Show All Answers

1. How does the council make decisions?

To learn about the council's decision-making process, view meetings online on the following webpage. Online Council Meetings

2. How can I view past Council decisions?

You can read council minutes from previous meetings online to view decisions the Council has made.

Agendas and Minutes

3. When does Hinton Town Council reconsider a decision they have made?

Town Council will rarely reconsider a decision they have made. Generally, when decisions materially affect the community as a whole, a consultation period exists where all public input is invited before the decision is made. It’s a wonderful opportunity to participate in decisions affecting your community. This is an important time period where citizens have an opportunity to weigh in before a decision is made. While public comment is crucial to council’s decision making, it is combined with individual councillors own beliefs and sense of what is in the best interest long-term before they vote.

To reconsider a council decision, one of the councillors who voted in the majority must move to reconsider the matter and get the support of a majority of seven members of council to put the matter back on the agenda. Why would the majority of Town council support that when the opportunity for public input already existed? Hinton Town Council values your timely input as your opportunity on important issues to provide feedback between elections. Sometimes, citizens assume a proposed motion or by-law will get support, and therefore don’t submit their comments before a decision is made. This can lead to disappointment after the decision” is made. Please don’t assume the proposal will be supported. Public comments supporting and not supporting a matter, preferably with reasons, should be provided. Particularly when public feedback was invited, Hinton town council will not reconsider the matter. It’s easy, simply go to Town’s main website under “Hinton Listens” and-then “share a concern”, or phone your favorite councillor, or answer a Town survey, etc., etc. Bottom line, to be heard, please submit your comments in a timely fashion when invited to do so.

Hinton Listens

4. How can I get the mayor and/or councillors to attend my event / grand opening?

Contact the Executive Assistant at 780.865.6072 to arrange for the Mayor and/or Councillors to attend your event or grand opening.

5. Outdoor Rinks - When Does the Ice Go In?

The Town of Hinton knows that when winter weather hits, our residents want to get out and enjoy it! We also know that all residents want the investment into outdoor recreation to be used well, which is why we have a couple of procedures to manage when we get to work getting the outdoor rinks into skating shape. 

• We require, at minimum, multiple days in a row of cold dry weather. Ideally, we look for minimum highs of -5 during the day (-10 ideally) and much colder at night
  • it's also important that no snow falls during that time
• Our ice making procedure uses many thin layers of water left to freeze - not a large amount of water pooling and then freezing. Thin layers create harder ice that will not shatter or crack. 

Please also understand that our organization will always prioritize staff for path, sidewalk, and roadway clearing over outdoor rink maintenance. When snow comes, our staff are tasked with high priority activity.  

Due to Hinton's climate, it is not uncommon for there not to have been enough consistent cold weather to freeze and maintain the ODR's until late December or early January. 

6. Outdoor Rinks - How Can We Help?

Many users want to help us keep the outdoor rinks in skating shape, and we're grateful for the assist! We welcome your time investment on the outdoor rink surfaces (at your own risk) with clearing snow. 

7. Outdoor Rinks - Why Doesn't the Fire Department Spread Water?

The idea of using the fire department to help get outdoor rinks up and running seems like a natural fit! However, the reality of ice maintenance makes it so this would only be feasible if they were to mist the surface multiple times, over a longer period of time, when it is consistent cold. Anecdotally, this has taken 2 full nights of 10 hours each in the past.

Unfortunately, putting inches of water on the outdoor hockey rink and leaving it be is not the correct way for our ice maintenance program.