A proclamation is an official public announcement or declaration issued by the Town of Vegreville intended to increase public awareness of an important issue, specific matter, or specific event. A proclamation may recognize a day, week or month.
Vegreville Town Council recognizes the importance of public awareness campaigns, events, art and culture celebrations and organizations' special honours. Town Council also recognizes the value of proclamations as a way to promote, educate, inform and bring public awareness in these areas. Proclamations declared by the Town of Vegreville are based on a framework that ensures all requests are dealt with consistently.
To request a proclamation, fill out the Proclamation Request Form below
Please note, you must include a draft copy of the proposed full proclamation with your form. If no draft is provided, the proclamation will not be considered.
*A complete request form must be submitted at least three weeks in advance of the proclamation date.
Proclamation Criteria
- Every request requires a completed Proclamation Request Form accompanied by a draft copy of the proposed full proclamation.
- A completed request form must be submitted at least 3 weeks in advance of the proclamation date.
- If no draft copy is received, the proclamation will not be considered.
- The Town of Vegreville may edit and revise the wording of the proclamation at its discretion.
- The Town will not provide media coverage for proclamations.
- Proclamations will not be put onto a council meeting agenda and will not be read out at a council meeting.
- A request for proclamation will not be considered if it:
- is determined to be of political controversy, religious beliefs or individual conviction;
- is determined to be intended for commercial or profit-making purposes;
- advocates discrimination, hatred, violence or racism;
- is contrary to the Town of Vegreville’s policies or bylaws.
2023 Proclamations
January 2023
February 2023
March 2023
FRAUD PREVENTION MONTH
March 1, 2023
WHEREAS, March is recognized as Fraud Prevention Month, and each year community agencies in Vegreville work together to educate the Vegreville and area community on various types of fraud, and methods to report and stop fraud, and
WHEREAS, Fraud Prevention Month 2023 marks the 19th anniversary of Fraud Prevention Month in Canada, and is a crime prevention community initiative with the goal of educating and informing community members on how to recognize and reject targeted scams.
THEREFORE, I, Mayor Tim MacPhee, by and with the advice and consent of the Council of the Town of Vegreville, do hereby proclaim March 2023 as “Fraud Prevention Month” in the Town of Vegreville.
April 2023
NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK
April 16, 2023
WHEREAS, 24 million Canadians give their time through formal or informal types of volunteering, contributing close to 5 billion volunteer hours per year; and
WHEREAS, volunteers in Vegreville & County of Minburn mentor our children, support those feeling isolated, beautify our green spaces, and fundraise for our charitable organizations; and
WHEREAS, volunteers in Vegreville & County of Minburn have stepped up during the COVID-19 pandemic to support families, friends, neighbours, and strangers, people standing up to systemic racism, and people sharing insights on how to create a more just and equitable society; and
WHEREAS, Vegreville & County of Minburn's volunteers are individuals, families, workers, retirees, community members of all ages and backgrounds; and
WHEREAS, the collective result of the work done by our town's volunteers is that Vegreville & County of Minburn is a more desirable place to live; and
WHEREAS, fundraising, tutoring, building or delivering hampers, delivering food, cutting grass, shoveling sidewalks, calling a senior, being a board, coalition, or committee member, organizing a food drive, coaching, strengthening the non-profits in our community; and
WHEREAS, organizations in Vegreville & County of Minburn that rely on volunteers include such fundamental organizations as the Agricultural Societies, VALID, Christmas Bureau, Preschool Association, Elk Lodge & Royal Purple, Warwick Ladies Club, Lion's Club, Rotary Club, Kinsmen & Kinette Clubs, Sunshine Club, MD of Minburn Foundation, Heritage House, The Crisis Association, VegMin Learning Society, Vegreville Food Bank Society, Heather Curling Club, Lavoy Action Society, KidSport; and
THEREFORE, I, Mayor Tim MacPhee, by and with the advice and consent of the Council of the Town of Vegreville, and I Roger Konieczny, Reeve of the County of Minburn, do hereby proclaim April 16-22, 2023, as National Volunteer Week, and urge my fellow citizens to recognize the crucial role played by volunteers in our community.
