Nam Kular

On Wednesday, Feb. 8, Statistics Canada released its population data from the 2011 Federal Census and as a result, the Town of Beaumont was suddenly making national news.

Statistics Canada reports that Beaumont has the seventh fastest growing population in all of Canada, with a rate of 48.2 per cent in the past five years. In Alberta, Beaumont ranks second behind Chestermere, for the fastest growing population in the province.

This is big news for a community that is often only talked about in relation to its proximity to Alberta’s capital city. While some people may feel like all this attention is only serving to let a best kept secret slip, town administrators see this as a positive investment in Beaumont’s future.

Mayor Camille Berube said he is very pleased with the news of Beaumont’s growth. “We have been working to promote Beaumont as the community of choice for people to want to live, work, play and invest in,” said Berube. “We are happy that people are seeing Beaumont as a great place to live and that investors are investing in our community.”

Berube credited Beaumont’s proximity to Edmonton for the growth, as well as its immediacy to key employment areas, such as the Leduc/Nisku industrial parks and the international airport.

He also noted Beaumont’s small town feel and the appeal that this has when people are considering a move. “Beaumont is very much a family oriented and family focused community and people are very proud of their community,” said Berube, adding: “The quality of life [in Beaumont] from my perspective is second to none.”

Of course, when any community experiences the rate of growth that Beaumont has in the past few years there are always challenges.

Town administrators are faced with the task of ensuring that the community can sustain such growth, especially in the areas of infrastructure, services, facilities and community programs.

Berube noted that while the challenge of balancing the expectations of residents with the realities of the town’s budget and finances are always present, he is confident that Beaumont is in a good position to handle a fast pace of growth.

“Work has been done on the long-term planning and the long-term visioning of our community,” said Berube. “We feel that we have planned for that growth and we can continue meeting that growth.”

Marc Landry, chief administrative officer for the Town of Beaumont, explained how Beaumont is already one step ahead of the game in terms of upgrading existing infrastructure.

“Realistically, when you look at Beaumont and our three core services – such as transportation with 50 Street, our new water reservoir and the sanitary sewer that is going to be upgraded – Beaumont is in a great position for future growth as we will not be limited by our infrastructure capacity,” said Landry.

He gave this information in comparison to Milton, Ontario, which was identified by the Statistics Canada report as having the number one fastest growing population in Canada, a rate of 56.5 per cent since 2006.

“One of the big items with Milton in the past year was the sizing of their sanitary main going in to the community,” said Landry, who pointed out that this inefficiency has had a negative impact on the town’s growth in recent months.

While town administrators are confident that the appropriate steps have been taken so that Beaumont can handle future growth in the sense of infrastructure, Berube said the community’s extraordinary volunteerism can help support the ongoing development of services and programs.

“The incredible amount of volunteers that this community has enhances the quality and the availability of all kinds of items that we may not be able to offer as a municipality,” said Berube.

As for whether or not Beaumont can indeed expect to see the same rate of growth in the next five years as it has in the past five years, again Berube is nothing but confident.

He praises Beaumont for being one of only three officially bilingual communities in Alberta and said that this is part of what makes Beaumont unique and appealing to outsiders.

Berube also pointed out that Beaumont’s French immersion school programs, both separate and public, are undoubtedly a draw to young families seeking quality schools to enroll their children in.

“Neighbours also look out for each other here, yes we have grown and expanded but as I mentioned, we still have a small community feel where people know each other and support each other.”

Berube said that it is these key characteristics that set Beaumont apart from other communities. He also said that as Beaumont continues to grow, he and town administrators will keep working toward developing investor confidence in Beaumont, and will keep a focus on maintaining a safe community, upgrading and further developing Beaumont’s infrastructure and relationships with neighbouring communities.

To view the entire Statistics Canada 2011 Census Report, visit online at statcan.gc.ca and click the census icon located at the top right-hand corner of the screen.

Original Article Appeared in BeaumontNews.ca