A Valleyview library board member has resigned, stating the board is abusing its power, lacking transparency, dismissing public input, miscommunicating and intimidating the public. 

Kelli Reimer resigned as a trustee on social media on March 4, after almost 15 years serving the library in different capacities.

“Despite my commitment to advocating for library users and supporters, some board trustees have seemingly dismissed my efforts, and my attempts to represent your interests have been unsuccessful in preventing the current direction of the board,” she wrote on social media.

“I cannot support, nor do I wish to have my name associated with, certain motions of the Valleyview Municipal Library Board moving forward. 

“My values and integrity will not allow it. 

“I refuse to continue enduring the misuse and abuse of power, lack of transparency, miscommunication, intimidation, and dismissal of public input that have become commonplace.”

She said the past 18 months have been a struggle and have negatively affected her work performance, physical and emotional health. 

Reimer’s resignation came only days after the Feb. 26 Valleyview Library board meeting, where the RCMP were called to disperse the meeting after chair Tina Caron said the public engagement portion of the meeting became abusive, disruptive, and profane.

“While we value the public’s ability to participate and did, in fact, allow multiple speakers time to make their points, the library board cannot be expected to endure verbal abuse in the course of fulfilling its role,” said Caron in an open letter on the library’s social media.

Caron denied Town & Country News’ request for an interview stating, “as per our policy, we do not give interviews.”

She told the News on March 10, minutes for any board meeting in 2025  were unavailable as they had not yet been approved. 

“As a board we are currently working on a statement to address the concerns and questions that have been asked,” said a March 10 email from Caron’s email but signed as Valleyview Municipal Library Board.

Town & Country News asked which policy prohibits the chairperson from speaking; an email response said a reply would come within seven to 10 days.  

The library board policies on the Valleyview library website, Section 202.3, outline the chair's responsibilities, including to “speak on behalf of the Library Board as the Board’s chief spokesperson.”

Emotions around the Valleyview public library have run high for weeks, and a public town hall Monday night hosted by the town council drew a packed house with most concerns focused on the local library. 

“It has become a gong show, and the library board hasn't been able to do any business in the last year,” said Valleyview Mayor Vern Lymburner during the March 10 town hall.

After the meeting, he declined to comment to Town & Country News, saying he would instead reply to an email with questions. No response to the News’ email was received as of publishing deadline.

Feb 26 meeting

In a video posted to social media from the Feb. 26 library board meeting, Caron can be seen calling police after one of the public members stood up to speak after a motion to adjourn was made during the public discussion session. Some public members who had been approved to speak also didn’t get the chance to.

Adam Norris, who served on the library board from 2011 and as chair for many years until February 2024, attended the Feb.26 meeting after hearing concerns from the public about how the board was operating.

“It was a very stark contrast to my time on the board,” he said, describing the atmosphere amongst the board and to the public as “very tense” and “toxic.”

Norris says the meeting was very structured until it hit the public hearing session. He said that's when Caron had a member of the public removed for whispering in the public gallery. 

He said the board then decided to have six public members speak for five minutes each.

Norris noted that some of the questions from the public were pointed at the chair - Caron - and not on policy but after three spoke, the board decided the meeting had gone too long and was calling to adjourn.

A public member - who Norris noted had been approved to speak – stood up to say they would now use the five minutes they were told they would have. That, he said, is when the RCMP were called by Caron. 

“Most of what I heard was issues with the process and approach of the current board, for sure, that was the dominant concern I heard,” said Norris.

“I completely understand that the chair feels like she's under attack,” he said, though he noted he never heard any threats directed at her. 

Mayor Lymburner said “Caron was very harsh in how she handled the (Feb. 26) meeting, and it was harsh, but it stopped the people from talking.”

He told town hall attendees that it is a privilege for public members to speak at the library board meeting, decorum is needed, and people cannot speak out of turn. 

“When you have an open meeting, it doesn't mean the public gets to speak.

“It means you're allowed to come and watch; it doesn't mean you get to speak.”

Resignation a sad commentary on community spirit

Norris says Reimer's resignation confirms the board was struggling within itself. 

“It's a bit heartrending when you see people commit so much to their community and then are in a situation where they have to step back because it's impacting their personal health and life.”

