HINTON – Hinton council voted to unfreeze one RCMP position on Tuesday (June 3) to focus on traffic enforcement and education.
The unfrozen position will also organize check stops, attend school functions, complete traffic operations with policing partners and report monthly to the detachment commander.
“The fact of the matter is that it is very difficult to be fully staffed in this area [of policing],” said Coun. Trevor Haas. “For the better of our community and to keep as staffed as possible, I look for the rest of council to approve this motion. I think it’s very important for our community.”
Two RCMP positions have been frozen since April 2024, resulting in the Town only funding 17 of the 19 established positions. Council’s decision brings this number up to 18 funded positions.
Due to factors such as soft vacancies and several members being on leave, the detachment currently only has 12.9 full-time equivalents.
Administration estimated unfreezing the position will cost $173,671 annually. For the remainder of the year, it will cost $89,000, although any unspent wages will be reimbursed, and soft vacancies and recruitment timelines likely meant this will be budget neutral.
The unfrozen position will also lead to additional revenue via traffic tickets.
There is no timeline for the position being filled, although the detachment was confident it could do so.
Hinton Healthcare Foundation
Garth Griffiths from the Hinton Healthcare Foundation updated council on the utilization of funds received from the Town.
In June 2024, Hinton council declared a local health care crisis due to the ongoing doctor shortage and provided the Hinton Health Care Foundation with $1 million, spread over two payments of $500,000 over a two-year span.
Over the past 11 months, these funds have been exclusively used for gap funding for the Hinton Medical Clinic.
Griffiths reported that the clinic has lost four positions since then, with one retiring, one returning to school and two moving out of the province.
“Despite these shortages, the Hinton Medical Clinic’s operations are still going well,” he said. “It’s hurt us, but not as bad as it could have.”
The foundation is working with Alberta Health Services recruiters to tour physicians in the community.
Working alongside the Attraction and Retention Committee of Hinton (ARCH), these tours visit schools, local attractions, sports clubs and any other interests the physicians have identified with the recruiter. Each tour is tailored to the visiting physician and their family.
Griffiths noted they were working with ARCH to get accommodations for locums, and he anticipated two new physicians would be coming to Hinton in the near future.
“We don’t for sure until they happen, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed,” he said.
Haas clarified that the Town’s funding was for the Hinton Medical Clinic and did not go toward housing locums for Alberta Health Services staff.
