County of Forty Mile

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About

The County of Forty Mile is located in southeast Alberta an equal distance from the City of Medicine Hat and the City of Lethbridge. The County is a vast area containing 78 townships of land bordering the United States to the south and the South Saskatchewan River to the north.  Located within the County boundaries are the Village of Foremost and the Town of Bow Island.  The County has something  to offer for everyone, from the casual explorer desiring to see the beauty of natural landscapes to the entrepreneur using their initiative to grow their business within our economy.  The County has close-knit communities to raise families and is a prime location for retirees.  Yes, we truly do have it all – opportunity to work, to live and to play.  We invite you to come for a visit… and hope you stay for a lifetime.

Housing

Although the region’s hot economy continues to remain strong, the housing market offers many attractive options whether you are looking at building a home, buying a home, or checking out rental accommodations.

There are a number of options available for people searching for a new home.  The County of Forty Mile No. 8 has property available in a number of  hamlets.  To look at specific lots, please contact Alvin Cruickshank at the County Office, by calling 403-867-3530. 

Realtors, who can assist with residential, commercial and industrial property, are located in the Town of Bow Island:

  • Club 100
    604 Center Street
    Bow Island, Alberta
    Tel: 403-545-2163
  • Royal LePage
    604 Center Street
    Bow Island, Alberta
    Tel: 403- 545-2298

For information regarding housing, properties or rentals please check the classified ad section in the link to the County Commentator.

Senior Housing / Services are available at the Pleasant View Lodge and Pleasant View Manor located in Bow Island and at Fairway Manor  in Foremost

For more information
  • CMHC - A national site that has lots of general information about buying, renting, and renovating homes.  You will also find detailed information and links about housing costs, financial assistance programs, legal information and specialized housing issues. Links to various related Government sites also assist with housing related information.
  • MLS Canada  -  A searchable data base that lists homes for sale.  Property searches by community are available.

Community Services

Palliser region communities have many services available for residents to keep them safe and secure.  A diverse range of recreational facilities and places of worship provide families the opportunity to stay active and maintain spiritual well-being.  All Palliser communities have a library or are part of a library system. 

Emergency Services and Fire Protection
  • Policing – The County is served by the RCMP Detachment with members in Foremost and Bow Island.
  • Ambulance, Fire, Rescue – Volunteer Fire Departments in Aden, Bow Island, Burdett, Etzikom, Foremost, King Lake, Manyberries and Pendant D’Orielle.   911 Services. 
  • Justice Infrastructure – Provincial Court of Medicine Hat
Parks and Recreation
  • 40 Mile Park – Swimming, Boating, Fishing,
  • Golden Sheaf Park - Camping
  • Playgrounds
  • Parks
  • Ball Diamonds
  • Hockey Arenas
  • Pools
  • Tennis courts
  • Rodeo Grounds
Religious Facilities

Places of worship are available in Bow Island, Burdett, and Foremost.

Library
  • Bow Island Municipal Library and Foremost Municipal Library

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 often matching or surpassing the “hot spot” of Canada.  Winters have become very mild over the last few years with average temperatures on the rise.

The County’s climate is considered semi-arid, which means lots of sunshine.  The County lies mainly within the dry mixed grass region. At higher elevations in the southern part of the County and at higher elevations in the eastern part of the County, the mixed grass region is present.  The mean annual precipitation averaged from 3 meteorological stations within the County measured 344 mm.  The mean annual temperature averaged 7.0 Celsius with the mean monthly temperature reaching a high of 21 Celsius in July and dropping to a low of -9.2 Celsius in January.

Taxes

Residential property taxes are definitely a factor to consider when relocating. Although taxes vary depending on the community, Albertans pay low provincial and municipal taxes, overall, in Canada.

The Alberta Government sets regulations, legislation, guidelines and quality parameters which determine assessment procedures throughout the province.

Farmland is assessed by regulation based on the agricultural productivity of the land.  The current maximum assessment for farmland in this County is $227.50 per acre for dry land and $382.50 per acre for irrigated land.  The maximum values provincially are $350/acre for dry land and $450/acre for irrigation.

Residential and Commercial Property is assessed by market value. This is determined by the mass appraisal comparative sales approach. In this approach numerous sales of comparable property are used to determine value.

Pipelines, power and communication lines are assessed by provincially regulated rates. Oil, gas and manufacturing plants are assessed according to their cost to construct.

