COVID-19 Status Update

July 23, 2020
To aid in resident's understanding of Hinton Emergency Operation Centre, Hinton Town Council, and Town of Hinton Administration responses to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic event, this update gathers recent news into one document. While emergent issues and information will continue to be shared as necessary, weekly updates going forward will use this format to gather, but also distinguish between, actions in place in the community.

Physical Distancing, Provincial Group Restrictions, and Cleaning Practices Must Continue

It is essential that residents and businesses understand that suppression activities, in particular maintaining safe distances, must be maintained.

If not maintained, transmission will rapidly rebound, potentially producing an epidemic comparable in scale to what would have been seen had no interventions been adopted.

The Town, and Province, need your help to continue to restrict your activities in the interest of community health. Distancing, hand washing, and sanitizing is absolutely crucial.

Residents, businesses, and visitors choosing to remain non-compliant on physical distancing or gathering parameters can, and should, anticipate provincial fines being levied directly moving forward.

Events or Gatherings of 200 or more in an outdoor space and 50 or more indoors can, and will, be ticketed under provincial restrictions.

To view current Provincial Restrictions, please visit the Government of Alberta's COVID web site, available here.

Hinton Emergency Operations Centre

The Hinton Emergency Operations Centre has concluded it's SOLE. As result, we now operate entirely under the restrictions of the province. As such, this section will now be used to share changes in provincial statuses relevant to the community. This is provided for ease of access - please refer to the Provincial website for up to the minute information.

20 million free masks available province wide

Albertans have another chance to pick up free non-medical face masks at the counter or drive-thru of their local A&W, McDonald’s Canada or Tim Hortons restaurant.

Read more here.

Students returning to school for 2020-21 school year

Students will return to learning in classrooms across Alberta at the beginning of the new school year.

Read more here.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney welcomes $ 19 billion Safe Restart Agreement

Premier Jason Kenney issued a statement welcoming the Safe Restart Agreement; find it here.

Hinton Town Council

The most recent standing meeting of Council was July 21, 2020. It is available via YouTube at Hinton.ca/CouncilLive. Agenda items include: FortisAlberta Franchise Fee, Amendments to Remuneration Policy #052, Community Peace Officer & Protective Services Bylaw Service Level Review, and Maxwell Lake Bridge Deficiency Work for Old Section of Bridge. The meeting concluded with a Special meeting of Council, during which time the hiring of a permanent CAO was discussed. More below.

Council meetings are closed to the public and occurring via teleconferencing. However, they are being live streamed via Youtube to allow residents to remain engaged in the democratic process in this pandemic event.

Town Hires New CAO

Following a comprehensive recruitment process, Mayor Marcel Michaels and Hinton Town Council are pleased to announce that Emily Olsen has accepted the role of Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for the Town of Hinton, effective immediately.

Mayor Michaels offered the following regarding the process:

"I would like to thank all of our Town of Hinton employees for their patience over the last 7 months as we sought the best possible permanent Chief Administrative Officer for the Town of Hinton. Thank you as well for your exemplary support and cooperation with both council and Interim CAO Emily Olsen over this time in not only maintaining operations, but also responding strongly to a unique pandemic event"

After joining the Town of Hinton in 2012 as Communications Coordinator, Olsen became instrumental to our organization, a key employee to all CAOs who preceded them. Olsen in 2015 became the Communications and Strategic Advisor, a role crafted in close collaboration with the then CAO and Council to allow for strategic advice and consultation directly with Council. Before taking on the Interim CAO role, Olsen was made the Strategic Services Manager, positioned to provide leadership to functional areas of the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, including management of communications and legislative employees.

Commenting on the decision to hire Olsen, Michaels shared:

"Olsen’s unique breadth of knowledge regarding both our community and our municipal operations, not to mention experience leading the Town through multiple emergency responses including the current pandemic, prove a level of competency, reliability, and leadership that our organization deserves in a leader."

The CAO is responsible for leading the development, implementation, and administration of all policies and programs established and approved by Council; advancing Council’s strategic plans; guiding and advising Council on legislation and municipal operations; and providing information to support Council in making informed decisions.

Please, join Hinton Town Council in congratulating Olsen on this new permanent role.

Minute with Council Access

Early in the Town Response to COVID-19, Town Council meetings were moved to remote environments, closed to the public, and streamed online to allow for easy access by residents. However, one aspect of our Council meetings that was lost in this necessary response was Minute with Council.

Traditionally, Residents have been welcomed to speak to Council about issues, events, celebrations or concerns during Minute with Council. At the beginning of each Council Meeting, the chair of the meeting opens the floor to the public to speak and share with Council members, administration and meeting observers.

As we determine the "new normal" in this pandemic response, the Town of Hinton has established a procedure to take part in Minute with Council remotely, temporarily, as we prepare for further steps in our reopening plans.

This process is being established to avoid risks of public meeting teleconferencing, such as inappropriate or abusive interjections by anonymous or false identities.

We appreciate your understanding should this cause any inconvenience for you.

Please use this form to receive an invite code to join our proceedings remotely.
Should you encounter difficulty using the form, please call 780-865-6072.

Read more here.

Administration

Facility Opening Plans

For residents convenience, the Town of Hinton has prepared, and updated, the above image representing open statuses and plans for many core facilities.

For further reference on Community Services' statuses and updates, please view tomorrow's edition of ComServ (more information below)

Reopened

Athabasca Riverfront Park
Spray Park/Change Rooms
All Outhouses
Protective Services Building (RCMP)
Infrastructure Services Building
Government Centre
Courts/Other Indoor Facilities
- Bouldering Wall will remain closed until precautionary measures are in place.
West Fraser Guild
- Full Opening Tentative: August 4, 2020
Emergency Services Building
- (Fire Hall)
Hinton Municipal Library
- Phase 2 Now in Effect

In Progress

Public Washroom Facilities/ Porta-Potties
- Mary Reimer Park: Open
- Kinsmen Park: July
Pool Opening tentative: mid-September
Arenas: One arena floor available for floor activities commencing Monday, July 27, 2020.
- Ice available tentative: late August

Drinnan Way Closure Now Extended to July 24, 2020

The Town of Hinton informs residents and travelers that due to unforeseen circumstances, the Drinnan Way closure to replace a wooden culvert will be extended by another day, to include July 24, 2020.

Please continue to take alternate routes.

We thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to work to complete this necessary task.

ComServ 5 Available Tomorrow

To aid is residents understanding of all of community services current status, plans, and programming, ComServ, a newsletter from Community Services and Strategic Services at the the Town of Hinton, will be issued every other week on Friday mornings. Our most recent edition was July 10, 2020. During the pandemic, the newsletter will be issued through both it's own channel and this (News and Announcements) channel. The newsletter may also be subscribed to directly via NotifyMe, available here, or downloaded online at Hinton.ca/ComServ.

Learn More

Town of Hinton Previous Update (April 09, 2020)
Town of Hinton COVID Webpage
Town of Hinton Defer Webpage
Town of Hinton SOLE Webpage
Province of Alberta COVID Webpage
Province of Alberta - Emergency Management Act
Government of Canada COVID Webpage
World Health Organization COVID Website

Questions

Residents with questions are asked to contact info@hinton.ca. Responses may be delayed due to EOC needs.

Members of local media with questions are asked to use the Public Information Officer contact information by clicking here or call 780-865-6001 and leave a message. Messages regarding PIO response will be returned within one business day.