After an exciting year for Sylvan Lake, Mayor Sean McIntyre is looking forward to what 2020 will bring to the community. 

This year, the mayor said that the town worked hard to improve core infrastructure and festivals and events in the area. 

Many improvements were made to services and roads in the town of Sylvan Lake, with more to be seen in the year to come. 

“Our focus for 2019 has been core infrastructure. We’ve had some major projects completed here in town. They include phase one of our 50th avenue rehabilitation. This is a full road rehab where we are replacing deep infrastructure services, the road service itself, sidewalks, lighting, putting power underground, and it will be a long-term transformation for that road,” said McIntyre. 

The 50th avenue work is set to complete in 2023 following a 6-year construction plan. 

Meanwhile, another project still underway is the town’s water reservoir. 

“This will help service our existing residents and give us a reliable water service going into the future,” explained McIntyre. 

In July of 2019, Sylvan Lake celebrated the connection of the regional water line to the city of Red Deer which, according to McIntyre, went very smoothly.

Phase two of the updates to Sylvan Lake Park were administered in the summer of 2019 as well. 

“That saw some more trails developed, a lot more trees planted, and some turf rehabilitation. We’re very happy with the way that the lakeshore is coming together,” said McIntyre who says that Sylvan Lakers have been providing him with positive feedback from the updates.  

“People are nervous when they hear that work is happening but once the work has been completed, we’ve had very good reviews about the increased mobility, the aesthetics, and the functionality which includes a new deck area at the north tip of our pier which has made that area much more user-friendly,” added McIntyre. 

Throughout the year’s many successes for Sylvan Lake, the mayor said that he was most proud of hosting the Canadian Finals Rodeo Bull Riding Finals. 

“It was our first time hosting an event like this. There were over 58 Bull Riders Finals Canada events and it all culminated with the final here in Sylvan Lake,” said McIntyre who believes more events are in the town’s future. 

“We’re seeing other events show interest in locating in our community which helps our local economy and also helps the residents of Sylvan Lake to be proud of the place they’re from. So far we have been seeing great success,” said McIntyre. 

Heading into 2020, the town will continue with more core infrastructure work, including the continuation of work on 53rd Street and 50A Street. The Mayor also hopes to make some enhancements to snow removal and maintain reasonable spending habits to reduce stress on Sylvan Lake residents and businesses.  

“Our focus continues to be on core infrastructure to ensure that our bones of our community are strong and able to serve us for generations to come. We’re also still working on our festival and event strategy working on those events that help to bolster our economy and help diversify our economy,” said McIntyre. 

Looking towards the future, the mayor looks forward to the development of the ball diamond at Pogadl Park and welcoming a Western Canadian Baseball League team to the town in 2021.