Mill Rates:

Residential/Farmland*

2009 Taxation Year

Municipal

8.000

Forty Mile Foundation

.2910

Recreation

.1684

North Forty Mile Waste
Regional Waste

.1055

South Forty Waste
Services Commission

.4157

Education: Public

2.9974

Education: Separate

2.9974

Non-Residential

  

Municipal

8.000

Forty Mile Foundation

.2910

Recreation

.1684

North Forty Mile Waste
Regional Waste

.1055

South Forty Waste
Services Commission

.4157

Education: Public

3.8574

SAMDA Economic Partnership

3.8574

For more information contact Assessor, Alvin Cruickshank or Tax Roll Clerk, Charmaine Karl at the County Office, 403-867-3530. 

Additional Information

Property tax is either provided as a percentage or as a millage rate.  A mill is one-thousandth of a dollar.  To calculate the property tax, the assessed value of property is multiplied by the mill rate and then divided by 1,000.  For example, property assessed at $100,000 located in a municipality with a mill rate of 20 mills would have a property tax bill of $2,000 per year.

Utilities

Utilities including natural gas, power, and water are necessary expenses to consider for both homeowners and renters. Communities in south east Alberta boast some of the lowest rates in the country.

Electrical Power
Natural Gas
Telephone
Internet Service Providers

Shockware,  Memory Lane Computers, and Platinum Communications  currently provide high-speed wireless internet services to most County residents.  Telus dialup service is available as well.  For high speed access where wireless is not an option, satellite coverage is available.

Water Supply
  • Domestic – Deep wells from 600 to 1600 feet into the Milk River Sandstone Formation.
  • Irrigation – 113,000 acres of irrigation in the County of which 106,000 is served by the St. Mary River Irrigation District.  The remaining 7,000 acres is made up of river users and spring flooding in the Orion and Manyberries area.
  • Forty Mile Reservoir – The Reservoir provides off-stream storage that is used during dry years to relieve pressure or canal flows for the Western Region and to supply enough water to the area north and east of the reservoir without rationing.  It was commissioned in 1988, is 10.1 kilometers in length, with a maximum depth of 25 meters (83.3 feet.).  The Reservoir has a live storage capacity of 86,300,000 cubic meters.
Waste Management

For further information regarding Utilities, contact:

For more information

The Office of the Utilities Consumer Advocate (UCA) provides consumers with information about Alberta's restructured electricity and natural gas markets.

Health

Under the Canada Health Act, Alberta has a publicly administered and funded health care system that guarantees Albertans receive universal access to medically necessary hospital and health care services.

All eligible Alberta residents are covered under the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP) to access healthcare services.  An eligible resident of Alberta is a person who is:

  • Legally entitled to be or to remain in Canada and makes his/her permanent home in Alberta;
  • Committed to being physically present in Alberta for at least 183 days in a 12 month period;
  • Not claiming residency or obtaining benefits under a claim of residency in another province, territory or country;
  • Any other person deemed by the regulations to be a resident not including a tourist, transient or visitor to Alberta.

Effective January 1, 2009, Albertans are no longer required to pay AHCIP premiums.

An Alberta Health Care card gives you access to the public health care system including medical checkups and hospital visits. Private clinics exist, but are permitted to perform only elective services not included as part of the primary care available through our health care system.

Alberta Health Services  provides a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.

Hospital care is available at the Bow Island Health Centre. Bow Island Health Centre is a 32 bed fully accredited Acute/Continuing Care hospital.  Two medical doctors provide service to the area within the County of Forty Mile as well as the Town of Bow Island, Village of Foremost and Hamlets of Burdett, Etzikom and Manyberries.Bow Island Health Centre

  • Bow Island Health Centre
    938 Centre Street
    Bow Island, Alberta
    T0K 0G0
    Tel: 403-545-3200

Medical clinics are located in the Town of Bow Island as well as the Village of Foremost.  Homecare and Community Health Services are also available. Offices for these services as well as those for mental health services and addictions counseling are located in the Provincial Building in Bow Island.

24 hours/7 days a week health advice and information about local area services can be accessed by calling the Health link number at 1-866-408-5465. 

Alfred Egan Home is for people with developmental disabilities and provides care for 30 - 33 individuals. This facility is connected to the Bow Island Health Centre and is fully accredited with medical and nursing service provided for the residents

Foremost  and Bow Island also have chiropractic offices, massage therapists and a dentist office.

