Residents of Hythe will wake up Thursday morning as part of a hamlet and not a village. Canada Day marks the official dissolution of Hythe as a standalone municipality as it will fold into the County of Grande Prairie.
Mayor Brian Peterson penned a letter to residents, thanking everyone for their part in the process. However, he knows the transition has been and will be difficult for many in the municipality.
“Some have paid a higher price than others… to each of you that lost your job, I am deeply sorry,” he writes. “I will have no formal position after today, but I will still be here, as a dedicated community member.”
Peterson, along with other members of the Hythe village council will no longer be in a job as of Thursday, with County of Grande Prairie Ward 7 Councillor Linda Waddy now the representative for the hamlet.
The village requested a viability review from the province in April 2020, revealing it was struggling with financial challenges and couldn’t cover its rising operational costs and infrastructure needs. When a dissolution vote took place in March 2021, 95 per cent of residents voted in favour of joining the County of Grande Prairie as a hamlet.
One change that won’t happen right away will be the tax payment deadline. The soon-to-be-former village had a payment deadline of July 31st, nearly a month after the County of Grande Prairie deadline. However, county officials say the original deadline will stand.
Emergency services, like the Hythe Fire Department, will also be under new leadership on Thursday, as they will fold into the County of Grande Prairie Regional Fire Service.
