(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By rdnewsNOW staff

Years in the making

Provincial government looking to form registry service in Blackfalds

Dec 1, 2025 | 3:05 PM

The Town of Blackfalds says the provincial government is calling on businesses and individuals to establish and operate a registry office in the community under a long-term service contract after issuing a request for proposal (RFP).

It was back in 2017 when Service Alberta first announced a registry office could open in the municipality and that the town could take on the operation.

In 2018, the town began exploring operating a registry office at the Civic Cultural Centre, but it was put on hold over concerns of accessibility, parking, and a potential impact on town operations.

Since then, Mayor Laura Svab explained the town and council have advocated for a Registry Office RFP from the Government of Alberta.

“It is due to the persistence and advocacy of administration and council, past and present, that has brought the registries project to this point,” she said in a media release. “It took many letters, phone calls, and meetings to keep this on the GoA’s radar, and it will be worth it to see Blackfalds residents stay within their community to fill this need.”

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Residents currently have to travel to registry offices in other communities such as Lacombe, Red Deer and Sylvan Lake.

“I am delighted to see that one of the actions from the Strategic Planning Priority of connecting residents to services and services to residents is being realized,” said Chief Administrative Officer Kim Isaak. “It’s also great to see the cooperation from the GoA in bringing this priority to fruition. It’s been a long time coming, as we are the only town with our population size without a registry office.”

To be eligible to apply for the RFP, the applicant must provide motor vehicle services (like vehicle registration, renewals, license plate issuance), vital statistics (birth, marriage, and death certificate applications, name changes), corporate registry (business name registrations), land titles, and other government services.

The contract duration, according to the RFP, is approximately 15 years with an anticipated contract start date of August 1, 2026.

Applications must be submitted by the deadline of January 15, 2026. The RFP can be viewed online here.