He noted that Reimer’s statement is “extremely concerning.”

“It's really hard on the community, because obviously that library has played a very critical role in the community for a lot of programs and gathering spots, and it's happening other places too,” said Norris.

He said the Library Act was one of the first pieces of legislation passed in this province. 

“Access to information is critical to democracy and to engaging people, if they don't have access to the resources they can’t participate, and that library has really focused over the last few years on being a community resource,” said Norris.

“The library is really at that level of trying to provide citizenship its fullest opportunity to develop.”

He said a library provides access to not only books but resources so citizens can be better citizens by teaching literacy, giving them access to the internet, and providing a safe space for people to gather.

“Democracy is a type of government formed by the actions of the citizens, what they do and create, so things like the D&D club or the GSA club, or different segments of society, this (library) became their meeting place. 

“They could meet, run their programs and collaborate with other partner organizations across the community.”

New library board appointed

Like most Alberta municipalities, town council appoints library board trustees in Valleyview. 

In March 2024, the library board welcomed trustees Caron, Tracie Craig, Annette McCullough, and Debbie Wedel.

Norris said the town and MD of Greenview have supported the library by funding and leasing the current building for $1 per year.

Still, he said none of the four new trustees “are regular users of the library - if they have ever used it - and only one of them holds a library membership.”

He questions why the town selected these trustees. 

“We looked for a cross-section of people on the library board, but not everybody had to be a user of the library,” said Lymburner. 

He noted that candidates had a wide range of experiences, including teachers, library users, human resources, payroll and business owners. 

“Ultimately, the library needs to be run as a business,” said Lymburner. 

He noted that library board members can serve three consecutive terms and can only serve more if two-thirds of council agree to allow a member to continue. 

He said several library board members had served more than three terms.

“We had people coming and saying, I applied to be on the library board, and was not given the opportunity,” said the mayor. 

He then said with the previous library boards, town council was being “led astray” as references were not provided by the board of applicants who were not currently serving.

Lymburner also criticized how previous boards ran meetings, saying they were “haphazardly” and allowed people to talk out of turn.

Caron was elected chair in June 2024 at the library board’s annual general meeting. Reimer was nominated and respectfully declined, read the minutes. 

The minutes say Caron had a prepared speech which in part said, “I recognize that my place

as chair is to ensure that the business of the board is completed in an efficient and timely manner and that the voices of all library board members are heard.”

She goes on to say it will be up to the board to ensure the goals and objectives of the library plan are met, but also notes the plan required updating to reflect the views of the current board. 

“I look forward to the process where our board is able to renew the foundational documents that guide us,” she said.

Norris said the fact that the new members were not library users planted seeds of distrust in the community.

“The chair then attempted to deal with the community outcry due to this irregularity by imposing strict order,” he said.

In January, the board moved to have a corporate secretary to help ensure Robert's Rules of Order were followed. Nathan Steinke, husband to town councillor and UCP VP communications Samantha Steinke, was hired for the role. The News could not confirm when Steinke started his role and if it is a paid position, due to unavailable minutes and Caron declining an interview. 

Norris says Nathan Steinke was at the library’s open house on Feb. 2 as a public member although not an active library user. 

“At this session he expressed views that indicate his understanding of a library is very well grounded in the 19th century, for example, a library is only for books,” said Norris, noting similar comments from new trustees. 

According to the library's Plan of Service for 2024-2026 - which states that after assessing the community needs - the library’s areas of focus are to provide a comfortable space, stimulate imagination and satisfy curiosity, encourage information fluency and making informed decisions, as well as life skills for children and youth and celebrating diversity. 

“My wish for the new trustees is that they take the time to learn about libraries and the role they play in society, and particularly the niche that the Valleyview Municipal Library has in the Valleyview area,” said Norris.

“I see a great need for the new board to focus on relationships, understanding and engaging in dialogue with the community that they have been appointed to serve.”

On March 6, Glenn Burke announced his resignation from Valleyview town council.

“I just hope that the community continues to be engaged, and that the boards and the organization making decisions will take time to engage with those people,” said Norris.

