Special Area No. 3

Welcome

Special Areas No. 3 has a distinctive history that has created a strong foundation for growth and sustainability of the region.  A supportive municipal government encourages innovative ideas to enhance and maintain a quality of life for all residents of the area. 
Special Areas No. 3 is:

• Supporting and facilitating the creation of wireless high-speed internet network available throughout the region.
• A member of SAMDA Economic Partnership which works in conjunction with the MD of Acadia No. 34, Village of Empress, Village of Cereal, and Town of Oyen to promote economic development for all of its members.
• A member of the Canadian Badlands Ltd. and Alberta’s Special Area.
• a member of the Henry Kroeger Regional Water Services Commission.

If you have any questions about the area please feel free to contact those persons listed under the “Key Contacts” tab.

Area Overview

Special Area No. 3 is located in east central Alberta and is governed by the Special Areas Board.  This rural municipality surrounds the communities of Oyen, Cereal, New Brigden, Sedalia, Sibbald and Youngstown.  This unique municipality is located within the SAMDA (Special Areas and MD of Acadia No. 34) region and shares governance with Special Area No. 2 and Special Area No. 4.

The SAMDA region is largely an agricultural area and boasts a strong and vibrant petroleum industry and service sector. 

Market trends and opportunities in technology will allow services and commerce to take place via the Alberta Supernet.  The addition of the Special Areas Rural High Speed Internet and Voice over IP Project greatly improves the existing rural businesses, as well as be an attraction for new business opportunities. Rural lifestyle combined with career choice will be hard to resist.

As a Canadian Badlands community, we boast prospects for tourism entrepreneurs.

Key advantages of living and doing business in our area:

Location

Special Area No. 3 is located in east central Alberta, partially bordered on the east by the Province of Saskatchewan and bordered on the west by secondary highway 884. The largest service centre within the region is the Town of Oyen; it is located at the crossroads of Highways 9 and 41, approximately 327 km east of Calgary and 187 km north of Medicine Hat. Special Areas is located within the Canadian Badlands.

Economic Base

The main economic base of the SAMDA Region includes: farming, ranching, oil and gas exploration, production and services.  There are emergent opportunities in the tourism and e-commerce/remote work fields. Special Area No. 3 is home to 1,266 rural residents and is made up of over 1.6 million acres of agricultural lands.

Agriculture
Farms in our regions are generally mixed with ranching and grain production. A large percentage of the farms in Special Areas No. 3 are family farms.  The average farm has approximately 1,500 acres and 75 head of cows. Grain production accounts for a large percentage of land usage.  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 land and resources. The energy sector is very strong and provides employment and economic spin off to our communities. We have a number of energy related businesses, services and contractors.

Economic Facts

Major Businesses Products/Services:

Arbortech Badger Daylighting and Hydrovac Services Bill Dalton Contracting Evergreen Environmental Excel Enterprises GLHM Pipleline Services Hayworth Mechanical Headlines Hair Design Jeff Cox Welding McKee Truck Lines Mellenium Oilfield Services Oyen Coop Convenience Oyen Super 8 Motel Paint Tech Autobody Patchvac Ltd

Pioneer Grain Prairie House Kitchens Ralph Thornton Leatherworks Rangeland Real Estate Riley’s Bobcat Service Rumohr has it…we make signs Sedalia Coop Sedalia Steam & Pressure Truck Services Sibbald Inn Sparkman Welding Star West Oilfield Services & Trucking Stu’s Trucking Studer Spraying Ltd. Tera’s Hair Care Transcanda Pipleine Valley Flats Light Oilfield Hauling & Hotshot

Utilities

Electrical Power ATCO Electric 113 - 1 Avenue W Oyen, AB  T0J 2J0 Tel: 310-4300 Direct Energy 1-866-374-6299 Natural Gas Dry Country Gas 205 2 St W Oyen AB  T0J 2J0 Tel: 1-888-664-6001     Telephone TELUS Ltd. Tel: 310-2255 TELUS Mobility Berg Bus Lines Ltd. 212 Main Street Oyen, AB  T0J 2J0 Tel: 403-664-3811

High-speed Internet Netago Wireless 105 2nd Ave. W. Hanna AB  T0J 1P0 1-866-346-7822 Shortgrass Satellite Acadia Valley AB  T0J 0A0 (403) 972-2256   Water Henry Kroeger Regional Water Services Commission (403) 779-3904 Special Areas Truck Fill Stations (403) 664-3618

Taxation

2009	Residential/ Farmland	Non- Residential
Municipal Tax Rate	4.2700	5.0900
Education - Alberta School Foundation Fund Tax Rate	3.2100	3.7400
Education Opted Out Tax Rate	3.2100	3.7400
Allowance For Non-Collection of Requisitioned Taxes	0.00	0.00
Seniors Lodge Accommodation Tax Rate	0.7200	0.7200

Transportation

Air Service
Oyen Municipal Airport (elevation 2,498 ft.) has a 3,000 ft. (914 meter) 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 and Highway 41.

Trucking Firms
Hi-Way #9 Express Ltd.

