Welcome to Birch Hills
TOWN OF BIRCH HILLS
COMMITTEES OF COUNCIL & APPOINTMENTS 2024
These appointments were made at the December 13, 2023 meeting:
Council Committees:
FIRE………………….……………..……………………… Graham Tweten; Alternate:
FIRST RESPONDER……………..…………………….. Graham Tweten; Alternate:
POLICE………………………..………………………… Lyle Evans; Alternate:
CEMETERY………………………………………………. Graham Tweten; Alternate: Barry Evans
RECREATION……………………………….…………… Keith Matheson; Alternate: John Herd
SKATING RINK………………………….………………….. Lyle Evans; Alternate: John Herd
CURLING RINK…………………………………..…………. Graham Tweten; Alternate:
GOLF COURSE…………………………………..…………… Lyle Evans; Alternate: Keith Matheson
SPORTSGROUND…………………………….………….. Lyle Evans; Alternate:
AIRPORT…………………………………….……………… Graham Tweten; Alternate:
WASTE MANAGEMENT……………….……………….. Graham Tweten
INVASIVE PLANT CONTROL………………..……………… Barry Evans; Alternate: Keith Matheson
DEPUTY MAYORS
January & February Keith Matheson
March & April Lyle Evans
May & June
July & August Graham Tweten
September & October Barry Evans
November & December John Herd
These appointments were made at the July 19, 2023 meeting:
SENIOR CITIZENS John Herd;
MUSEUM John Herd; Shirley Ulvild
BH HEALTH FOUNDATION Keith Matheson; Darren Wilkinson; member at large
NCSWMC Keith Matheson; Graham Tweten
WAPITI REGIONAL LIBRARY TBD
BIRCH HILLS LOCAL LIBRARY Stewart Adams
SKATEBOARD PARK Graham Tweten; John Herd
CEMETERY (at large) Barry Evans; Shirely Ulvild; Audrey Matheson
MULTIUSE FACILITY Barry Evans; Graham Tweten; Duane Lowe; Tom Brothwell; Roseanne Roy
BIRCH HILLS HOUSING Dave McTaggart (March 2021); Darlene Cochrane (May 2023) Chrystina Braaten (Feb 2023); Norman Njaa (Jan 2023) Darren Wilkinson (Jan 2023); Sandra Berge
Keith Hunter (Maintenance)
TLC DAYCARE (town appointed) Stewart Adams; Alternate: Graham Tweten
FIRE CHIEF Dean Braaten
EMO Shawn Stubbs
BOARD OF REVISION Western Municipal Consulting Ltd.
Secretary: Kara Lindal
NCTPC John Herd; Alternate: Lyle Evans
Golf Cart Bylaw
Good morning everyone,
It is with great pleasure to announce that the Golf Cart Bylaw has been approved by SGI.
Residents of the Town of Birch Hills can now operate their golf carts on town streets. Please note that you are NOT allowed to drive your golf carts on Wilson Street as this is considered a provincial highway. You may cross the highway ONLY to reach your destination. If you are caught driving on Wilson Street, it will result in a fine.
In order for the Town to allow golf carts on our residential streets, there are a few requirements that need to happen before. They are as follows:
1. You will be required to register your golf cart with the Town
a. Serial Number
2. You will need to purchase a yearly license plate through the Town
a. Cost of yearly license plate – $50.00
b. License plate has to be visible at all times
c. Slow moving vehicle sign (sticker) placed on the golf cart
3. You will need to provide proof of insurance
a. This will need to be provided yearly with registration
Once you have registered your golf cart with the Town, you will be given a copy of the bylaw.
If you are caught operating your golf cart without registering it with the Town and acquiring your license plate and/or following the guidelines of the bylaw, this will result to a fine.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Let’s be safe and enjoy.
Roseanne Roy, CAO
Town of Birch Hills
Needle Disposal Notice
Birch Hills Medical 1st Responder Group has volunteered to be the contact person for pickup and disposal of needles found within the town. They have been trained in the safe procedure of handling used needles. Should you find any new/used needles, please contact the office immediately to report it. We will make necessary arrangements to dispose of it.
Residents can follow FDA Procedures and dispose of the needles safely or contact the office.
How to Dispose of Sharps
Used sharps should be immediately placed in a sharps disposal container. FDA-cleared sharps containers are generally available through pharmacies, medical supply companies, health care providers and online. These containers are made of puncture-resistant plastic with leak-resistant sides and bottom. They also have a tight fitting, puncture-resistant lid.
If an FDA-cleared container is not available a heavy-duty plastic household container, such as a laundry detergent container can be used as an alternative.
Importance of Safe Sharps Disposal
Used needles and other sharps are dangerous to people and pets if not disposed of safely because they can injure people and spread infections that cause serious health conditions. The most common infections are:
• Hepatitis B (HBV),
• Hepatitis C (HCV), and
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
Safe sharps disposal is important whether you are at home, at work, at school, traveling, or in other public places such as hotels, parks, and restaurants.
Never place loose needles and other sharps (those that are not placed in a sharps disposal container) in the household or public trash cans or recycling bins, and never flush them down the toilet. This puts trash and sewage workers, janitors, housekeepers, household members, and children at risk of being harmed.
Pet owners who use needles to give medicine to their pets should follow the same sharps disposal guidelines used for humans.
What to Do If You Are Accidently Stuck By a Used Needle or Other Sharp
If you are accidently stuck by another person’s used needle or other sharp:
1. Wash the exposed area right away with water and soap or use a skin disinfectant (antiseptic) such as rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer.
