Oyen

Welcome

On behalf of the residents of Oyen we would like to welcome your interest in our community. We appreciate the time and effort you are taking in assessing our community and hope that the information we have compiled is of benefit to you, whether you decide to locate a new business here or make Oyen your new residence. We invite you to make use of all our recreation facilities, or put your feet up and enjoy the quietness of the country. You will find the people friendly and helpful.

A small town is an ideal place to raise a family. Family ties are renewed and strengthened due to the commitment made by the community people through involvement in the various groups and organizations found here.

A wide range of businesses provide residents and visitors with services they would otherwise have to travel to larger centers for. Groceries, clothing, hardware, farm supplies and services, beauty salons, banking services, crafts, post office, accommodations and restaurants are all readily available.

We are proud of our community and the people who live here. We welcome you and trust that you will enjoy your time with us.

Sincerely,
Mayor and Council

Area Overview

  
Oyen is located in East Central Alberta.  Communities in this part of Alberta are small in size and large in heart.  Rural lifestyle is the foundation of our community.  Quiet tree-lined streets provide a picturesque view of small town life.  We offer traditional values of friendliness, service and hospitality. 

Oyen is the service center for many smaller communities within the SAMDA (Special Areas and MD of Acadia No. 34) region.  SAMDA region is largely an agricultural area and boasts a strong and vibrant petroleum industry and service sector.  The retail and administration sector anchors our communities and presents opportunities for growth. 

Market trends and opportunities in technology will allow many services and commerce to take place via the supernet.  Rural lifestyle combined with the job of choice will be hard to resist.

As a Canadian Badlands GATEWAY community, we boast prospects for tourism entrepreneurs.  The Canadian Badlands is a destination choice of hundreds of thousands of tourists each year and is growing.

Key advantages of living and doing business in our community:

• Rural lifestyle-commerce opportunities
• Location
• Supportive municipal government

Location

The Town of Oyen is located in south-eastern Alberta at the crossroads of Highways 9 and 41. Hi-Way 9 is a main route between Calgary and Saskatoon and Hi-Way 41 is the main north south route along the east side of Alberta. Oyen is 397 km southeast of Edmonton, 327 km east of Calgary and 187 km north of Medicine Hat. 
 

Economic Base

Economic Base
The main economic base of the SAMDA Region includes farming, ranching and oil and gas exploration, production and services.  New opportunities are tourism and e-commerce/remote work.
 
Agriculture
Farms in our regions are generally mixed, ranching and grain production. A large percentage of these farms have one operator and are considered a family farm. The average farm has approx 1500 acres and 75 head of cows. Grain production accounts for a large percentage of acreage usage; this production is generally done using a summer fallow/crop rotation due to the arid climate.

Energy Sector
Our communities are blessed with an abundance of lands and resources. The energy sector is very strong and provides employment and much economic spin off to our communities. We have a number of Energy Related Businesses, Services and Contractors.  

The major economic base of the area is agriculture, followed by the gas & oil industry. The Oyen area is home to 650 farm families and a total farm area of 1.8 million acres. Agricultural products include wheat, barley, rye, tame hay, oats, flax, canola, field peas, beef cattle and hogs. The Town of Oyen is predominantly a service centre for the industries in the surrounding area.

Economic Facts

Major Businesses Products/Services:

Allen's Agrocentre Art’s TV & Appliances  & Oyen Cable Brennon Construction Ltd. CARA Research Centre Cooperators Insurance Doug's AG Foods Groceries Fountain Tire & Automotive Services John's Electric and Refrigeration Electrical Kevin's Plumbing and Heating Plumbing Lijdsman Insurance Agency Martin's Flooring and Paint Oyen Concrete Cement

Oyen Flowers & Giftware Oyen Greenhouses Trees & Plants Oyen Optometry Clinic Oyen Paint and Autobody Automobile Services Oyen Pharmacy Drug Store Oyen Veterinarian Services Oyen Welding & Machining Ltd. Machine Shop  Sears Outlet Store Shop Easy Foods Groceries Subway True Value Hardware Store UFA Fuel, Oil, Farm Supplies

Utilities

Taxation

Each year Council establishes a rate of taxation based on assessed values, sufficient to pay for those expenditures that are not recovered from other revenue sources. For 2007, the rate is $23.212 per $1,000 of assessed value for residential taxpayers and $25.484 per $1,000 for commercial and industrial taxpayers.

Tax payments are due July 31st of each year. Tax notices are usually mailed out by June 1^st of each year. The due date is specified on the Tax Notices and is advertised two weeks before the tax deadline in the local newspaper.

Payments can be made directly to the Town Office during regular business hours, through Internet banking, or telephone banking. The Town accepts cash, cheques, money orders, and post dated cheques.

T.I.P.P. - The Tax Installment Payment Program is beneficial for those people who find it difficult to make a single payment that comes due once a year. The program is set up to allow the property owner to make monthly installments with no interest penalty. For further information, please contact our Tax Department at (403) 664-3511.

The following table outlines the tax mill rate for 2007.

