Amalgamation 

Post-Amalgamation Progress

The Town of Diamond Valley was established through the provincially approved amalgamation of the former towns of Black Diamond and Turner Valley on January 1, 2023.

Since the amalgamation on January 1, 2023, the Town of Diamond Valley has experienced a significant transformation. Key milestones include the consolidation of municipal offices, the reorganization of facilities, a comprehensive corporate identity rebranding, and the renovation of the Town's website. Additionally, numerous organizational changes have been implemented to enhance efficiency and streamline operations. 

Next Steps: Municipal Development Plan

The Town of Diamond Valley is in the process of creating the first Municipal Development Plan (MDP) to guide our forcommunity’s growth and development over the next 50+ years. Learn about this process and how to get involved on the Municipal Development Plan webpage.

Post-Amalgamation Report

In August 2024, CAO Adam Davey released a report detailing the outcomes and key lessons from Diamond Valley’s amalgamation. 

View the full Post-Amalgamation Report.

2024-08 Amalgamation Report

Strategic Plan

In 2023, the Council released their Strategic Plan, which serve as a guiding framework for the Town's development. Both Council and staff are dedicated to making decisions and taking actions that best serve the interests of all residents. We extend our sincere gratitude to residents for their contributions to the amalgamation process and their ongoing cooperation in making Diamond Valley the beautiful and vibrant community we call home.

History

Black Diamond and Turner Valley have rich histories, having incorporated as villages on May 8, 1929, and February 23, 1930, respectively. After nearly 26 years as a village, Black Diamond became a town on January 1, 1956, while Turner Valley achieved town status on September 1, 1977, after 47 years as a village.

The idea of amalgamating Black Diamond and Turner Valley first surfaced in the mid-1980s. Turner Valley withdrew from the discussions after Alberta Municipal Affairs completed a feasibility report on the amalgamation in 1986. The possibility of amalgamation was explored again in 1988, 1991, 2005, and most recently in 2017.

In 2006, discussions about amalgamation were renewed, leading to a plebiscite on October 15, 2007. In this plebiscite, 66% of Turner Valley voters supported amalgamation, while 71% of Black Diamond voters were against it.

A third amalgamation investigation began in early 2016 when Black Diamond and Turner Valley jointly requested a provincial grant for a feasibility study. After extensive negotiations and engagement, the two town councils decided to proceed with an amalgamation application in September 2021. The name "Diamond Valley" was chosen for the amalgamated municipality following a public survey.

On May 25, 2022, the Government of Alberta approved the amalgamation application with the municipality name and effective date as originally proposed. The amalgamation became effective as of the date January 1, 2023.



A Historic Moment

A historic moment is captured in September 2021, as then Black Diamond Mayor Ruth Goodwin and Turner Valley Mayor Barry Crane sign the certificate of amalgamation resolutions documents, completing the Amalgamation Report to be submitted to the Minister of Municipal Affairs.  Standing next to the Mayors are then-Chief Administrative Officers Sharlene Brown and Shawn Patience.

Mayors and CAOs with Certiicates - Amalgamation


Governance

The Town of Diamond Valley is governed by a seven-person council comprised of a mayor and six councillors, all elected at-large. 

The first Council of the Town of Diamond Valley, was elected on November 28, 2022 as follows:

  • Mayor: Barry Crane
  • Councillor: Jonathan Gordon
  • Councillor: Cindy Holladay
  • Councillor: Brendan Kelly
  • Councillor: Veronica Kloiber (Resigned July 17, 2024)
  • Councillor: Hazel Martin
  • Councillor: Heather Thomson

Bylaws

Current bylaws and resolutions of each former town continue to apply within the boundaries of the former municipalities until they are repealed, amended, or replaced by the Council of the Town of Diamond Valley. View a list of commonly requested bylaws.


Public Communications

The history of the amalgamation of the Towns of Black Diamond and Turner Valley to form the Town of Diamond Valley  is a story that can be told through the numerous documents produced and published for public information. These records provide a comprehensive view of the process, decisions, and communications that shaped the union of the two towns. 

Please visit the Amalgamation Background page to view the archive of all publicly released information on the amalgamation including:


Community Engagement

In Spring 2021, Black Diamond and Turner Valley residents were asked to participate in two amalgamation engagement activities:

  1. Municipality Naming 
  2. Electoral Representation 

 Below are the results. 

OVERVIEW: MUNICIPALITY NAMING ACTIVITY 

The Joint Friendship Agreement Committee (JFAC) asked the communities to provide name ideas for the potential, newly amalgamated municipality and then to vote on the top three submitted names. 

Residents were asked to forward their ideas as written submissions and were encouraged to support their name with a drawing, story, photo, or any medium that communicated and highlighted any personal, historic, or cultural significance. 

RESULTS

We received over 150 entries with over 200 suggestions, generating 70 unique name ideas for the proposed amalgamated Town. 

The three most frequent submissions (in no particular order) were:

  • Town of Sheep River
  • Town of Black Valley
  • Town of Diamond Valley

FINAL NAME

After a community survey on the top names and after JFAC review, from 1,100 votes, the clear majority and recommended name for the Town municipality was:

Town of Diamond Valley


Naming Activity Results


OVERVIEW: ELECTORAL REPRESENTATION ACTIVITY 

The Joint Friendship Agreement Committee (JFAC) requested input from the communities on what electoral representation system they would prefer for the 2022 election if the amalgamation is approved.

  1. ‘At Large’ electoral voting system
  2. ‘Ward’ system of voting

RESULTS

Over 175 residents weighed in on the voting system for the proposed municipality. This feedback was reviewed by the JFAC, and based on the community majority vote, the following approach was recommended: 

  •  “At Large” electoral voting system 

Note: This system is what has always been used. A Mayor would be elected from the whole amalgamated community, and voters elect six Council members from all the candidates running in the entire amalgamated community.

Electoral Ward Activity Survey Results (Ward System or At Large)