Stelmach promises harmony among capital region communities

Communities in the Edmonton region should come up with a plan for working more closely together, Premier Ed Stelmach says.

Stelmach said Tuesday that with $46 billion in investment planned for the region, the24 communitiescan no longer simply do their own thing.

Municipalities need to look at co-operating on everything from policing andwaste collectionto planning for new housing projects and schools, he said. The work will be supervised by provincial officials under Municipal Affairs Minister Ray Danyluk.

Theywill be allowed to work out the details of how they will meet the goals laid out by his government, Stelmach said, but at the end of the day he will make sure a plan is put into place through a new board of municipal leaders.

Last week Edmonton officialsand neighbouring municipalitiesagreed to return to the table after months of acrimony over the need for a regional plan to deal with growth.

Liberal Leader Kevin Taftsaid there's not much chance of co-operation.

"The situation out there is a mess," he said. "When it gets to the point where we can't even deliver taxi services to the airport without getting into inter-municipal squabbles then you know the whole system is broken down."

When Stelmach was asked what will happen if some of the communities resist working with their neighbours, he responded thathe is confident that will not happen.

Stelmach wants the partners to start making changes in the way they work by the spring of 2008.