would be at 25,000 people. The town kind
of sat dormant until 2005 or so, but since
then we've really started to see real growth.
We grew later than some of our neighboring
communities such as Spruce Grove, Stony
Plain, Fort Saskatchewan and Beaumont,
but now it really seems like it is Morinville's
turn.”
Isbister expectsthepopulation to climb as
high as 15,000 within the next 10 years, but
a n t i c i p a t e s a n e v e n t u a l r i s e t o
previouslyforecast levels of 25,000 or
30,000 is still “aways down the road.”
An annual analytic road study prompts
work on any road or bridge structures
judged at less than 80 percent of
effectiveness, and any necessary road
projects are accompanied by an exami-
nation of underground pipes and structures
within a 10-square-block area – to prevent
having to do road overlay work at a location
one year, then returning to the same area
soon after forwater or sewer updates.
“It's really from good solid planning that
we've done over the years,” Isbister said.
“While we don't have a whole lot of
industrial support within town to help keep
our taxes as low as we might want them to
be, we use the money and we really try to
stay away from borrowing. We're almost on
a cash basis as we go along, and I think that's
the real answer to it.”
Looming next on the horizon for the town
is replacement of the 60-plus-year-old Ray
McDonald Sports Complex, a project
August-September 2014 | BusinessWorld | 155
