Town of Bow Island July 28 council meeting highlights 

Posted on August 6, 2026 by Ryan Dahlman

By Nerissa McNaughton
Southern Alberta Newspapers

The Town of Bow Island’s council gathered on July 28 to review a busy agenda that touched on regional athletics, road maintenance, provincial funding, and a community celebration. Here are the highlights.

Southern Alberta Summer Games Report 

Russ Tanner and Kaylee Hurt presented a report on the Southern Alberta Summer Games, sharing strong participation numbers from across the region.

Athlete registration by area was as follows:

• Foremost: 12 athletes

• County of Forty Mile: 57 athletes

• Bow Island: 106 athletes

That brought the total number of County of Forty Mile athletes to 175. Across all 13 regions, a total of 1,453 athletes took part in the Games.

County of Forty Mile athletes also performed well on the podium, earning 205 medals in total:

• Gold: 79 medals

• Silver: 66 medals

• Bronze: 60 medals

In all, 1,521 medals were awarded throughout the Games.

Highway 3 Service Road Intersection Paving 

The Public Works Manager brought forward a proposal to pave three intersections along the Highway 3 service roads. Recent growth and activity in Town have led to more heavy truck traffic on 7th Avenue East, on both the north and south sides of the highway.

Heavy trucks and light vehicles turning at these intersections create potholes and washboarding, and some sections need maintenance twice weekly. Adding heavy asphalt at these points would reduce road damage and cut down significantly on ongoing upkeep. The majority of 7th Avenue East would remain gravel.

The three areas proposed for paving are:

• 7th Avenue E and 2nd Street E, north side of the highway near Bow Island Lodge

• 7th Avenue E and 2nd Street E, south side of the highway near Subway

• 7th Avenue E and 4th Street E, south side of the highway in front of Integra Tire

The total estimated cost is $150,000, which may be funded through the remaining Local Government Fiscal Framework grant. Remaining CCBF funds for 2026 stand at $287,816.

STIP Bridge Funding Application Denied 

Council received notice that the Town’s application to the 2026 intake of the Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program (STIP) was not approved. The application, for the BF72880 Bridge Replacement project, was administered through the Ministry of Transportation and Economic Corridors.

The Ministry noted this year’s intake was highly competitive, with the volume of applications exceeding available funding. As a result, not all projects could be approved. The Town may resubmit the project for the next intake by November 30, 2026.

FCSS Building Renaming and Grand Opening 

Forty Mile Regional Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) wrote to council with two requests tied to its new home in the former Town Office building.

First, FCSS asked council to consider renaming the building the “Bow Island Community Hub.” The organization feels the name reflects its vision for a welcoming, collaborative space where residents can connect with programs, services, and partner organizations in one central location. While FCSS is the main tenant, the name is meant to represent the building’s broader role as a community resource.

FCSS also announced a Grand Opening and Official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on August 13, and extended an invitation for members of council to attend. In connection with the event, FCSS requested council’s approval to temporarily close the traffic parking lanes next to the building’s sidewalk. The closure would help keep attendees safe and provide additional space for guests to gather during the ceremony.

Learn More 

These highlights offer a snapshot of the July 28 meeting. To learn more about these and other agenda items, visit the Town of Bow Island website.