Election
2025 ELECTIONS
NOTICE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that at the conclusion of Nomination Day, held June 14, 2025, for the Summer Village of West Cove's 2025 General Municipal Election, the following nominations were accepted for the three (3) vacancies on West Cove's Municipal Council:
- Giesbrecht, Ren
- Henderson, Wendy
- Kelly, Christopher Scott
The above candidates, being duly nominated in the Summer Village of West Cove's 2025 General Municipal Election Nomination Day for the position of Municipal Councillor are hereby elected as Municipal Councillor by acclamation.
Due to the acclamation, no election or advance vote will be held. The term for this Council will begin when they are sworn in at the Organizational Meeting of Council, to be held June 25, 2025 and will run until the next general municipal election in 2029.
Campaign Disclosure Statements
INFORMATION
Section 12 of the Local Authorities Election Act requires Summer Villages to determine a Nomination Day, to occur in June or July of 2025. If the number of candidates nominated exceeds the number of candidates required, then there is an election 4 weeks after nomination day. The following dates have been set for the Summer Village of West Cove Municipal Election:
- Nomination Day: Saturday, June 14th, 2025 from 10 a.m. until 12 noon at the West Cove Community Hall – south of the boat launch, south side of Valking Road
- Advance Vote: Monday, July 7th, 2025 from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the West Cove Community Hall
- Election Day: Saturday, July 12th, 2025 from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. at the West Cove Community Hall
Please note that, due to changes in the Local Authorities Election Act, Vouching will NOT be allowed during the 2025 Summer Village of West Cove Municipal Election.
CANDIDATE AND COUNCILLOR ORIENTATION:
Municipalities are now REQUIRED TO OFFER Candidate Orientation opportunities to the electorate during general election cycles for local authorities. Elected Officials are now also REQUIRED TO COMPLETE Councillor Orientation in order to hold office within a local authority (municipality).
If you are interested in running for office in the 2025 municipal election for the Summer Village of West Cove, please note the Candidate and Councillor Orientation dates and times listed on the website and keep these dates open in your calendars. You may attend either of the available candidate orientation training sessions, and you must be prepared to attend both the Part 1 and Part 2 Councillor Orientation training sessions. Noting the Part 1 Councillor training options – please note that you should keep both dates open in your calendar; if the election is concluded by acclamation the earlier date (July 23) will be used for orientation, if the election is contested we will use the later date (August 27) for the Part 1 training.
While your attendance at the Candidate Orientation is voluntary, Councillor Training (both Part 1 and 2) are required if you are elected to council. If you are interested in running for office, please reach out to Administration to ensure you are pre-registered for the training opportunities provided.
Candidate Orientation Options:
- Candidate Orientation (Option 1) May 3, 2025
10 a.m. to 12 noon
Stettin-Nakamun Hall 5404 Township Road 571, Lac Ste Anne County - Candidate Orientation (Option 2) May 24, 2025
10 a.m. to 12 noon
Darwell Seniors Center (Interlake Golden Age Club)Hwy AB-765, Darwell Alberta
Councillor Orientation Options:
- Councillor Orientation (Part 1) July 23, 2025 (if Elected by Acclamation)
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Alberta Beach Seniors Centre (5012 49th Ave, Alberta Beach) - Councillor Orientation (Part 1) August 27, 2025 (if Contested Election)
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Alberta Beach Seniors Centre (5012 49th Ave, Alberta Beach) - Councillor Orientation (Part 2) September 15, 2025
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Alberta Beach Seniors Centre (5012 49th Ave, Alberta Beach)
WHO CAN VOTE IN THE SUMMER VILLAGE ELECTION?
To vote in the election you must:
- Be at least 18 years old; and
- Be a Canadian citizen; and
- Reside in Alberta; and
- Your place of residence is in the Summer Village on election day; or
- You must be on the certificate of title as the person who owns property within the Summer Village; or
- You must be the spouse or adult interdependent partner of a person who is on the certificate of title.
ELECTION REGISTER AND ELECTOR IDENTIFICATION
Recent changes to the Local Authorities Election Act require many municipalities to use Election Registers, or voter lists. Summer Villages have an exemption to this requirement, and therefore we may use an Elector Register or opt to use traditional methods of Elector Identification at the poll stations.
Council has declined to use an Elector Register. This means that anyone wishing to vote in the 2025 Municipal Election for the Summer Village of West Cove will be required to provide appropriate identification. Furthermore, vouching as a means of confirming elector eligibility will no longer be an option. In the past, this would have been an option but current legislation affords this option only to municipalities that use an Elector Register.