 

	2006 Taxation Year	2007 Taxation Year
Residential/Farmland*
Municipal	$18.616	$18.189
Provincial School Program	$4.744	$4.296
Acadia Foundation	$0.369	$0.573
Medical/Dental	$0.299	$0.000
Palliser Regional Municipal Services	$0.162	$0.154
Total	$24.190	$23.212
Commercial / Industrial*
Municipal	$18.616	$18.189
Provincial School Program	$7.001	$6.568
Medical/Dental	$.0299	$0.000
Acadia Foundation (Seniors)	$0.369	$0.573
Palliser Regional Municipal Services	$0.162	$0.154
Total	$26.447	$25.484

* All tax rates per $1,000 of assessment.

The average assessment value for residential properties in Oyen is $80,286.91 (2007) making the average taxes $1,863.62 (23.212/$1000)

Transportation

Air Service:
Oyen Municipal Airport (elevation 2498 ft.) has a 3000 ft. (914 metre) runway that is paved and lighted with a rotating beacon. The nearest passenger and air freight facilities are at Medicine Hat Municipal Airport, 187 km south of Oyen.  

Rail Service:
Oyen is served by a Canadian National Railway secondary main line. Spur trackage is available.  

Highways:
Connecting highways are Highway 9, Highway 41 and Secondary Road 895.  

Trucking Firms:
Hi-Way #9 Express Ltd.

Bus Services:
Regularly scheduled inter-community service is available through Greyhound Canada. The town also operates a Handi-Bus for the handicapped and seniors.

Couriers and Taxis:
DHL, Purolator, Hi-Way 9 Express Ltd., UPS, Greyhound Canada, Loomis, Canpar and Canada Post.

Community Lifestyle

Education

Oyen is part of the Prairie Rose School Division #8, www.prrd.ab.ca headquartered in Dunmore Tel: 1(800) 468-7023, Fax: (403) 528-2264), and the Christ the Redeemer Catholic School Division www.redeemer.ab.ca headquartered in Okotoks Tel: (403) 938-4575

Public schools located in Oyen include:

            Oyen Public School (K-9)

            Tel: (403) 664-3733

South Central High School (10-12)

Tel: (403) 664-3644

Our communities are very proud of our schools. The table below shows how our schools consistently place above the provincial average, as well as having a higher percentage of students completing grade 12 and a higher percentage of students eligible for the Rutherford Scholarship. We also have excellent sports programs, with baseball, curling, basketball, volleyball, golf, badminton, etc. Many of our teams have been provincial champions.

 

Accountability Pillar Overall Summary  

October 1, 2007                         0195 Prairie Rose School Division No. 8

 

Goal	Measure category	Measure category evaluation	Measure	Jurisdiction Results						Provincial Results
				Current results		Prev. Year results		Prev. 2 year average		Current results		Prev. Year results		Prev. 2 year average
Goal 1: High quality Learning Opportunities for all	Safe and caring Schools	Good	Safe & Caring	86.8		87.7		87.5		84.2		84.4		82.7
	Student Learning Opportunities	Good	Program of Studies	78.3		76.5		76.6		78.5		78.1		76.9
			Education Quality	89.8		90.0		89.6		87.6		87.7		86.0
			Drop out rate	4.4		2.7		3.2		4.7		4.9		5.3
			High School completion Rate (3 yr)	86.3		87.1		87.5		70.4		70.1		69.1
Goal 2: Excellence in Learning Outcomes	Student Learning Achievement (grades K-9)	Good	PAT: Acceptable	84.2		82.2		83.6		75.9		76.9		77.1
			PAT: Excellence	22.1		19.6		20.6		19.5		19.1		19.3
	Student Learning Achievement (Grades 10-12)	Excellent	Diploma: Acceptable	89.3		92.8		90.3		85.4		84.7		85.4
			Diploma: Excellence	27.3		28.1		25.2		23.3		23.0		22.7
			Diploma Exam Participation Rate (4+Exams)	64.0		63.9		65.5		53.7		53.5		52.4
			Rutherford Scholarship Eligibility Rate	49.6		42.4		44.9		37.2		35.3		33.9
	Preparation for lifelong Learning, World of Work, Citizenship	Good	Transition Rate (4yr)	50.5		49.4		44.4		39.5		37.0		34.6
			Work Preparation	83.9		81.6		81.8		77.1		77.0		74.7
			Citizenship	78.0		77.7		78.4		76.6		76.8		74.7
Goal 3: Highly Responsive and Responsible Jurisdiction(Ministry)	Parental Involvement	Good	Parental Involvement	81.8		82.2		81.3		77.5		77.9		76.0
	Continuous Improvement	Good	School Improvement	80.0	80.9		79.8		76.3		76.8		73.2

 

 

 

Separate School located in Oyen:

            Assumption Roman Catholic School (K-6)

Tel: (403) 664-3643

 

Library

 

 Oyen Public Library holds a collection of over 9500 items as well as having access to over a million items through participation in the Marigold Library System. The Library offers full service with extended hours and free Public Access computers. For those who are taking courses at any level, the Library is an excellent companion to your course materials. Other services include preschool story time, breakfast with Santa, and 2 book clubs.

