Although Drayton Valley certainly had its challenges in 2025, Mayor Nancy Dodds is optimistic about 2026, with plenty of ideas she’s excited to propose to council.
Early in 2025, a period of freeze and thaw caused recurring issues with potholes the town was trying to fill. Dodds said a new hot mix the town started using in the summer seemed to solve this issue, along with a favourable change in weather.
Dodds also reflected on gaps in physician coverage, particularly in the emergency department of the Healthcare Centre. She clarified that with that challenge, the town’s role was to advocate for change to the province, and since doing so, she’s seen improvements in the latter half of the year.
The impacts of homelessness and addiction were also top of mind for council in 2025. Dodds noted that Drayton Valley does not have the funding or resources to address such a widespread and complex issue at the municipal level, and will continue to advocate for solutions to higher levels of government.
In the meantime, the town established the Mayor’s Task Force on the Unhoused Committee to combat misinformation circulating in the community about the issue. In January, Dodds said the task force will engage in strategic planning with council to ensure services, committees and resources are not duplicated, and the task force has a clear purpose moving forward.
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Related: Mayor’s Task Force on the Unhoused Committee sets record straight on the current situation
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The last year had its successes too, including the completion of the third phase of the 50 Avenue project, a major road rehabilitation.
Formerly the Omniplex, the Drayton Valley Thunder’s home rink also saw Team Auctions step up to sponsor its naming rights. The building is also sporting a brand new mural organized by Canada Connects, which includes a mosaic of tiles painted by participants across the country.
A digital copy of the mural added to the Team Auctions Centre in 2025. (Canada Connects)
In a major win for rural nursing programs, the town also saw a simulation lab open to improve the student experience.
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Read more: New simulation lab to improve health-care student experience in Drayton Valley
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Dodds said she is very passionate about post-secondary education opportunities in the region, and was thrilled to see this addition to the community. In addition to seeing the rural nursing program expand, she hopes to improve trades training opportunities in the region and has been advocating to the provincial government for a mobile trades lab unit. Ideally, this would improve rural resident access to training in the welding, plumbing, mechanics and electrical industries, for example.
She also intends to brainstorm with council about community safety to determine what areas should be prioritized for patrols and extra security.
Overall, Dodds commented, “I know the last four years have been a little bit difficult, and we’ve seen some challenges when it comes to our community. I’m really looking forward to seeing some things come to fruition in 2026 and for it to be a positive four years.”
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