The Homestead
by T. Duffin

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The Municipal District of Foothills No. 31 is a rural municipality located adjacent to and immediately south of the City of Calgary.  The M.D. covers an area of approximately 3,600 square kilometres in the foothills of sunny southern Alberta. It surrounds the Towns of Okotoks, High River, Turner Valley, and Black Diamond, the Village of Longview, and the Eden Valley Indian Reserve.  The M.D. celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2004.

The results of the 2006 Census indicated that 19,736 people live in the M.D. of Foothills.

The M.D. of Foothills provides a number of services -- directly or jointly with other municipalities --  to the residents of the rural area and the Hamlets of Aldersyde, Blackie, Cayley, De Winton, Hartell, Millarville, Naptha, Priddis and Priddis Greens.  These services include general administration, road construction and maintenance, fire protection, ambulance service, garbage disposal, planning and development administration, agricultural services, recreation and parks, family and community support services, and bylaw enforcement.  Water services are provided in the hamlets of Aldersyde, Blackie and Cayley, and waste water services are provided in the hamlets of Blackie and Cayley.  

M.D. of Foothills staff are responsible for the administration of the Foothills Regional Commission, which operates the Foothills Regional Waste Management Facility and the Frank Lake Effluent Pumping System.

The M.D. maintains over 2,000 kilometres of road.  Two Provincial primary highways -- Highway No. 2 and Highway No. 22 -- run north/south through the municipality, giving easy access to Canadian and US markets.  Our proximity to the Rocky Mountains and the City of Calgary makes the M.D. of Foothills an ideal location for small or large businesses.  The M.D. of Foothills No. 31 is one of the fastest growing districts in Alberta.

Alberta has the lowest overall tax structure in Canada and is the only province that does not have a provincial sales tax.  The M.D. of Foothills does not levy a business tax.