The History of Summer Villages
Traditionally, Summer Villages evolved from cottage resort areas
where seasonal residents desired a role in local government or
where the cottage owners were dissatisfied with the levels of
service provided or prompted by dramatic increase in municipal
taxes imposed by the rural municipality. In other situations it was
a combination of high taxes and poor to no services being provided
in relation to the amount of taxes being paid. The services being
refered to were not limited to the traditional public works kind of
service but also included enviromental and public safety
services.
In the early to mid eighties, a dramatic increase in municipal
taxes, imposed by rural municipalities due to some of them
abolishing their split mill rate, as well as spiraling increases in
supplementary school requisitions resulted in numerous requests for
incorporation.
Legal documents associated with the formation of Alberta's
oldest Summer Villages contain information of particular interest.
It relates to eligibility for incorporation, the emergence of the
terminology 'Summer Village' and amendments to the Village Act of
1913.
Traditionally, Summer Villages were formed from 'Summer Resort'
areas. Their residents were predominately seasonal and not
permanent.
When Provincial Statue Chapter 39 established the Summer Village
of Lakeview in October 1913, it severed the cottage area from the
Village of Wabamun. The Act stated that..."the said lands have been
converted into summer resorts by their owners who occupy them for
short portion of each year" ...As well, when Gull Lake, the oldest
Summer Village was incorporated in March 1913 the document of
incorporation identified, among other lands, a plan of addition to
"Gull Lake Summer Resort".
The 1918 amendment to Section 10 of the Village Act of 1913
specified eligibility for incorporation in part, as being an
area..."where the residents of the Summer Village desire the same
to be erected into a Village."
The first use of the term Summer Village appears in the
incorporation notice for Seba Beach which was, ..." erected into a
Summer Village under the name of the Village of Seba Beach" At the
time of the incorporation of Alberta Beach, three weeks later on
August 23, 1920, it was named the Summer Village of Alberta
Beach.
However, the 1921 amendment to the Village Act seemed to be the
first time the term Summer Village was used within the meaning of
the Act.
In accordance with the Village Act of 1907, elections were held
during the second week of January, usually on Monday, and the
period of residency for owners or occupiers was three months
immediately prior to Election Day. The problem faced by resort
owners was explained in the following excerpt from the preamble to
Provincial Statute, Chapter 39.1913, which established the Summer
Village of Lakeview.
"Whereas owing to the fact that none of the owners of the said
lands reside thereon during the winter months, they are not in a
position to exercise their right to vote at the annual election for
councilors, nor to offer themselves for election as councilor and
consequently have no voice or representation in the government of
the village and no practical means of in anyway supervising the
expenditure of the revenue derived from taxes paid in respect of
the said lands."
Changes to the Village Act of 1907, (Provincial Statute Chapter
5. 1913) referred to the first municipal election as being held
before or after the first day of July.
When Section 10 (a) was added to The Village Act in 1918, this
amendment provided for the incorporation of summer villages.
The terms "resided" or "occupied" referred to a temporary
residence or occupation of one month or more during the summer.
Elections were also changed to the second Monday of August.
Finally in this regard, Provincial Statute 31. 1921, amended
Section 10 (a) by removing the requirement that electors and
councilors be resident of a Summer Village.
Thus, as is the case today, seasonal residents of Summer
Villages are eligible to vote and serve on councils and to vote or
seek election in the municipality in which they reside on permanent
basis.
The minimum number of dwelling houses or separate buildings
required for formation also changed through the years. In the early
years legislation specified 25 dwelling houses, the same number as
for village formation. Changes to the Town and Village Act in 1934
increased the number to 35.
In 1957 Kenneth A. McKenzie was mayor of Itaska Beach and
Charles Denney was secretary treasurer. Mr. Mckenzie was so
concerned about how grants were being reduced to his Summer Village
that he took his case to some members of Cabinet. So successful was
he that Charles Denney felt Kenneth McKenzie's singular victory
signalled the potential for greater lobby strength if Summer
Villages could be united in their own assocation. Charles than
called an organizational meeting to be held in the McDougall room
of the Edmontons old YMCA on November 5, 1958. Thirty three came
representing eleven of Alberta's sixteen Summer Villages, from this
meeting the Assocation of Summer Villages of Alberta was born.
In 1968 the Municipal Government Act, which replaced the Town
and Village Act differentiated between Villages and Summer
Villages. Seventy-Five separate buildings were now required for
Village formation, while only fifty were specificity for Summer
Village incorporation. In 1995 when the new municipal Government
Act came into force the requirement to form a Summer Village was an
area in which there are at least 60 parcels of land that have
buildings used as dwellings located on them. The majority of
persons who would be electors do not reside in that area and the
population is less then 300.
Whereas a Village, may be formed for an area in which a majority
of the buildings are on parcels of land smaller then 1850 square
meters and the population is 300 or more.
This legislation was amended and given Royal Assent on May 17,
1995.
The amendment removed Summer Villages as a type of municipality
that may be formed in Alberta. Existing Summer Villages are allowed
to continue but no new Summer Villages will be formed.
This legislation would appear to have been passed in accordance
with the Provincial Governments' efforts to reduce or curtail any
increase in the number of local governments operating within the
province. This move would appear to have been done with no apparent
research or consultation such as that which was afforded the local
governments for health and education.
Prepared by Jim Sandmaier, ASVA. Information sourced from Archie
Grover's committee reprort "task force on the future of summer
villages", the Municipal Affairs Municipal Profiles web site and
"history of the assocation of summer villages of Alberta " by
Charles Denney and Chris McElroy.