Redwater’s Mayor’s Breakfast returns and is enjoyed by many

Megan Suitor

As audience members finished their breakfast early on the morning of Thursday, April 6, Redwater Mayor Dave McRae brought them on a photo tour of the town. Attendance included council members from surrounding regions, local business representatives, and interested community residents.

The occasion marked the first Breakfast with the Mayor event that has been held in town since Covid, and attendance exceeded organizer Jennifer Edworthy’s expectations.

“I picked an arbitrary number of 100 guests I wanted to have for the event,” explained Edworthy, Town of Redwater Community Services Supervisor. “And we are actually sitting at 120 people.”

The breakfast event featured a number of speakers besides Mayor McRae, starting with Treena Lane, Town of Redwater Land Use/Economic Development Officer. Members of the audience listened aptly as Lane provided a brief update on the town’s land use planning.

“The land use bylaw was last reviewed in 2013, so we are doing a complete overhaul. One of the primary changes is a focus on red tape reduction.”

The next speaker was Sean Collins, the CEO of Varme, an Edmonton-based company that is a subsidiary of Green Transition Holding in Norway. Varme’s inclusion in the event was as a newly incorporated business with plans for the Industrial Heartland just south of Redwater.

“We are working to create a waste-to-energy plant that integrates carbon capture close to Redwater,” shared Collins. “We are really excited to turn waste into something useful, and we hope to break ground by the end of the year.”

As the business speakers finished, Metis Elder Garry Gairdner came to the stage for a presentation on Metis culture. His interesting story was followed by a traditional Indigenous story told through dance by brothers Boomer and Noble Keewatin. The Fort Saskatchewan Multicultural Association was recognized for connecting event organizers with these two presenters.