May 2023
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WEEK
May 8, 2023 - May 12, 2023
WHEREAS, communities rely on economic development professionals to promote economic well-being and quality of life; for communities like Vegreville that means coordinating activities that create, retain, and expand jobs in order to facilitate growth, enhance wealth, and provide a stable tax base; and,
WHEREAS , economic developers stimulate and incubate entrepreneurism in order to help establish the next generation of new businesses, which is the hallmark of Alberta’s economy; and,
WHEREAS , economic developers are engaged in a wide variety of settings including rural and urban, local, state, provincial, and federal governments, public-private partnerships, chambers of commerce, universities, and a variety of other institutions; and,
WHEREAS , economic developers attract and retain high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities, and improve the quality of life in their regions;
AND WHEREAS , economic developers work in the Town of Vegreville within the Province of Alberta.
THEREFORE , I, Mayor Tim MacPhee, by and with the advice and consent of the Council of the Town of Vegreville, do hereby proclaim May 8-12, 2023, as “Economic Development Week” in the Town of Vegreville.
NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK
May 21, 2023 - May 27, 2023
WHEREAS , public works professionals focus on infrastructure, facilities and services that are of vital importance to sustainable and resilient communities and to the public health, high quality of life and well-being of the people of Vegreville, Alberta; and,
WHEREAS , these infrastructure, facilities and services could not be provided without the dedicated efforts of public works professionals, who are engineers, managers, and employees at all levels of government and the private sector, who are responsible for rebuilding, improving, and protecting our nation’s transportation, water supply, water treatment and solid waste systems, public buildings, and other structures and facilities essential for our citizens; and,
WHEREAS , it is in the public interest for the citizens, civic leaders and children in Vegreville, Alberta, to gain knowledge of and to maintain an ongoing interest and understanding of the importance of public works and public works programs in their respective communities; and,
AND WHEREAS, the year 2023 marks the 63rd annual National Public Works Week sponsored by the American Public Works Association Alberta Chapter;
THEREFORE , I, Mayor Tim MacPhee, by and with the advice and consent of the Council of the Town of Vegreville, do hereby proclaim May 21-27, 2023, as “National Public Works Week” in the Town of Vegreville.
June 2023
SENIORS' WEEK
June 5, 2023 - June 11, 2023
WHEREAS, we recognize seniors have made, and continue to make many contributions to strengthen our province, our Town, our communities, and daily lives, and
WHEREAS, seniors are a vital part of our families, giving generously of their wisdom, experience, and love, and
WHEREAS, a more positive attitude toward aging is creating new opportunities for seniors, and
WHEREAS, it is appropriate that a special week be set aside to celebrate with seniors;
THEREFORE, I, Mayor Tim MacPhee and Reeve Roger Konieczny, by and with the advice and consent of the Town of Vegreville Council and County of Minburn, do hereby proclaim the week of June 5 to 11, 2023, to be Seniors’ Week in the Town of Vegreville and the County of Minburn and call upon all residents to join in celebrating our seniors.
PRIDE WEEK
June 11, 2023 - June 17, 2023
WHEREAS, Vegreville is a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive community where we are pleased to celebrate and support Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Two-Spirit, Intersex, Asexual, Pansexual, Polysexual, and other identities; and,
WHEREAS, this marks the third annual raising of the Rainbow Pride flag in the Town of Vegreville in a show of solidarity to the LGBTQ2S+ community; and,
WHEREAS, Pride Week brings visibility to the region's community in order to illuminate and celebrate human diversity, captivate the public, inspire and foster harmony and acceptance;
THEREFORE, I, Mayor, Tim MacPhee, by and with the advice and consent of the Council of the Town of Vegreville, do hereby proclaim June 11-17, 2023, as Pride Week in Vegreville, Alberta.
