Booming Beaumont looks to expand borders

The town of Beaumont is looking to double its size, putting forward a proposal to annex lands from the County of Leduc.

Beaumonts chief administrative officer, Mark Landry, says the booming town needs the land as it continues to grow over the next few decades.

"Were one of the fastest growing communities in Alberta, and the seventh fastest in Canada," he said.

"At this point, we really have considered the future growth of the town of Beaumont and have really looked at the long-term perspective of the community and how it will develop."

Right now, the town sits on 16 quarter sections. Landry says the annexation proposal calls for another 24 to be annexed from the surrounding county and added to Beaumonts northern andwestern borders.

If granted, it would bring the boundaries of the town up toEdmonton city limits.

"That would be looking at our needs for a projected 50 years, " said Beaumontmayor Camille Brub.

Brub says the Beaumont council approved theproposal last week. It has been forwarded to the County of Leduc, which now controls the land.

He says the County was somewhat surprised by the proposal.

"They were perhaps surprised by the amount of land we were asking for, but they werent surprised that we were looking for land."

A spokesperson for the County of Leduc says they have only just received the proposal. It is set to be discussed at a meeting on Tuesday.

Many people living in Beaumont support the annexation.

Jocelyn Babian says the town's population has exploded in the 25 years she has lived there.

"Beaumont attracts families, it has a lot of unique things."

She says now, the town needs space to grow. But it is important to her that it keeps the small town feeling she says she's come to love.

"People want to live here... when you ask why look at the land surrounding, its because Beaumont is very visionary."