Media Statement: Community Centre, Sherwood Park
Following an extensive clean up, County Hall will be re-opened to staff on Monday, November 19, 2018. County Hall will be open to the public on Wednesday, November 21, 2018. The Community Centre parkade, Community Centre, Library, Gallery@501 and Vicky’s Bistro and Wine Bar remain closed.
Until all services are restored, Strathcona County is accepting payments at its Public Services Yard, located on the second floor, at 370 Streambank Avenue, Sherwood Park. Payments being accepted include accounts receivable, utility bills, assessment and taxation, and Planning and Development Services inspection fees. Please continue to make dog licence payments at the RCMP building at 911 Bison Way, Sherwood Park.
Cleaning efforts in the Community Centre parkade, Community Centre, Library, Gallery@501 will begin once the environmental assessment is complete.
All vehicles have been removed from the Community Centre parkade and taken to a secure lot. Vehicle owners have all been contacted. Until the parkade is re-opened, alternative parking arrangements have been made for staff and the public; please see signs posted on site and online. Updates will be provided once available.
Anyone who left personal belongings in the Community Centre complex during the evacuation on November 6, 2018 (Community Centre, Library, Gallery@501 and Vicky’s Bistro and Wine Bar) is asked to call Enforcement Services at 780-449-0100 to provide their name, short description of their item, where it was left, phone number and email address. Once the environmental assessment of the building is complete, the items will be collected by Enforcement Services and made available at the RCMP station for the public to come and collect. Timelines for collection will be shared once the environmental assessment is complete.
As a reminder, the initial structural assessment of the parkade has been completed and County Hall and Community Centre are structurally sound.
The safety systems within the building worked as designed. The smoke detectors and alarm system alerted staff and guests and initiated emergency response within seconds of the explosion. The sprinkler system activated, the fire doors closed, the structure held firm, and ventilation system minimized the amount of smoke that escaped the parkade and made its way into the buildings. Strathcona County’s Occupational Health and Safety team is working tirelessly to ensure that, as the County moves forward, no one is placed at risk.
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Set in the centre of Alberta’s energy and agricultural heartland, Strathcona County is a thriving, successful and vibrant community of over 98,000 residents. Strathcona County is made up of the urban area of Sherwood Park and a large adjacent rural area of farms, acreages and smaller hamlets. It is home to 75 per cent of refining in Western Canada. With a focus on economic, governance, social, cultural and environmental sustainability, Strathcona County is committed to balancing the unique needs of its diverse community.