Carol Baldwin
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Wakaw Recorder
The ongoing struggle between the RM of Grant and the Town of Vonda, now over the building located at 107 Railway Ave. in Vonda, formerly known as J2 Auto, has heated up again.
In July 2018, the volunteer firefighters in the Town of Vonda walked off the job after more than twelve years of “internal issues” with the town council. The two parties entered into mediation in late 2017, but the town terminated mediation in April 2018.
The firefighters hired a lawyer who, on their behalf, wrote a letter to the Vonda town council “urging the council to stop micromanaging the fire department” and giving notice that unless there was a return to mediation, 16 of the 19 members of the Town of Vonda Fire and Rescue would withdraw service. The Town of Vonda then created a new fire department with resident volunteers, and in 2019, Grant Fire & Rescue was formed to serve the residents of the RM of Grant.
Tensions built again between the administration of the Town of Vonda, the Rural Municipality of Grant’s administration, and residents when the Town of Vonda denied a Change of Use Permit application by the RM. At the heart of the issue is the building the RM of Grant purchased, with the intent to convert it into a new fire hall for Grant Fire & Rescue.
The RM applied for a Change of Use Development Permit relating to the building. Vonda Town Council denied the application and cited in a letter to the RM that losing a business or the potential for a business to operate would have “profoundly negative consequences” in economic impact, community vitality, and service and convenience should the request be accepted.
Then Deputy-Mayor Willman specified, “Regarding the specific proposal to use prime real estate as a fire hall…we must prioritize uses that directly benefit our residents and contribute to the economic vitality of Vonda.” The building and property are often referenced as the ‘last piece of prime commercial property’ in town.
On Wednesday, Feb. 19, the Vonda Town Council held its regular monthly meeting. Several residents have expressed concerns that Councillors Florizone and Nahorniak have a Conflict of Interest in discussions regarding the renewed application for a Change of Use Permit submitted by the RM of Grant for 107 Railway Ave in Vonda. Councillor Florizone was the Deputy Chief of the RM of Grant Fire & Rescue. He ran for town council and resigned from the fire department a week after he was elected.
His son was then appointed Deputy Fire Chief, and the father and son operate Buffer Valley Industries together.
According to the December meeting minutes, Coun. Terry Nahorniak did declare a Conflict of Interest at that meeting, stating his employer is a councillor for the RM of Grant and left council chambers while the matter was being discussed and re-entered only after the discussion moved to the next topic. A delegation from the RM of Grant including the reeve and councillors along with the CAO, made a presentation to the Vonda town council at that meeting, to share that they had withdrawn the appeal registered with the Western Municipal Consulting Appeals Board and instead were resubmitting a Change of Use Permit application to be considered by the new council.
The delegation also informed the council at that time that Jordan Wiebe, former owner of the building and operator of J2 Auto, had, on Dec. 17, 2024, expressed a desire to repurchase the building from the RM to restart his business. Mayor Willman stated more time was needed to gather information and advice before considering the application, and the matter would be discussed at the next regular council meeting.
The issue was back before the council in January, as seen in the minutes of the regular meeting of the Town of Vonda held on Jan. 22, 2025.
At the Jan. 22, 2025 council meeting, Coun. Brian Florizone presented a motion that the Town approve the Development Change of Use Permit Application for the RM of Grant. Mayor Brenda Willman explained about Conflict-of-Interest declarations again before proceeding. Mayor Willman ‘called out’ Coun. Terry Nahorniak and he proceeded to defend himself and expressed that he had declared a conflict of interest at the regular meeting in December because his employer is a Councillor for the RM of Grant.
Nahorniak explained that since that meeting, he contacted (what he called) a “higher upper” and felt that he in fact had no conflict of interest and should have never left that meeting. He declared that he did not have a conflict of interest at this Jan. 22 meeting and wanted to proceed with the vote in regards to the RM of Grant’s application for a Development Change of Use for J2 Auto.
Florizone/Nahorniak: That the Town of Vonda Council approves the Application for a Development Change of Use Permit to change a property (J2 Auto) from Commercially Zoned property to an RM of Grant Fire Department.
Councillor Florizone requested a recorded vote: Dianne Addley – For; Terry Nahorniak – For; Brian Florizone – For; Brenda Willman – Against; Jesse Lefebvre – Against; Stephen King – Against; Dustin Wasyliw – Abstained
Motion Defeated
The meeting on Feb. 19 saw delegations from Vonda addressing the issues surrounding 107 Railway Ave. and the efforts to change it to a fire hall. Residents objecting to the Change of Use feel the councillors promoting the Change of Use are not doing due diligence by asking questions or thinking about the town’s current and future economic development and sustainability.
How will a change of use from commercial to emergency service benefit this town? Have they looked into creating a new Official Community Plan for Vonda if this change is approved? How much will that cost the ratepayers? These were just a few questions former councillor Santana Hawman put to the current councillors.
Former Mayor Jim Mikituk also addressed the Council, emphasizing the responsibilities of councillors to the Town of Vonda and its ratepayers.
Mayor Brenda Willman told the council that she had spoken with a lawyer, and paid for it personally, regarding her liability as mayor. The lawyer advised that every councillor review what entails a conflict of interest, and to that effect, she distributed copies of conflict-of-interest information, gave the councillors time to peruse it, and then asked if there were any questions and if there was any conflict to be declared. None were declared.
Mayor Willman then read a letter from another former mayor, whose name was not audible to this reporter. The letter read, in part:
“Major decisions are almost always concerning the future or potential future of the community and need to be given due diligence so that you can make the best decisions that you can. Quite often, the repercussions of those decisions will not be felt initially, in fact may not be felt for years, and will always be far-reaching…. It is unfortunate that you, as a council, have been put in a challenging position due to the decisions of outside agencies that are not bound or motivated to consider the best interests of the Town of Vonda. That said, those agencies are not responsible for the Town of Vonda and its ratepayers- you are… What you do control are your decisions moving forward. It appears, due to the repeated occurrence of this agenda item, that some have not and are most likely incapable of moving forward. Unfortunate [sic] but a reality that will have to be dealt with through solid, facts-based, firm decision-making, community vision… I do not believe that it would be in the best interests of the Town of Vonda as it appears we would not only permanently lose the tax base of the business but will receive almost nothing in return.
“Unfortunately, I believe some on Council have [a] potential conflict of interest in this decision, which muddies the waters even more as I have not seen a declaration of such. A potential conflict of interest will lead you down a path of delays and extra costs. I am sure that if the provincial Ombudsman and legal counsel have not yet been contacted already, someone will contact them. If that happens, then you will have to face the scrutiny, which only leads to delays, and increased costs and the embarrassment of a dead vote. None of which we in this community can afford… I remind you of who you work for when making this decision: not outside agencies, not just one or two or three individuals, but rather you work for me and all other ratepayers in the Town of Vonda… Somewhere above all the infighting, personal attacks, insults and vendettas, there is a long-term solution. I would hope you have the courage and foresight to be above it all and make the best decision for the future of the Town of Vonda and find that solution.”
No discussions regarding the 107 Railway Ave property were held in the open session, but as the attending public left Council Chambers, there were many murmurings of the lingering issues of what is perceived as a conflict of interest for the two councillors in question.
As was stated at the public meeting held last year, there is still hostility between the councils, ratepayers and individuals who were involved in the initial rift in 2017. Time had begun to heal those wounds, but the issue surrounding 107 Railway Ave has reignited the fires of distrust and animosity.
