BorderPulse has been running council stories all week. Here is what we haven’t covered yet.
School land agreement caught between two provinces
Lloydminster is asking Alberta for a one-year extension on a legally required agreement with local school divisions – because the city’s bi-provincial structure has made signing one nearly impossible.
Under Alberta’s Municipal Government Act, municipalities are required to have a Joint Use and Planning Agreement – known as a JUPA – in place with school boards operating within their boundaries. The deadline is June 10, 2026.
The problem is Lloydminster’s two school divisions – Catholic and Public – are governed by Saskatchewan’s Education Act, not Alberta’s. That means Alberta law requires the agreement but places no corresponding obligation on the school divisions to sign it.
Adding to the complexity, Saskatchewan is expected to introduce new education legislation in June 2026 that may require a different type of agreement altogether.
Mayor Gerald Aalbers did not mince words.
“If this isn’t red tape, I don’t know what it is,” Aalbers said.
Alberta’s deputy minister of municipal affairs recommended the city request the extension. Council passed the motion unanimously. The new deadline, if approved, would be June 10, 2027.
Public hearing rescheduled after notice requirement missed
A public hearing on a proposed rezoning in the Lakeside neighbourhood had to be rescheduled after the city missed a legally required two-week advertising window.
The hearing was originally set for April 20. It has been moved to May 25, 2026 at 2 p.m. during the regular council meeting.
The bylaw in question – Bylaw 04-2026 – would redistrict land in the Lakeside neighbourhood from transitional to low density residential and parks and utility.
The missed window is prompting the city to build out new processes for advertising public hearings going forward. The closure of Lloydminster’s local print newspaper has created uncertainty around what qualifies as a “publicly circulated medium” under Alberta legislation – a question the city is actively working through with provincial legislative services.
For now the Meridian Source, accessible online by all members of the public, is being accepted as meeting that requirement. The city is also building a dedicated webpage for public hearing notices.
Coun. Jim Taylor asked the question directly.
“What is the definition now of a publicly circulated medium without a paper?” Taylor said.
City administration said it is a question they are working through – and that other municipalities across the province are navigating the same uncertainty.
Concert policy and a new offsite levy bylaw still in progress
Two other items from Monday’s meeting are still working their way through the process.
The draft concert and special events policy for the Cenovus Energy Hub – which BorderPulse covered earlier this week – was presented as an information item only. It returns to a future council meeting for formal approval.
Council also granted first reading to a new offsite levy bylaw – Bylaw 07-2026 – which updates the rates developers pay to fund infrastructure required to support growth. The bylaw replaces the current version which has been in place since October 2023. Further readings are required before it becomes law.
The next regular Lloydminster city council meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 4 at 1:30 p.m.
Read more: Council pumps the brakes on $10M golf and curling centre plan