LEMONADE DAY
June 17, 2023
WHEREAS, Lemonade Day is a free, community-wide educational event providing children with the opportunity to learn and apply entrepreneurial thinking and create a foundation for success in the global economy; and
WHEREAS, Lemonade Day exists to infuse today's youth with the spirit of enterprise, teaching the basic business and entrepreneurial skills necessary to become successful, contributing members of the communities; and
WHEREAS, Lemonade Day has a core philosophy of SPEND, SAVE, and SHARE that is implemented by teaching children how to start, own, and operate a business, learn goal-setting, develop a business plan, establish a budget, seek investors, provide customer service and give back to the community; and
WHEREAS, Lemonade Day offers opportunities for families, businesses, schools, youth organizations, neighborhoods, institutes of higher learning, and government agencies to unite for a common purpose - to train the next generation of entrepreneurs; and
WHEREAS, Lemonade Day is a day of learning and celebrating northern Alberta's future. On June 18th every citizen has a job - either buying or helping children sell lemonade; and
THEREFORE, I, Tim MacPhee, Mayor of the Town of Vegreville, on behalf of this Commission, do hereby proclaim June 17, 2023 to be Lemonade Day in the Town of Vegreville and encourage every citizen to purchase a cup of lemonade from one of the youths participating in the program to demonstrate how our community cares for the future of our youth.
July 2023
COLLECTOR CAR APPRECIATION DAY
July 14, 2023
WHEREAS, The Specialty Vehicle Association of Alberta (SVAA) and the SEMA Action Network (SAN) in the US have declared July 14, 2023 as International Collector Car Appreciation Day; and
WHEREAS, Municipalities and provinces across Canada and The United States are observing the tribute to the collection and preservation of historic, classic, and specialty vehicles as well as preserving the technological achievements and cultural heritage of automobiles.
NOW THEREFORE, I Mayor Tim MacPhee, by and with the advice and consent of the Council of the Town of Vegreville hereby declare July 14, 2023, to be Collector Car Appreciation Day.
September 2023
RAIL SAFETY WEEK
September 18, 2023 to September 24, 2023
WHEREAS, Rail Safety Week is to be held across Canada from September 18 to 24, 2023;
WHEREAS, 232 railway crossing and trespassing incidents occurred in Canada in 2022; resulting in 66 avoidable fatalities and 43 avoidable serious injuries;
WHEREAS, educating and informing the public about rail safety (reminding the public that railway rights-of-way are private property, enhancing public awareness of the dangers associated with highway rail grade crossings, ensuring pedestrians and motorists are looking and listening while near railways, and obeying established traffic laws) will reduce the number of avoidable fatalities and injuries caused by incidents involving trains and citizens; and
WHEREAS, Operation Lifesaver is a public/private partnership whose aim is to work with the public, rail industry, governments, police services, media and others to raise rail safety awareness;
WHEREAS, CN has requested Town Council to adopt this resolution in support of its ongoing efforts to raise awareness, save lives, and prevent injuries in communities, including our municipality;
NOW THEREFORE, I Mayor Tim MacPhee, by and with the advice and consent of the Council of the Town of Vegreville hereby declare September 18 to 24, 2023, to be Rail Safety Week.
October 2023
November 2023
FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION MONTH
November 1, 2023 - November 30, 2023
WHEREAS, there are many people in Alberta who experience family violence;
WHEREAS, the effects of family violence can be carried on from generation to generation;
WHEREAS, all Albertans have a role to play in preventing family violence.
NOW THEREFORE, I Mayor Tim MacPhee, do hereby proclaim the month of November 2023 to be Family Violence Prevention Month in Vegreville, Alberta.
December 2023
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
December 3, 2023
WHEREAS, persons with disabilities live in every part of the province and are an integral part of who we are as Albertans;
WHEREAS, persons with disabilities make a major contribution to the economic and social pulse of Alberta;
WHEREAS, the community benefits if persons with disabilities are included in school, work, and community activities;
WHEREAS, the full value of persons with disabilities is often not realized because of physical or attitudinal barriers;
AND WHEREAS, on December 3, individuals and organizations throughout Vegreville, Alberta will focus on raising awareness of persons with disabilities and their contributions.
NOW THEREFORE, I Mayor Tim MacPhee, by and with the advice and consent of the Council of the Town of Vegreville, do hereby proclaim December 3, 2023, as “International Day of Persons with Disabilities” in the Town of Vegreville.