For more information
  • Alberta Health Care Insurance - The Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP) is a publicly administered and funded health care system that guarantees Albertans receive universal access to medically necessary hospital and medical services. AHCIP forms, information on premium and drug assistance, answers to common questions and more are available at this site.
  • Alberta Health and Wellness –  Alberta’s Health and Wellness provides information about Alberta’s health care system including the forms needed for registration.
  • Service Alberta – The Health Care Professional section of this Service Alberta site provides information for the wide variety of health professionals in Alberta – doctors, nurses, ambulance operators, and many others who provide services for the maintenance and improvement of health.  Use this page to learn about Alberta Netcare, to look up Health Professionals, to find contact information for nursing homes and hospitals in Alberta, and much, much more.
  • Alberta Health Services  – Alberta Health Services provides a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.  Use this site to access information about specific health care facilities and to get the latest news relating to health care.
  • Health Canada – The Health Canada site focuses on providing immigrants with information about health care coverage. It also contains good links to other helpful information on employment, health promotion, and more.

Education

Providing access to education and training opportunities is essential in creating a well-prepared workforce and strong communities. Southeast Alberta schools, college, and other education institutions and have a lot to offer newcomers in lifelong learning.

The County of Forty Mile No. 8 is part of the Prairie Rose Regional School Division No. 8 , headquartered in Dunmore and the Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education, headquartered in Medicine Hat.  Foremost School has been the recipient of the Overall Excellence Award for non-selective schools, an award presented by The Fraser Institute in 2004.

The County has the luxury of a smaller population base leading to smaller classroom sizes.  This translates into excellent learning environments to raise brilliant minds.  The advantage of one-to-one teaching is yet another attraction to the family-minded resident.

Public Schools
Separate Schools

Separate Schooling is available in:

Private Schools

Private Schooling is available in:

Continuing Education
  • Community Adult Learning provides further education offering a variety of courses at numerous locations throughout the County.   Tel: 403- 867-3973.
Post Secondary Education

The County of Forty Mile No. 8 residents have access to post-secondary institutions located in Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.

  • Lethbridge – The University of Lethbridge offers degree programs in Arts and Science, Management, Education, Fine Arts, Music and Nursing.  A Master of Education and graduate programs leading to a MA or MSC are also available, as are 12 professional transfer programs in areas such as engineering, medicine and law.  A Bachelor of Social Work is offered on campus by the University of Calgary
  • Medicine Hat College (MHC) has been serving students in southeastern Alberta and beyond since 1965. Situated in Canada’s sunniest city, MHC’s main campus services almost 3,000 students each year with another 200 attending Brooks Campus, located 100 km west of Medicine Hat. With some of the lowest student-to-instructor ratios in the province, MHC offers a very personal, one-on-one student experience. MHC offers a wide variety of programs to meet the ever-changing needs of students from southeastern Alberta and around the world.
  • Athabasca University, Canada’s Open University, is dedicated to the removal of barriers that restrict access to and success in university-level study and to increasing equality of educational opportunity for adult learners worldwide.
For more information
  • ALIS (Alberta Learning Information Service)  – This site provides information on education, training, financial assistance, grants, bursaries, transfers, on-line student services, and more.
  • Alberta Education Curriculum - Excellent information and resources for parents of students is provided on this site; it includes information on school choices, summaries of required curriculum, and “homework” help.
  • Alberta Education - Schools  -  A complete list of schools and school boards is available here.
  • Alberta Children's Services – This site provides information and check-lists to help parents find quality child care; information and links about child care subsidies, adoption, parent support services; and phone numbers for the Kids Help Line, and the Child Care Help Line for Parents.
  • Child Care Subsidy – If you have child care costs for preschool children, you may not be aware that all eligible Albertans may qualify for the Child Care Subsidy Program.  Go to this site to get complete information about the Child Care Subsidy or to try the Estimator.
  • Monthly Living Allowance - Information from the Alberta Student Finance Board is available at this site.
  • National Child Benefit (Low Income Families)  - This program provides financial and social support to low-income families.

Community Lifestyle

Community lifestyle is one of the most important factors when considering a move.  Sports, recreation, community involvement, cultural events, hospitality, and safety are just a few of the many reasons why people choose southeast Alberta as an excellent place to live.

The County of Forty Mile No. 8 has many activities to suit everyone’s taste.  Its’ residents are active, taking advantage of the natural outdoor attractions, community involvement and volunteer opportunities.

Area Attractions
Sports & Recreation

The County of Forty Mile No. 8 has a variety of recreation activities which take advantage of the beautiful countryside including hunting, fishing, boating and much more.  Come and view the wildlife we are famous for; literally the place where the deer and the antelope roam.

