(Town of Blackfalds/Supplied)

By Ian Gustafson

Exciting events coming

Year-in-Review: Blackfalds Mayor Laura Svab says transparency is key heading into 2026

Jan 2, 2026 | 3:00 PM

Blackfalds Mayor Laura Svab said since the election in October, the CAO and administration have set council up for success.

With numerous workshops and trainings, she feels they are ready to lead the community into 2026. But the next four years will be all about communication and transparency if they want to find success.

“My main message to the community is that they’ve elected a really great group of council members this term, and we are so excited to be able to sit in those seats. We really want to work for them,” she said.

“It would be really great for our community to reach out and talk to us more. I feel there’s been a lack of communication and transparency over the last few years. Our council wants to be more transparent and talk to as many of our residents over the next four years as we can.”

Heading into 2026, Svab is most looking forward to witnessing the first graduating class of the town’s new high school, Iron Ridge Secondary Campus, which opened in September 2024. The senior football team at Iron Ridge will also finally get to play on its new football field, which was completed in 2025.

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She’s also looking forward to a couple big sports tournaments set to take place in 2026.

The 2026 Softball Alberta Provincial Championships will come to Blackfalds in July. They will also host the 2026 Women’s Canadian Fast Pitch Championship from Aug. 5-9 after hosting the tournament in 2024. A fifth baseball diamond is set to be built this year, which she said will help with the upcoming tournaments.

On a separate subject, the South Street and Highway 2A intersection will be upgraded this year, which she said is the first step in getting the gravel road paved that goes behind the water transfer station.

Looking ahead, council will look at expanding the parking lot at the Eagle Builders Centre after a councillor brought forward a notice of motion. Svab said the item was on the 2027 budget, but if it is unanimously approved, it could be added to the 2026 budget.

“That’s another one of our big hiccups from when the centre got built. With more tournaments happening in our community, we want to make sure we have parking available for everybody,” she said.

She said in 2025, they had two major projects.

The first was the Broadway Avenue Reservoir Expansion Project, which will continue in 2026.

In July, the provincial government allocated approximately $2.3 million for the $7.8 million project through the Government of Alberta’s Local Growth and Sustainability Grant.

The remaining $5.5 million would be split between the Town of Blackfalds and Lacombe County.

Crews installed a large underground water tank, which will double water capacity. The water reservoir was originally designed to support a population of up to 9,800, and today Blackfalds is home to over 11,400 residents.

The town’s northwest stormwater project, which began in June this year, will also continue into the new year.

The project will serve as the foundation for current stormwater pond systems in the northwest area and will help protect ecosystems, manage run-off and return treated water to the natural basin.

She’s also proud of the move made by the town to transfer its recycling program to be managed by Circular Materials, a national not-for-profit organization that is committed to building an efficient and effective recycling system in Alberta.

Furthermore, the town unveiled its new land acknowledgment on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Sept. 30, after months of collaboration with community members.

There were also some really exciting events, Svab added, that happened in Blackfalds in 2025, including its first Chairs for Charity event which raised nearly $5,000 for the Blackfalds Food Bank and Beyond Food Community Hub. Over the summer, the Heart of Blackfalds Society brought back the well-loved Blackfalds Street Dance on Aug. 21.