VOUCHING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED DURING THE 2025 SUMMER VILLAGE OF WEST COVE ELECTION. PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE REQUIRED IDENTIFICATION IN ORDER TO VOTE AT THE POLLS.
WHO CAN RUN IN THE SUMMER VILLAGE ELECTION?
To be a candidate in the election you must:
- Be entitled to vote in the election; and
- Have been a resident in Alberta for the 12 consecutive months immediately preceding election day; and
- Not otherwise be disqualified.
NOMINATION INFORMATION
Nomination packages can be downloaded from our website, HERE, or can be picked up at the Municipal Office (2317 Twp 545, Lac Ste Anne County). Or you can download the required forms directly from the Municipal Affairs election forms website.
There are a number of forms included in the nomination Package, please note that these cannot be submitted electronically:
Form 29 Notice of Intent – this is notice that you intend to run in the municipal election and can be handed in to the Returning Officer at any time.
The latest it can be handed in is when your nomination papers are filed.
Form 4 Nomination Paper & Candidates Acceptance – this form must include the signatures of at least 5 eligible electors.
Form 5 Candidate Financial Information – This must be handed in with your nomination papers.
Form 26 Campaign Disclosure Statement & Financial Statement – this form must be handed in, by all candidates, no later than March 1, 2026.
Nomination papers and associated forms will be accepted on Nomination Day from 10 a.m. until 12 noon, 2025. If someone other than you is dropping off your paperwork, it must be signed by a Commissioner of Oaths.
INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
Running for office and serving your community as an elected official can be a rewarding and worthwhile endeavour for you and your community. However, it can feel overwhelming at times, and it's important to understand what the election process and serving as a Councillor entails. Below are links to resources that can help.
abmunis.ca/advocacy-resources/running-municipal-office
alberta.ca/municipal-elections-overview
Local Authorities Election Act
Municipal Affairs - A Candidates Guide: Running for Municipal Office in Alberta
Please contact the Returning Officer if you have any questions about the election or nominations.
Returning Officer
Angela Duncan
angela@wildwillowenterprises.com
780-967-0271
DOWNLOAD THE ABOVE INFORMATION
NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR CANDIDATE FINANCIAL REPORTING
Requirements now exist in the Local Authority Elections for Candidates to open and maintain an independent Campaign Account at a recognized financial institution.
Campaign accounts are governed by section 147.3(1)(a) of the LAEA, which reads that a Candidate must ensure they open a campaign account in the name of the candidate or their election campaign at a financial institution for the purpose of the election campaign. This should occur at the time the candidate submits a written notice under section 147.22 or as soon as contributions to the campaign are $1000, in aggregate. Any funds contributed by a candidate are considered contributions and must be deposited into the campaign account. These contributions must also be disclosed in accordance with section 147.4, using Form 26.
Candidates should be aware that even minor expenses, such as gas mileage, qualify as campaign expenditures and must be paid from the campaign account, even if the funds used are the candidate’s personal funds. To ensure compliance with the regulations regarding campaign finance and candidate duties, we are also reminding all candidates to be prepared to provide the details of their intended financial institution of their campaign when submitting their prescribed forms, but also strongly recommending that they have a campaign account opened and operating, regardless of if they intend to receive contributions for their campaign.
- April 23, 2025 from 7:30pm to 8:30pm (Featuring ASVA and ABmunis Board member Ren Giesbrecht, Mayor of the Summer Village of West Cove
- May 6, 2025 from 12:00pm to 1:00pm
WHAT IS INVOLVED IN BECOMING A COUNCILLOR IN WEST COVE?
The Summer Village of West Cove has 3 councillor positions elected by those eligible to vote within the Summer Village.
The Summer Village was incorporated as a municipality in the Province of Alberta in 1963. Currently we have 239 improved properties, 41 vacant properties and 14 municipal properties with the Summer Village, with a population as per the last federal census of 222 (intended to reflect full-time permanent population). Total assessment for the Summer Village is $63,355,840, of which $58,878,720 represents improved properties, $2,446,610 vacant properties and $2,030,510 exempt properties. The Summer Village has 102 hectares of area, 4.8 kilometers of roadway to maintain, a playground, boat launch and Community Hall.