Bus Services
Regularly scheduled inter-community service is available through Greyhound Canada- Oyen.

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

Community Lifestyle

We offer a vibrant community in which to live.

Community Organizations
Local community and recreation organizations reflect the interests and passion of our communities.  From theatre groups, agricultural and historical societies, to Chamber of Commerce, youth groups, and service clubs, our communities deliver great events and services.
For complete listing of community organizations please visit www.samda.ca 

Education

Special Areas No. 3 is served by Prairie Land Regional Division #25, Prairie Rose School Division #8, and Christ Redeemer Catholic Separate Regional School Division #3.

Assumption Roman Catholic School 415 – 5th Ave E Oyen AB T0J 2J0 403.664.3643 www.redeemer.ab.ca New Brigden School New Brigden AB T0J 2G0 403.664.2490 www.newbrigdenschool.com

Oyen Public School 107 - 4th Ave E Box 479 Oyen AB T0J 2J0 403.664.3733  www.oyenschool.com South Central High School 105 - 3rd Ave W Box 299 Oyen AB T0J 2J0 403.664.3644 www.southcentral.ca Youngstown School Box 69 Youngstown AB T0J 3P0 403.779.3822 www.plrd.ab.ca

Post Secondary

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.

BCALC
Box 667
113 2 Avenue W
Oyen, AB T0J 2J0
Ph: (403) 664-2060
Fax: (403) 664-2905
E-mail: bccalc@telusplanet.net

Health Care

Acadia Foundation – Seniors Living A 33-unit senior's lodge with a staff of 17 is also located in Oyen. The lodge provides individual bedroom/baths 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 Cereal Country Cottages – a seniors independent living apartment – featuring common area/laundry. Cereal AB  T0J 2J0 Phone:  (403) 326-3511 Health Professionals in Oyen Physicians Dentist Optometrist Chiropractor Physiotherapist Early prevention dental services Outpatient/inpatient respiratory services Speech therapist/audiologist Recreation therapist Mental health worker Massage therapist Home care

Alberta Health Services provides a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.  Available services include emergency care, acute care, continuing care, community health services.  For emergencies call 911. Big Country Hospital Box 150 312 - 3rd Street East Oyen AB T0J 2J0 Phone:  (403) 664-4300 Fax:  (403) 664-4325 Oyen Big Country Hopistal is an acute and continuing care facility.  Core programs at Big Country Hospital include acute/sub-acute medicine, emergency stabilization, ambulatory care services and continuing care. Community Health Services Box 296 312 - 3rd Street East Oyen AB T0J 2J0 Phone:  (403) 664-3651 Fax:  (403) 664-2934

 

Emergency Services

All emergency services are accessed by calling 911.

Rural Fire Suppression Fire Chief & Director of Disaster Services – Glen Durand: 403-779-3733 Regional EMS For emergencies call 911 Administration: 403-664-2400 Fire Department Oyen Fire Department and Rescue: 911       - Administration: 403-664-3511      - Fire Phone: 403-664-3999 Cereal Fire Department       - Fire Only: 911 Youngstown/Special Areas Fire Department      - Fire Only: 911      - Administration:          403-779-3733 / 403-854-0425 Empress Fire Department       - Fire Only: 911  Bindloss Fire Department       - Fire Only: 911 RCMP   Oyen RCMP: 911 Administration: 403-664-3505

Community Services

Special Areas No. 3 Oyen District Office 319 Main Street Box 30 Oyen AB T0J 2J0 Phone: (403) 664-3618 Fax: (403) 664-3320 Administrator: Darran Dick Office Manager: Marilyn Lazzari Email: marilyn.lazzari@gov.ab.ca

Community Services offered by Special Areas No. 3: 

• Emergency Services and Fire
• Parks and Recreation
• Water
• Agricultural Services 
• Roads

Climate

Sunshine coupled with warm dry summers means more time to spend outdoors 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, Canadian Geese, the pear cactus, ball cactus and its delicious cactus berries.

The climate for Special Areas No. 3 is considered semi arid, which means lots of sunshine.  The average rainfall for the year is 25.2 cm 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 Special Area No. 3 Oyen District Office 319 Main Street Box 30 Oyen AB T0J 2J0 Phone: (403) 664-3618 Fax: (403) 664-3320 Administrator: Darran Dick Office Manager: Marilyn LazzariEmail: marilyn.lazzari@gov.ab.ca  Special Areas Board Box 820  Hanna AB  T0J 1P0 Phone: (403) 854-5600 www.specialareas.ab.ca

Business Development SAMDA Economic Partnership 319 Main Street Box 752 Oyen AB T0J 2J0 403.664.0101 christie.dick@gov.ab.ca Community Futures Meridian Region 125-1st Avenue E Box 2167 Kindersley SK S0L 1S0 Toll free: 1.888.919.3800 (306) 463.1850 Fax:  (306) 463.1855 www.meridiancfdc.ca meridian.business@sasktel.net Palliser Economic Partnership Room 109, Provincial Building 346-3 St. SE Medicine Hat AB  T1A 0G7 (403) 529.3630 Fax:  (403) 529.3140 www.palliseralberta.com/