Grande Cache residents have voted almost unanimously to dissolve the town. 1,065 people voted in favour of becoming part of the Municipal District of Greenview, which is 97.1 per cent of those who voted.
Only 32 people or 2.9 per cent of voters wanted the community to remain a town. The approval of residents is needed in order for Alberta Municipal Affairs to move forward with dissolution, but the final decision is up to the province.
The vote was brought on by an expedited viability review, which was prompted by a report that found the town needs $80 million worth of repairs, upgrades, and new construction. It is already struggling to cover 75 per cent of its operational and capital costs since the closure of the Grande Cache Coal mine and Alberta’s economic downturn.
If the government approves turning the town into a hamlet, it’s proposed the current council and two town representatives would govern it until the 2021 municipal election. Grande Cache had 3,571 residents as of the 2016 federal census.