The Valleyview library was recently in the spotlight, with a report and documentary from the CBC’s The Fifth Estate, on residents standing up for the library and a town council that wants the library to change. 

Last Thursday’s provincial budget contained little that was new for the Grande Prairie region. Line items tagged for the South Peace were on health care and education.

Some $189 million over three years has been allocated to the Beaverlodge Hospital replacement, the Mountview Health Complex.

The province’s 2025 to 2028 business plan includes $43.8 million for the Physician Training Expansion Program in Grande Prairie and Lethbridge.

Grande Prairie MLA Nolan Dyck says he is excited about funding for Northwestern Polytechnic (NWP), which was allotted $1 million to expand skilled trades.

“It's a good indication that the government is willing to have a conversation about future trades planning,” he said. 

City of Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton spoke with the News before the budget announcement and indicated the need to expand the trades in the region. 

“We know that funding in northwestern Alberta is extremely important in order to see continued economic growth, something that I'm very interested to see funded, or at a minimum, announced, to see design and engineering work to get the project started, is the expansion of trades within NWP,” she said.

“We know that youth that train here more than likely stay here, so setting our youth up for a successful future and setting our region up for economic growth relies significantly on education and NWP being a leader in the trades and other education streams.”

Dyck also noted that the continued twining of Hwy. 40 south of the city is ongoing and in the budget with $4 million allocated to the project. 

He said the twining of Hwy. 40 could open up more tourism to the Grande Prairie region.

“I think the Grande Prairie area has done a good job of expanding our tourism value, and I look forward to seeing that continue.”

According to the province, Mountview is expected to receive capital funding of $8 million this year, $10 million in 2026, and $170 million in 2027.

Dyck said Mountview will be a great value for the region west of Grande Prairie. 

The News reached out to Grande Prairie-Wapiti MLA Ron Weibe for comment but did not receive a response before press time. 

The replacement for the hospital, a P3 partnership between the province, Town of Beaverlodge, and Landrex, has been previously reported to cost $170 million.

Clayton hoped to see the Maskwa Medical Center be a line item on the provincial budget.

It was not, but Dyck noted that operational funding will be coming for the Rural Medical Training Centre. 

“While it's not in the budget, that's going to be operational dollars for years, those are big dollars,” he said.

“We'll continue to see what gets announced, if there's any more announcements coming up,” said Dyck.

FCSS funding

Alberta Municipalities released a statement regarding the provincial budget, noting its concern over the stagnant funding for Family and Community Social Services (FCSS), which is $105 million this year.

“Considering the rapid population growth Alberta has experienced over the last few years, flat funding is equivalent to a reduction since more people are accessing the same services,” said ABmunis.

FCSS programming is meant to be funded by an 80 per cent contribution from the province and 20 per cent from the municipality but as Town & Country News previously reported, local municipalities invest more than 20 per cent.

County of Grande Prairie contributed $2.79 million (75 per cent of its FCSS operations) to its FCSS budget in 2023; the remaining $526,825 came from the province.

Tax break?

The province says residents can expect a new eight per cent personal tax bracket on income up to $60,000, down from the previous rate of 10 per cent. It says this will save up to $750 in 2025, while two-income families will see savings of up to $1,500. The province says most taxpayers will start to see the benefit of the tax cut on their paycheques after July 1, when payroll withholdings are adjusted.

Still, ABmunis says homeowners and businesses will see a “substantial increase” from the province in their provincial education property taxes.

According to Global News, UCP backbencher Scott Sinclair said he won’t support the budget, citing its projected multibillion-dollar deficits and money for big cities while the rural areas are left wanting.

Sinclair, who represents the rural constituency of Lesser Slave Lake, wrote on social media Saturday, “I don’t know who (the budget is) meant to serve, but it certainly isn’t for me, my family, my friends or my constituents.”

Christina Gray, Leader of the Official Opposition has also condemned the budget.

“We know this is a bad budget. Albertans know this is a bad budget. The UCP’s own caucus knows this is a bad budget,” said Gray.

“It’s unprecedented for a government MLA to criticize the budget their own colleagues have tabled. There’s chaos within the UCP and justifiably so.”

She said the budget “doesn’t provide the support that’s desperately needed in smaller communities and beyond.”