February 25, 2016
Open Letter to the Lakeland REA Membership
On Friday February 12, 2016 Lakeland REA was presented with a petition with 456
signatures of support to the following statement:
“The following members are hereby requesting that a Special General Meeting be called
by the Lakeland REA Board to allow the membership to vote on the sale of the works of
the Lakeland REA to Atco Electric for the amount of $30,168,234.00, amounting to
approximately $21,548.74 per tap, as offered in the ATCO Electric's sales proposal. "
Lakeland REA has reviewed the list and confirmed 415 member signatures out of a total
1458 sites or approximately 28%. As per section 4(2) of the Rural Utilities Regulation
we confirm that more than 25% of the membership has requested the ability to vote on
the sale of the REA. Petition results are as follows:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Zone 1 Barich 201 out of 342
Zone 2 Derwent 26 out of 96
Zone 3 Hilliard 43 out of 195
Zone 4 Lavoy 45 out of 333
Zone 5 Martins 10 out of 142
Zone 6 Peno 45 out of 146
Zone 7 Veg West 45 out of 205
Total signed: 415 out of 1459
At a special Board meeting on Tuesday February 16, 2016 the meeting process was
discussed at length and the following outline has been moved and accepted by the
Lakeland REA Board of Directors and also by the Director of Rural Utilities.
In hope of achieving a high participation level, Lakeland REA will hold 4 Special General
Meeting (Polling Stations) to allow the membership to vote. The Lakeland REA Board of
Directors will be on hand to answer questions. These will not be formal information
meetings, there will not be any formal presentations. These are simply polling
stations and you may attend at any time throughout the following locations to cast your
vote. There are no advanced polls or proxy voting. Members need to attend one
of the following:
o
o
o
o
March 7, Derwent Golden Age Club, 4-8 pm
March 8, Smoky Lake Ukrainian National Hall, 4-8 pm
March 9, Mundare Senior Citizens Center, 4-8 pm
March 10, Vegreville Elks Hall, 4-8 pm
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Members will be allowed to vote once at any of the available polling stations to
accommodate scheduling, weather etc. PHOTO ID is required to secure your ballot.
The accounting firm Wilde and Co. will manage the ballot box throughout the vote
process beginning Monday March 7 until the results are tabulated on March 10.
Results will be posted on Facebook (www.facebook.com - Lakeland Rural Electrification
Association Ltd.), our website (www.lakelandrea.com) and we will also notify all
members through an automated call out on Friday March 11, 2016.
The quorum for the Sales Vote will be constituted by the members that have registered
to vote throughout the 4 meeting dates.
Lakeland REA Board is committed to sharing all information with the membership and
dedicated to answering all questions and concerns.
The Lakeland REA Board of Directors urges you to consider the following
points:
 It is VERY IMPORTANT to vote and express your democratic view as
the fate of the REA will be decided.
 Your Board encourages you to vote NO to this sales offer.
 As a member and owner of Lakeland REA you benefit from an appreciating asset
that strengthens the reliability and sustainability of your own service!
 Our staff and service equipment is dedicated to our members only!
 Our response time is second to none, reliability and safety of our system is our
only priority in time of need!
 Our Coop is accountable to our members; we provide service at cost for the
benefit of our members and local communities.
 We are very healthy financially, we have $2.5 million in assets; cash bank, shop,
land, equipment and inventory.
 Your service contract grants a Right of Way to the REA. Selling the REA would
give the Right of Way (existing and future) to Atco without further
compensation.
 LREA Board is member controlled and is elected from local members (your
neighbors) that run the REA for the benefit of fellow members.
 Before you cast your vote consider that you will become a constant revenue
stream to a monopoly.
 Your Board encourages you to vote! Any questions please phone your Board
Directors or the Lakeland REA office.
 Your REA will be abolished; gone forever if this sale offer is not rejected.
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Be part of this democratic process and retain ownership of this important
Coop.
As members of an REA, you the members are in control; what control will you
have with a monopoly?
Should you have any questions or concerns please contact the following:
Bernie Klammer
Greg Farion
Robert Peyton
Robert Coppock
Bill Smook
Cora Cherwoniak
Joe Soloway
John Homeniuk
Darryl Werstiuk
President - Director At Large
Vice President – Veg West
Secretary/Treasurer - Peno
Director – Martins
Director At Large
Director – Barich
Director – Lavoy
Director – Hilliard
Director – Derwent
General Manager
780-603-7833
780-632-4563
780-896-2232
780-632-6122
780-679-5567
780-656-5793
780-632-1695
780-764-2422
780-208-7800
This is an extremely important decision which determines the future of
Lakeland REA.
It is VERY important that the Lakeland REA membership come out to vote as
these are the only dates for voting.
The extraordinary resolution the membership will be voting on is as follows:
“Are you in agreement to sell the works of the Lakeland REA to Atco Electric for the amount of
$30,168,234.00, amounting to approximately $21,548.74 per tap, as offered in the ATCO Electric's sales
proposal?"
No ______
Yes ______
A “NO” VOTE RETAINS THE REA.
A “YES” VOTE SELLS THE REA.
Lakeland REA Ltd. - Serving over 1,400 members.
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“REAs keep corporate utility companies from having a monopoly on rural electricity distribution –
once an REA is sold it can never be resurrected and members-owners become just another
customer.”
Battle River REA – Serving 8,500 Members
“REAs are co-operatives and defined by three basic interests: Ownership, Control and
Beneficiary. REA members and community remain the center of our business, not maximizing
profits.”
EQUS REA LTD. - Serving over 11,500 members from Barrhead to the U.S. Border.
“REAs leave power and savings in member’s hands and communities, unlike large corporate
utility companies with the mandate to generate profits for stockholders. REAs are rural based,
rural focused and operate under a co-operative business model.”
Rocky REA – Serving 3,500 members
“REAs focus on member needs and work for the sustainable economic development of the rural
communities they serve – then, now and in the future. Members served by the REA – own the
REA!”
North Parkland Power REA – Serving 2,500 members.
“A co-operative REA is owned and controlled by members who have the right to vote for their
Board of Directors, people who are fellow REA members that live in the rural communities and
truly understand member needs.”
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