The border markers, they make Lloydminster unique, and a potentially frustrating place to be.
Quite often we hear from local politicians saying it’s difficult to be on a border, working with two governments who don’t want to cooperate.
I kept hearing about the markers, but frankly, I wasn’t sure what people were talking about until someone pointed out these towering red landmarks. Yes, I am not an observant fellow.
It all started in 1990, at that time, the markers were to be five, not four. Council was split and only approved the construction once a border marker was removed. Lloydminster was set to receive $260,000 in lottery funding from the Tourism Industry Association of Alberta to cover most of the $300,000 project.
Construction kicked off in August of 1993, but the controversy didn’t end there. An allegedly secret letter to Mayor Pat Gulak stated the project needed to be re-evaluated due to public outcry. Gulak stated she received a letter after the first one saying the project was good to go.
Two weeks after construction kicked off, MLA Steve West was the bearer of bad news as funding for the project was cut. The contractor, Dawson-Wallace, was ordered to cease construction.
The city was now left with four $60,000 holes in the ground. The debate continued and letters to the editor poured into local papers.
“Why do our city leaders want to pretend that we have the money to live so flamboyantly,” wrote Kevin Ramsay in the Sept. 29, 1993 edition of the Lloydminster Times.
A letter from a Bruce Macdonald argued the city should have waited until the funding was assured and irrevocable, which sounds oddly familiar.
City council ended up voting in favour of completing the project with a vote of 4-3. The city would use the 1993 surplus to complete the project and Gulak said taxes would not rise.
Opposition continued and the once-dormant Lloydminster Ratepayers Association reappeared.
In 2000, a marker was removed so engineers could study how to make them firmer. The oscillating of the markers alarmed some residents. I get it, that would scare me if the markers were moving in any way.
Looking back the project mirrors one that we may see in the common day, public outcry, city money to be spent, provincial issues, it all looks familiar.
Now the border markers stand as a symbol of Lloydminster’s uniqueness and a permanent fixture from a previous mayor and council.
Read more: Opinion: Bidding adieu to a friend
Locally owned and community driven, the Lloydminster Meridian Source is the online news source in the Border City. Whether it’s breaking news, features or sports, if you have questions about what’s going on around town, Source it with us.
Since online platforms no longer support the sharing of news, we encourage you to bookmark meridiansource.ca. Whether you’re having a coffee or enjoying a meal, check in any time for the most up-to-date news in Lloydminster.