Regular Council meetings are scheduled for the last Wednesday of each month at the Summer Village of West Cove Community Hall commencing at 6:30 p.m. for the months of January, February, March, April, June, July, August, September and November. There is a virtual opportunity to participate/listen as well (zoom). Council agenda packages are prepared by Administration and emailed to Council 2 – 3 days prior to the meeting for their review and also put on the Summer Villages’ website for the public to view. Agenda packages can be up to 200 pages of reading material per meeting and would consistently take 2 – 4 hours to review prior to the meeting. Each Council member is also required to report at each Council meeting on the activities and happenings of their particular committee appointments. Council phone numbers and emails are publicized, and Council will receive emails and calls from the residents of the Summer Village on various matters. The Administration office for the Summer Village is located just west of the Town of Onoway and is open Monday through Thursday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Committee Appointments
There are various committees in which Council members are expected to participate in. The majority of these meetings are weekday meetings, but some are evening and/or weekend. These Committees are as follows:
- Summer Villages of Lac Ste. Anne County East – there are 12 Summer Villages located within Lac Ste. Anne County boundaries. These 12 Summer Villages representatives get together 4 times per year on a Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. until noon, sometimes 2:00 p.m. depending on the meeting agenda. All Council members are expected to attend, but only one member can vote at this meeting. Meeting locations vary throughout the region as each Summer Village takes its turn being host and thereby selecting the meeting venue for that particular meeting. Additional committees to which members are appointed by this group include: East End Bus (2 reps), Lac Ste. Anne Senior Foundation (2 reps), Highway 43 East Waste Commission (2 reps), West Inter-Lake District Regional Water Services Commission (2 reps), Lake Quality Committees (2 reps), Summer Village Emergency Management (1 rep), Association of Summer Villages of Alberta (2 reps). Meeting requirements for these committees vary from 2 to 12/year, mostly weekday meetings.
- Summer Village Regional Emergency Management Partnership (SVREMP) – this emergency management/disaster services committee has been very active the last 6 or 7 years for the Summer Villages within the region. West Cove is a member of a regional EM/DS with its fellow Summer Villages and meetings are required (depending on matters at hand) 3 – 6 times per year (either weekdays or Saturdays). All Council members are required to take specific emergency management training, which would involve 4 days in a year to start. Currently the Summer Village has a local Director of Emergency Management and a local Deputy Director of Emergency Management who are residents of the Summer Village. Council is involved directly with these individuals with respect to their roles within the municipality.
- Darwell Lagoon Commission – Lac Ste. Anne County, the Summer Village of South View and the Summer Village of Silver Sands are the municipal members of this Commission. The Summer Village of West Cove is currently not a member of this Commission, however in the last 5 or 6 years there have been various regional sewer-line projects proposed within the region, and it is anticipated that the Summer Village will be involved at some point. Although the municipality has no voting privileges at present, a representative of the Summer Village is appointed to keep apprised of ongoing developments.
- Highway 43 East Waste Commission – all the municipalities within Lac Ste. Anne County boundaries belong to this Commission which owns and operates the regional landfill site just west of Gunn (municipal members are 12 Summer Villages, 2 Towns, 1 Village and 1 County). The Summer Village appoints one representative to this committee who would attend one annual meeting per year and other meetings if required. This Commission is comprised of an executive board to which the Summer Village group of 12 will appoint 2 representatives from their 36 elected to sit on this board. These meetings are 4 to 6 times per year, weekday mornings, meetings are at the County Office, just east of Sangudo.
- Family and Community Support Services – the Summer Village is part of the Provincial FCSS initiative. West Cove Council reviews and approves annually where this funding goes.
- Flowering Rush Abatement Project – this is a lake management group that formed to oversee the management and quality of both Lake Isle and Lac Ste. Anne. The Summer Village of Silver Sands is the manager of grant funding and summer staff.
- Onoway Regional Medical Clinic – this is a regional initiative to recruit and retain Medical Doctors at the Onoway Medical Clinic. The lead municipal partner is Lac Ste. Anne County, with Municipal members including West Cove, Silver Sands, Val Quentin and Ross Haven. Meetings may be held once or twice a year, in or near Onoway.
- West Inter Lake District (WILD) Water Commission – the Summer Village of West Cove is a member of WILD which was developed to supply water to the urban municipal members, hamlets, rural development in portions of Lac Ste. Anne County and Parkland County and the Paul, Alexis Nakota Sioux and Alexander First Nations. Meetings are normally 4 times per year and are held at the Wildwillow Administration Officer west of Onoway.