Area’s dismal growth rate target of criticism

Chris Clegg
South Peace News

Several people were quick to voice their displeasure May 13 with the way High Prairie and area has encouraged economic development the last several decades. Discussion occurred during the M.D. of Big Lakes public hearing regarding Darrell Shewchuk’s application for a residential lot subdivision just west of the East Prairie River near Enilda. His request was turned down by the M.D. council. Ray Duchesneau said he moved to High Prairie in 1957 and seen proposals for economic development come and go. He said local municipal councils seem to like to squash development. “. . .that would be a benefit to the community,” says Duchesneau. “Slave Lake was a whistle stop. Now Slave Lake is about 3:1 or maybe 4:1 to High Prairie because of the political (councils) of this area,” he adds. Census Canada stats certainly back up Duchesneau’s claim. In 1966 High Prairie’s population was 2,239 or 523 more people than Slave Lake’s 1,716 population. However, in 2006 Slave Lake had grown to 6,703 while High Prairie stood at 2,750. So Slave Lake’s growth in 40 years was 4,987 people while High Prairie’s was only 511 people. Over 40 years, High Prairie’s growth is just over a dozen people a year. That translates into a growth rate for Slave Lake of almost 10 times more than High Prairie over 40 years. When Reeve Myler Savill asked councilors for their views, the only ones to vote in favour of Shewchuk’s application were Kinuso’s Ken Killeen and Faust’s Violet Campiou. “Maybe this is why this community is at a stalemate,” says Killeen referring to High Prairie. “I think (Shewchuk) is trying to do something good for the community. He’s trying to get the people to come here.” Campiou wondered aloud why High Prairie does not grow. “Slave Lake has grown a lot. We’re so far behind. Unless we develop we’ll always be behind. Sooner or later we have to develop. We have to catch up.” Reasons for dismissing Shewchuk’s application included possible danger to the four-generation Pratt farming operation (eventual closure because of complaints) and the fact many did not want to see some of the best farmland in the Peace Country go out of production.

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