as the last 3 years have seen very little.

Drought management needs to be implemented on all levels so we can be better prepared to face it in the future. Flagstaff County started a draft drought management plan when municipalities were warned this winter from Alberta Environment and Protected Areas that they need to have a plan and review active water licenses and diversions. We are currently at Stage 4 out of 5 on the Alberta Water Shortage Management Plan, with Stage 5 being severe drought. For the first time since the drought of 2001, major water license holders were asked to reduce their consumption to ensure all users get water. Most large water license holders are from the south and are related to the irrigation districts throughout the province.

So, what can producers do?  Producers need a plan specific to their operation that addresses soil and water conservation. Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation has created a template for Albertan producers to utilize and create their own Drought Management Plan that can be accessed through their website. Drought mitigation can be challenging and on a larger scale for land without irrigation, it can lead to adopting new soil management practices such as no-till, minimum till, variable rate applications, and crop rotation adjustments. Soil testing and improving soil organic matter will also help with retaining soil moisture.

For surface water, adding infrastructure like dugouts (1 per quarter), dams, pumps, wetlands, drainage systems, pipelines, tanks, water hauling equipment, and even shelterbelts are just some to list. Additional water wells to help feed infrastructure or fill reserves will also help to provide water when we need it most. For livestock producers, not only do you need to have water reserves but also feed reserves to get through dry spells.

Flagstaff County has 7 water loading stations, 5 of them open year-round that could be part of producers’ Drought Management Plan as a water source. These stations accept coins with $1 delivering approximately 150 gallons. The water is for agricultural purposes only.

Aside from infrastructure and equipment, producers also need to know their rights and the Water Act that falls under Alberta Environment and Protected Areas. Water is technically owned by the Crown, when it is frozen for winter, it is Crown land. Every human has the right to water, as human and livestock consumption is the priority. Producers can access 275,000 gallons of water per year without a license and can pull this from a creek or slough if the land around it is grazed. Water licenses and diversions can be permitted.

Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation also has a Water Pumping Program that includes satellite pumps throughout the province that can be rented to producers to help fill rural water reserves. More information on the Water Pumping Program can be found on their website.

Nick Dunn is Flagstaff County’s Agricultural Fieldman. He can be reached via email at: ndunn@flagstaff.ab.ca or by phone at: 780-384-4138.

Nominating a child in Flagstaff for a positive ticket just got easier.

Now you can do it online at: https://lf.flagstaff.ab.ca/Forms/PositiveTicket.

Positive tickets are issued for positive behaviour such as practicing personal safety, being a community hero and making smart choices. Our peace officers want to be notified by teachers, coaches, friends and neighbours throughout the Flagstaff Region who have witnessed a child doing a positive or helpful deed, or performing a safe act that would be worthy of receiving a positive ticket.

You can also contact Officer Skyler Zelinski or Officer Aaron Young if you know of a deserving youth! Officer Skyler and Officer Aaron can be reached by phone at 780-384-4100 or via email at szelinski@flagstaff.ab.ca or ayoung@flagstaff.ab.ca.

Positive tickets come with a $10 coupon that can be redeemed at participating businesses, as well as a bracelet for a free swim at the Killam Regional Aquatic Centre.

Let’s acknowledge the good that our young people are doing right here in Flagstaff!

Congratulations to the Flagstaff County Economic Development Team, winners of a 2023 Minister’s Award for Municipal and Public Library Excellence.

The EcDev Team earned the award for their Flagstaff Crafted program in the Building Economic Strength Category.

The award recognizes their initiative to enhance the exposure of local makers, artisans, and retailers of local products within the Flagstaff Region.

Flagstaff County Reeve Don Kroetch presented the award last week to the EcDev Team (from left): Charlene Sutter, Kerri Lefsrud and Jenalee Waring. Not pictured: Shaina Dunn.

Congratulations to Flagstaff County CAO Shelly Armstrong, recipient of a long service pin from the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA).

“It is our privilege to acknowledge the commitment of your Chief Administrative Officer, Shelly Armstrong, for her remarkable thirty years of service in municipal government management roles,” CAMA President Tony Kulbisky wrote in a letter addressed to Flagstaff County Reeve Don Kroetch.

“Shelly’s dedication to her role has undoubtedly contributed to the advancement of your municipality, and we are pleased to recognize her achievements.”

Don presented Shelly with her recognition pin at Wednesday’s Council meeting.

Watch for your Tax & Assessment Notice in the mail. All notices were mailed Thursday, May 30, 2024. If you have not received your notice by Monday, June 17, 2024, please contact our office at 780-384-4100. If you require a receipt to be sent to you, please indicate that on the bottom of the notice when you return your payment.

The tax due date is Tuesday, October 15, 2024.

If you have a concern or believe there is an error regarding your property assessment, please report this immediately to Accurate Assessment, Sean Cosens, Assessor, 780-417-6840.

If your concern is not resolved to your satisfaction, you may submit an Assessment Review Board Complaint along with the appropriate fee within 60 days of mailing (by August 6, 2024), to Flagstaff County, Box 358, Sedgewick, AB T0B 4C0, Attention: Shelly Armstrong, CAO. If you require a receipt to be sent to you, please indicate on the bottom of the notice when you return your payment.

The Assessment Review Board has the authority to review your assessment and direct the assessor to make amendments. Its function is to hear evidence as to whether your property is assessed on an equitable basis with similar properties.

For more on taxation, please click HERE.

Enumerators are now going door-to-door to all rural and hamlet addresses in Flagstaff County as part of our 2024 Municipal Census.

To avoid an in-person visit to your residence, please complete the census at: https://censusalberta.ca/flagstaffcounty, or by calling 780-384-4100. You will need the two-part secure access code that was mailed to you in late April.

The only information we require is the number of residents in your dwelling, and their age and gender.

Please note that we are using the census to complete an Electoral Boundary Review and to help support Municipal Services offered.

As this is our first census in several decades, your participation is crucial in helping us plan for the evolving needs of Flagstaff County.

Years of population change, including the more recent incorporation of the Hamlets of Strome and Galahad, have left an uneven distribution throughout our seven electoral divisions. It’s time to redraw our electoral boundaries to give residents the best possible municipal representation.

Please help us to serve you better.

Kids, break out those pencil crayons and markers! In honour of National Public Works Week from May 19 to 25, the Municipal Services Department is hosting a colouring contest!

One winner for each of the following age groups will be announced during Public Works Week and will receive a prize:

• Up to 4 years old
• 5 – 8 years old
• 9 – 12 years old
• 13 and up

*Prizes can be picked up at the Flagstaff County Administration Office between May 21-31.

Entries for the colouring contest can be emailed to county@flagstaff.ab.ca or delivered in-person to the County Administration Office by the contest deadline on May 15.

Please ensure contestants submit their name, age, and contact information.

Click the image below for a printable PDF.