Oyen Municipal Library

105 3rd Avenue West
Box 328, Oyen, AB T0J 2J0
Phone: 403-664-3580
Fax: 403-664-2520
E-mail:aoymlibrary@marigold.ab.ca

Website: http://www.thestarvingpoet.net/oml/

 Adult Learning

 The Adult Learning Resource Centre is an Education, Career and Volunteer resource centre where FREE public access to computers and the internet is available to the public. Information may also be obtained regarding employment, local or distance education opportunities.  Providing such courses as Adult basic Literacy Education (ABLE), English as a Second Language (ESL), and other educational programs and non-credit courses to Oyen and the surrounding communities.

The Adult Learning Centre
208 3 Avenue West
Box 667, Oyen, AB T0J 2J0
Phone: 403-664-2060
Fax: 403-664-2905
E-mail: bccalc@telusplanet.net
Website: www.bigcountrylearning.com

  

The Corporate Education Network www.cenetwork.ca  is a comprehensive website that promotes a “one-stop-shop” of training services available to individuals and businesses in Southeast Alberta. Users of the CENetwork can research, compare and register for training courses, events, and facilities, all in one centralized online location. This initiative was made possible through a partnership with Entre-Corp Business Development Centre, Medicine Hat College, Palliser Economic Partnership and Office of Learning Technologies – Human Resources and Social Development

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Post Secondary

The Big Country Educational Consortium serves residents in southeast central Alberta. Eight public post-secondary institutions are involved in the consortium to provide a wide range of community-based educational programming. Those institutions are:  
Athabasca University
Bow Valley College
Medicine Hat College
Mount Royal College
Olds College
Red Deer College
S.A.I.T.
University of Calgary

The Big Country Educational Consortium
245 – 3 Street W.
Box 419
Drumheller AB T0J 0Y0
Phone: (403) 823-8300
Fax: (403) 823-7083

The Big Country Community Adult Learning Council (BCALC) provides community Based Adult Learning. Located in Oyen, the BCALC provides learning opportunities for the entire region. Learning opportunities range from learning Tai Cooking to Oil/Gas Industry Requirement Training.  
Box 667
113 2 Avenue W
Oyen AB T0J 2J0
Ph: (403) 664-2060
Fax: (403) 664-2905
Email: bccalc@telusplanet.net 
Coordinator: Sherri Robertson

Health Care

For emergencies call 911. The Palliser Health Region is responsible for the health services for approximately 98,074 residents (March 2004) and a catchments area of approximately 110,000. Health services are delivered through the hard work of approximately 2300 staff employed by the Region and by approximately 114 dedicated physicians working within the region. Palliser Health Region Corporate Office 666 - 5th Street SW Medicine Hat, AB T1A 4H6 Phone: (403) 528-5633 Fax: (403) 529-8998 www.palliserhealth.ca

A 33-unit senior's lodge with a staff of 17 is also located in Oyen. The lodge provides individual bedrooms with communal eating and living areas. There are also 8 self-contained units. Oyen Senior’s Lodge 310 – 2nd Street West Oyen AB  T0J 2J0 Phone:  (403) 664-3661 Fax:  (403) 664-2964

	Health Professionals: 2 physicians 1 dentist 1 optometrist 1 chiropractor Physiotherapist Early prevention dental services Outpatient/inpatient respiratory services Speech therapist/audiologist Recreation therapist Health inspector Occupational therapy Mental health worker Massage therapist Home Care

Emergency Services

All emergency services are accesses by calling 911.

Community Services

Climate

Sunshine coupled with warm dry summers means more time to spend outdoors and exploring our region. The low altitude of the Region produces a very warm climate, with particular areas of the Region often matching or surpassing the " hot spot " of Canada. The semi-arid countryside lends itself to ranching and wheat farming and is home to deer, antelope, Canada goose, the pear cactus, ball cactus, and its delicious cactus berries. Winters have become very mild over the last few years with average temperatures on the rise.

Oyens’ climate is considered semi arid, which means lots of sunshine. The average rainfall for the year is 50.4 mm while the average snowfall for the winter is 69.6 cm. The average temperature in July is 18.4 degrees Celsius while the average temperature in January is –12.8 degrees Celsius.

Key Contacts

Municipal Town of Oyen Box 360 Oyen Alberta T0J 2J0 Phone: (403) 664-3511 Fax: (403) 664-3712 Email: townoyen@telusplanet.net www.townofoyen.com   Wayne Wilson Mayor Email: acadiafoundation@telus.net Debbie Kovitch Administrator Email: debbieko@telus.net

Business Development SAMDA Economic Partnership Box 752 Oyen AB  T0J 2J0 Phone: 403.664.0101 christie.dick@gov.ab.ca  www.samda.ca  Community Futures Meridian Region Box 2167 Kindersley SK  S0L 1S0 Toll Free: 1-888-919-3800 Phone: (306) 463-1850 Fax: (306) 463-1855 Email: meridian.business@sasktel.net  http://www.meridiancfdc.ca/  Palliser Economic Partnership Room 109, Provincial Building 346-3 St. SE Medicine Hat AB  T1A 0G7 Phone: (403) 529.3630 Fax:  (403) 529.3140 http://www.palliseralberta.com/