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Long-tenured former Blackfalds mayor recognized by Alberta Urban Municipalities Association

After 19 years serving on Blackfalds council, Melodie Stol was thrilled her peers thought she did an exceptional job.
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After 19 years serving on Blackfalds council, Melodie Stol was thrilled her peers thought she did an exceptional job.

And they showed it by nominating her for an Alberta Urban Municipalities Association award of excellence.

She attended the AUMA conference in Calgary earlier this week to accept the award. She was one of three municipal officials to receive the award that recognizes “outstanding civic leadership.”

“To be honoured like your peers like that and recognized for your work, and with me leaving politics, it was nice to look back across the 19 years I served and to be recognized,” said Stol.

“Someone thought, not only did I do a good job, I did an exceptional job. That was emotional and touching for me.”

The two other recipients of the award were former Lacombe mayor Steve Christie and Hanna mayor Chris Warwick.

Sylvan Lake Chief Administrative Officer Betty Osmond, who is retiring, received the award for AUMA’s dedicated CAO award, for people who have served more than 10 years in that role.

Stol declined to seek a seventh term as a member of town council prior to this October’s municipal election. In the time since her retirement, she has reflected on her time with the council. She last served as mayor.

“I’ve spent a lot of time over the last few months thinking about what I have accomplished,” said Stol. “I was on six different council terms and every council group accomplished so much good.

“When you look at our growth and the general health of the community, you can see a great foundation now around the community.”

In 2003, Blackfalds had a population of 3,812 and by 2016 that number had grown to 9,510.

“It was never just me, I was part of a successful team over and over again,” said Stol “When they nominated me for the award I hope they were saying I was part of the reason we were successful. It’s tremendously humbling.”

The town also received an award for municipal sustainability in action, for the success of the Wadey Centre Project. It is a regional collaboration with tourism and businesses to transform a 101-year-old heritage home into a visitor information centre and offices for the Blackfalds Chamber of Commerce and Historical Society.



mcrawford@reddeeradvocate.com

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