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Regional Roundup
Feb. 11, 2026

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Nearly $254M in municipal tax arrears tied to Alberta oil and gas companies

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We notice several oil and gas companies were in arrears on property taxes owed to counties in the Edmonton region. Brett McKay of the Investigative Journalism Foundation found that nearly 600 Alberta companies owed almost $254 million in municipal property taxes by the end of 2024, up from $81 million in 2018.

The data obtained by IJF found that Sturgeon County bore the most unpaid taxes in the Edmonton region, totalling nearly $3 million. Its biggest debtors were Long Run Exploration at $1.9 million, Ohana Resources at more than $600,000, and MAGA Energy at just over $200,000. MAGA also owed Parkland County more than $675,000, and owed other rural municipalities hundreds of thousands more, and yet it was still approved for 191 new well licences in 2024 and 2025. This despite an order from the province authorizing the Alberta Energy Regulator to block the transfer of new well licences to companies that carry more than $20,000 in municipal tax arrears. "The question that we're asking is, how did this happen? Why are you allowing it? And what are you doing to stop it?" said Kara Westerlund, president of Rural Municipalities of Alberta.

MAGA was Parkland County's biggest delinquent taxpayer, but the total owed to the county topped $850,000. Leduc County was owed more than $430,000 by the end of 2024, more than half of it by Cancen Oil Processors. The AER fined that company over $300,000 in 2025 for failing to clean up a toxic leak near New Sarepta, a decision that Cancen appealed. Strathcona County was owed more than $330,000, mostly by Ohana Resources, which appears to be defunct.

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Economic development

Municipalities

  • Municipalities are running out of infrastructure capacity to support population growth, with road, pipe, and water treatment systems at their limits, says Dylan Bressey, president of Alberta Municipalities. "If we don't expand that basic infrastructure, we're not going to be able to flush the toilets in the new houses we're building," he told Alberta Primetime. "So we really are hitting a point where infrastructure is no longer going to be able to support this growth."
  • Coun. Lorne Harvey of Strathcona County outlined the county's financial picture, explaining the higher costs of growth that necessitated a 4.88% tax increase. "As the community expands, the County must build new roads, pipes, parks and transit routes while maintaining what already exists, he wrote in an op-ed published by Postmedia.
  • St. Albert city council approved updates to the Land Use Bylaw that simplify regulations for building additions or redeveloping homes in established neighbourhoods, adjusting rules for building height, floor area, and lot coverage as part of the city's Housing Accelerator Fund initiatives. St. Albert received a conditional $11.8 million from the federal housing fund in March.
  • Strathcona County will start charging a fee of $1.50 per bill beginning in April for residents who wish to continue receiving paper bills instead of switching to free e-billing. Exemptions are available for those without home internet access or mobile data services.
  • Strathcona County is collecting responses to its public satisfaction survey until Feb. 20 for a report to go to county council in June.
  • The City of Leduc welcomed five new members to its Youth Council: Aleah Barron, France Batoon, Grace Dumont, Alex Ritson, and Mariah Villa.

Headlines

  • A recall petition against Strathcona-Sherwood Park MLA Nate Glubish has gathered thousands of signatures, organizers told CTV. They need 15,770 signatures by March 10 to oust Glubish, who also serves as minister of technology and innovation. Glubish has responded with a series of columns about what he's done for the riding, including one about his work on rural broadband. Meanwhile, political observer Dave Cournoyer notes chances are slim for recall petitions, given that two have already failed, and gathering the signatures of 60% of voters in the previous election is a high bar. Other MLAs facing recall petitions include Dale Nally in Morinville-St. Albert, Searle Turton in Spruce Grove-Stony Plain, Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk in Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville, and Peggy Wright in Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview.
  • Separatist organizer Mitch Sylvestre gathered signatures for a petition to hold a referendum on Alberta independence at Morinville Flooring, which has become an ongoing canvassing location. Sylvestre said he's confident his group will gather the required number signatures by the May 6 deadline.
  • Athletes from the Edmonton region representing Canada at the Olympic Winter Games include curlers Rachel Homan from Beaumont and Marc Kennedy from St. Albert; bobsledder Kelsey Mitchell from Sherwood Park; and hockey players Brandon Hagel from Morinville, Colton Parayko from St. Albert, and Emerance Maschmeyer from Bruderheim.
  • Lindsay Morey introduced herself as the new managing editor of the St. Albert Gazette and Town and Country Today. "Much of community reporting comes down to showing up, putting in the work, and proving that you care — that's how trust and community is built," she wrote. "I'm passionate about hyper-localized community reporting, following projects and initiatives that have a real impact on local residents and non-profit organizations, and having meaningful, working relationships with the who's-who."
  • The Black Impact Alliance Foundation hosted its third annual Black History Month Proclamation Ceremony at the Beaumont Community Centre on Jan. 31, featuring performances by arts groups and an address from Mayor Lisa Vanderkwaak.
  • The province contributed $414,975 towards the addition of a 1.65-hectare wetland in the northwest corner of Bellerose Park in Sturgeon County. The wetland is expected to attract wildlife, filter water, and reduce flooding.
  • Roseanna Gullekson of he Alberta Society for Injured Birds of Prey brought a barred owl named Barry onto CBC Edmonton's Radio Active to promote a speed-dating fundraiser. Owl Always Love You takes place on Feb. 12 at the Strathcona Community Centre and County Hall.
  • Scott Jespersen, chair of Alberta Grains and a grain farmer in Spruce Grove, expressed his disappointment that the federal Pest Management Regulatory Agency denied emergency use of strychnine for the 2026 growing season. The neurotoxin is used to control gopher populations.
  • The St. Albert Gazette previewed the opening of A Forest of Co-Existence, an exhibit at the Art Gallery of St. Albert by artist Eunna Oh, who mixes photography with stitching, embroidery, and painting. The gallery unveiled its 2026 exhibition season on Feb. 5.
  • Strathcona County invites artists to submit works for its permanent collection, to be displayed in civic spaces. Submissions are open until April 26.
  • Sherwood Park's Shawn and Jennifer Marshall are the directors behind This is War by Hannah Moscovitch, running at Walterdale Theatre until Feb. 14. The pair said they gained their love for theatre in the drama program at Bev Facey Community High School.
  • St. Albert Dinner Theatre's production of Sex Please, We're Sixty is a "fast-paced, door-slamming farce" about retirement-aged romance, writes Lucy Haines.
  • Fort Saskatchewan Public Library is offering diverse programming for Physical Literacy Month in February, including clogging with the Blizzard Cloggers, geocaching, and tai chi sessions.
  • St. Albert Public Library is accepting nominations for the 2026 Poet Laureate until Feb. 22. The successful candidate will be announced in April.
  • Strathcona County is accepting nominations until March 6 for its 2026 Awards of Excellence, which recognize residents for volunteerism, leadership, and innovation. Recipients will be honoured at a ceremony on June 11.

Happenings

Here are some events coming up over the next seven days:

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

Visit the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.

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