Outdoor – Camping
  • 40 Mile Park  is a water-based recreation area with camping available from May to September on a daily, monthly, or yearly basis as well as long-term water-front leases.  Lots are also available for purchase; for more information contact the Park at (403) 867-2181. 
  • Golden Sheaf Park is a water-based recreation area with camping available from May to September.

For the fisherman there are numerous stocked and natural fishing lakes within the County, or for the hunting enthusiast, the natural terrain boasts a multitude of wildlife.

Community Organizations

If you like to stay active and be involved the County has a wide range of community organizations, sports clubs or service groups to choose from. These include but are not limited to:

4H Clubs, Ag Society, Volunteer Ambulance, Baseball, Book Club, Brownies, C. W. L., Cadets, Chamber of Commerce, Christian Women’s, Churches – many denominations, Cubs & Scouts, Curling Club, Dance Club, Elks, FCSS, Figure Skating, Fire, Fish & Game Association, Flying Club, Libraries , Golden Age Club, Hockey – Minor – Men’s Recreational – Old Timers’, Hospital Auxiliary, Knights of Columbus, Lionesses, Lions, Mason’s, Men’s Basketball, Play Group, Quilter’s Guild, Riding and Roping Club, Rodeo, Royal Canadian Legion, Sage Club, School Council, Senior’s Centre, Theatrical Society, T. O. P. S., Trap & Shooting Clubs, Tuff Trucks, U. C. W., Women’s Institute.

You may also check out the websites for Bow Island  and Foremost or more information.

Childcare

The County has a number of licensed, private childcare service providers.  For a complete listing, contact the FCSS  Office in Bow Island  and Foremost.

For more information
  • Service Alberta helps caregivers by providing information on resources available for persons or organizations that care for individuals who need support due to age, or physical or mental illness or disability.
  • Service Alberta has information for parents on topics such as Alberta Centennial Education Savings Plan, Bully Free Alberta, and Passports for Children.  There is even a day care look-up at this site.
  • Rural residents can obtain information specific to their needs through Service Alberta.  Here, rural residents can look for links to information and publications about the Rural Development Initiative, water wells, the weekly Agri-News, hunting licenses and more.
  • Seniors  can find links to the government information and services that apply to seniors, covering topics such as pensions, health care, retirement and more at this site.

Employment

The job market in Southeast Alberta is strong! There are lots of great career opportunities in many different industries from trades to healthcare to manufacturing and many, many more. There is demand for all levels of positions, from entry-level to senior positions. Check them out!

Check them out at www.findingwork.ca

The County of Forty Mile No. 8 has a diversified agricultural economy based on ranching, dry-land farming, irrigated specialty crops and intensive livestock operations.  Farm numbers have remained relatively constant at 602 with a total farm area of 7,216 square kilometers.

Although the County is primarily agriculture based, there are additional employment opportunities in oil & gas companies, private industry or new business ventures.

For more information
  • Alberta Government Learning Information Services - Alberta's leading on-line source for career, learning and employment information and services. Here you'll find the resources you need to make the most of your future.
  • Alberta Occupational Profiles - Information about a variety of career occupations, and advice about how to develop careers in Alberta, including information about current job markets is available at this site. There is a searchable database that makes it easy to research career options by interest, professional title, or industry.
  • Alberta Wage & Salary data  - The Alberta Wage and Salary Survey covers over 400 occupations and provides information on wages and salaries for full-time and part-time employees in Alberta by occupation, geographic area, and industry group.
  • Alberta Works - Alberta Works focuses on training people for employment.
  • Service Alberta’s Job Seekers provides information for those looking for employment.  Here, you will find the Alberta Work Search Online, the Federal Job Bank, and even a free e-Résumé Review Service.
  • The Government of Canada has bilingual information about Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Service Canada, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, and Foreign Credentials Referral Office.
  • The Government of Alberta provides information on immigration process for Canada and Alberta, as well as about programs and services designed to help immigrants before and after they arrive.
  • Canadian Information Centre for Immigrants - A bilingual site that provides a thorough overview of information about credentials, education, qualification, and employment in Canada. It is well organized and easy to navigate.
  • Job Bank Canada - Job Bank is the largest web-based network of job postings available to Canadians.

Business Directory
Major Business Products/Services
Financial Institutions
Foremost
Bow Island

More Info
Website
Additional Community Information
Government of Alberta Services
  • Service Alberta provides information on vehicle licensing, employment, property and more.
  • Moving to or Around Alberta includes information on health care services, electrical rates, population, housing support services, immigration and more.
Print Media

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