At the regular Town of Vegreville Council meeting on Monday night, Council discussed the idea of going forward with a Poultry Pilot Program, which was presented to Town earlier this month.
Community Member Grace Nicholls outlined the proposal and submitted 26 statements expressing interest in the pilot program. The Administration discussed the matter at length, with Council members weighing both potential positive and negative impacts that could arise if the program were to be implemented.
Mayor Tim MacPhee sited his concerns about potential negative outcomes of the program during the meeting.
“There is real financial implications for the municipality. We know for a fact that we would get a lot of calls, it may not be the neighbour who signed the consent form, but it would be another neighbour complaining. I just feel that a very, very large majority of the citizens of Vegreville do not want to have this in our community, and I’ve heard from a lot of them.”
While Council agreed that the program could possibly help with rising grocery costs and increasing food insecurity, it was ultimately decided by vote to not proceed with the Poultry Pilot Program, with five members opposed to the project and two in favour.
The matter will be up for reconsideration with the next Council term in 2029.
For more details about the proposed Poultry Pilot Program and Town Council’s response, you can visit vegreville.com.
