At the regular County of Two Hills council meeting held on Thursday, the council decided to pull out of the F.C.M. (Federation of Canadian Municipalities). Council was responding to a letter received by the Municipal District of Bonnyville, where the Municipal District expressed its concern that the needs of western Canadians was not adequately met and the previous participation in C.M. conferences did not yield the desired results for Rural Municipalities located in western Canada, and that many municipalities often feel neglected. Due to the importance of this issue to Alberta in particular and western Canada in general, The Two Hills Regional Chronicle chose to publish this letter in its entirety, so that it receives the full attention of the Federal Government. In a conversation with Reeve Don Gulayec, an in depth discussion took place and there was not much debate in County Council’s decision to pull out of F.C.M. This letter, from the M.D. of Bonnyville, captures the concerns by municipalities adequately, resulting in County Council throwing their full support behind the Municipal District of Bonnyville. The past few years have presented convincing evidence of the continued lack of advocacy and blatant disregard at the federal level for Western Canada’s needs and one of its highly significant industries that impacts us all: the natural resources industry. Our Council here at the Municipal District of Bonnyville (M.D.) is beyond frustrated with this lack of effective representation that Western Canadian municipalities receive. Currently, our only voice at the national table is that of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). From their website, FCM states they “ ... advocate for municipalities to be sure their citizens’ needs are reflected in federal policies and programs. Year after year, our work benefits every municipal government and taxpayer in Canada, and our programming delivers tools that help municipalities tackle local challenges.” Question: Do you feel that FCM advocates for the needs of your municipality or western Canada? Question: Does the annual FCM Conference agenda/tours provide relevant value for your municipality? Question: Are the needs of western Canada different than those of eastern Canada, and if so, is it time we entertain the idea of a WCM (Western Canadian Municipalities)? To their credit, FCM did add a Western Economic Solutions Taskforce as one of their 15 program areas. Unfortunately, this initiative - which was created to mitigate the genuine alienation and hostility western Canadian municipalities experienced at the 2019 FCM Annual Conference held in Quebec City -has not produced any real results. Our hope is that this letter will spark the much-needed conversation and potential solution to this long­standing issue. We sincerely request that you and your Council take the time to truly reflect on the level of service you are receiving from your current federal advocate. Are they truly the federal voice advocating for your citizens and your municipality? The M.D. and many other communities across Alberta and western Canada are proud supporters and partners of the oil and gas industry. We wish to be a part of a solution that supports industry competitiveness rather than be forced to absorb Ontario’s and Quebec’s concepts of crippling changes that impact our municipal sustainability. Thank you in advance for your Council’s reflection on this topic and we look forward to hearing any feedback you may have. Yours Sincerely, Greg Sawchuk Reeve, MD of Bonnyville