2. Seek immediate medical attention by calling your physician or local hospital.
Follow these same instructions if you get blood or other bodily fluids in your eyes, nose, mouth, or on your skin.
Mayor’s report to the community of Birch Hills February 29, 2024
This past summer we initiated an inspection of some of the sewer lines that have been causing us issues over the past year, this resulted in bringing in a hydrovac unit to clean some of the lines. It is our intention to continue this practice this summer again with the inspection and repair of lines and manholes that need attention. Several manholes were identified as needing repair and we are looking at lining some meters of older sewer lines that we identified as questionable. The downtown and older part of the town has had only minor repairs since it was installed in the 1960’s and the time has arrived for much needed maintenance of our sewer infrastructure.
We have returned to weekly garbage pickups after trying biweekly service over the past winter. This was an experiment that we thought would result in significant cost savings, which in the end only resulted in a saving of a few thousand dollars and didn’t produce the anticipated results. We believe that some residents saw it as an opportunity to be more responsible in the management of their trash and we did see an uptick in the recycling of materials. Each year our trash management budget is in the neighborhood of $100,000.00.
We would like to compliment our staff for attention to detail that allows the Town to function well in today’s busy times. We have added some newer equipment to our inventory, the cost of which is spread over several years and are also in the process of completing the upgrade to our water plant with the support of funding from the provincial and federal governments. Completion has been delayed by the absence of some electrical equipment for the project. We expect the project to be completed by May of 2024.
As a community and in conjunction with the RM of Birch Hills we are fortunate to have a very active Fire Department with currently 21 volunteers on staff. It is our responsibility to ensure their safety and that the operation of the Department is viable. In 2024, the Fire Department will have increased rates (current SGI rates). Those rates were determined by a joint meeting of the Town and RM Councils at the end of January. RM residents are encouraged to have adequate fire coverage on their insurance policies as the RM is not required by legislation to provide fire services to their residents. The Town is required to provide fire protection to all the current residents of town with no cost incurred by the individual, however, you should carry fire protection insurance for your personal assets as that is not a responsibility of the Town. The Town and RM are tasked with supporting and equipping the Fire Department with training and equipment. We appreciate the commitment that all our current fire fighters have undertaken and we should all encourage and acknowledge the current fighters. Thank you to each person on staff and to everyone who has made the effort to be part of the Fire Department in the past and future.
We also want to acknowledge all the work and leadership that volunteers provide within this community. Without the support, time and energy from all of you, we would not have the services that are available for all of us. Whether it is volunteers at the Nursing Home, the Curling Rink, the Legion, the local Museum, the Skating Rink, the local churches, Dance Centre, the Seniors Club, the Golf Course, or any of the many other boards that provide for the needs of our Town. You each add value to our community, and if you are interested in serving your community, there is always a place for another set of hands and personality.
In upcoming issues of the Heartbeat, we will see reports from organizations within our community who provide services that make our town a place where we all enjoy living. I also encourage these organizations and our community to consider who we could recognize as a volunteer of the year for 2024. If you wish to nominate someone, please complete a letter that would recognize their contributions to our town and present it to our Rec. Director for consideration.
2025 is a year for assessment adjustments by SAMA. The results which have not been shared with us at this time and the budget process is only in the development stage, no decisions as to the municipal tax has been made or even forecasted at this time. We would like to remind you all that we are in an inflationary period that we haven’t seen since the 1970’s and that fixed income earners are at great risk during an inflationary period and that all expenses are impacted.
If you have questions, concerns or suggestions regarding the Town, by all means approach one of the councillors, the mayor or the CAO and any one of us would be more than happy to assist you in getting an answer.
-Stewart Adams, Mayor
Map & Prices of Lots for Sale in Birch Hills 20221118114930
Shoutout and a huge Thank You to @RedbirdFibreOptics for coming out to Birch Hills for a community engagement session. 🤗 We had a blast and some members of our community took home some pretty cool prizes! 😎 We had excellent feedback, and many sign ups. If you weren’t able to make it to the event last night and still want to sign up, please visit https://www.redbirdfibre.ca or text 1-306-979-6733.
#redbirdfibreoptics #smalltownbigheart #communityengagement #birchhills #townliving #redbird #prizesandgiveaways #INTERNET #highspeed #registernow #signuptoday
Congratulations Birch Hills 
!
DUANE LOWE COMMUNITY CENTRE GRAND OPENING
https://paherald.sk.ca/duane-lowe-community-centre-in-birch-hills-hosts-grand-opening/
The Duane Lowe Community Centre
The Duane Lowe Community Centre is now open for rentals! Please contact the Town office at (306) 749-2232 in order to book your family function, birthday, wedding, board meeting, etc! Watch for updates as we will be uploading the Rental Agreement on our webpage.
The Duane Lowe Community Centre – SUMA Award
Point of Interest! On behalf of the Saskatchewan Municipal Awards (SMA’s) and the Selection Committee, the Town of Birch Hills has been selected as one of the top four finalists in the province to receive a Saskatchewan Municipal Award. We are being honored for our municipality’s project on the Multiuse Facility (now the Duane Lowe Community Centre). The Saskatchewan Municipal Awards Selection Committee congratulates us on our municipality’s dedication to excellence and dedication.
As part of the process, Fishbowl Productions will be coming out to Birch Hills to shoot new video footage of the updates and interview some facility users. We will post the video link as soon as it is completed.
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