PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 40 – Part 2

***Original published in South Mountain Press, January 18, 2019***

Reeve’s Resolutions for 2019

As the calendar rolls over from the old year, the budgets of Rural Municipalities conclude and Councils begin detailed discussions on 2019 spending priorities. The Reeves of Clanwilliam-Erickson, Victor Baraniuk, and Harrison Park, Jason Potter, graciously spent time with me to go over their plans, priorities, and visions for their respective RMs for the coming year.

Q. Budget time is right around the corner and specific dollar amounts will have to be decided upon. Could you list and elaborate on your Council’s main priorities for 2019?

Reeve Baraniuk – The single, most pressing issue facing the Clanwilliam-Erickson Council this year will be roads and infrastructure. In the rural areas, the roads are in poor shape and they are in sore need of gravelling, grading, and mowing. There will be a marked increase in the road budget compared to previous years. Then in Erickson, there are street repairs that are calling for our attention. Also, obviously due to the season, we need to keep on top of snow clearing.

Reeve Potter – The Council of Harrison Park will be spending most of our energies this year on connecting as many of our citizens as possible to the water and sewer systems, particularly in Onanole and Sandy Lake. Although about one third of the RM’s budget will be allocated to road maintenance, in general our roads are in good shape. In fact, the Manitoba Good Roads Association recently awarded Harrison Park with their ‘Class 1 Best Maintained System of Rural Municipality Roads Capital One Shield’.

Q. What projects, new or on-going, are going to hold the attention of Council this year?

Reeve Baraniuk – One of the main projects the Council will have to decide upon will be the final disposition of the Four Winds Environmental Management partnership. Council is still in the process of exploring options which will determine if we remain in the partnership or go with another waste solution whether alone or with a partner. For example, we have been looking at proposals from Evergreen Environmental Technologies near Franklin and Municipal Waste Management Environmental (MWM) of Souris. Evergreen would be a relatively short extra distance to transfer our waste compared to the original Four Winds site over on the PTH 250. MWM has attractive tipping fees. Ultimately, Council will have to decide what will be the best option for our ratepayers over the long term. More meetings are planned for February and we will keep the public apprised of our progress.

In addition to the RM’s waste issues, we want to keep working on Erickson’s skating and curling rinks, the campgrounds, RV Park, and our area’s appeal to tourists. Longer term we need reasons and employment for young people to settle in the area in order to ensure the RM’s continued vitality.

One of the significant parts of Erickson’s appeal is derived from our airport. The RM, in cooperation with MLA Greg Nesbitt, is in the process of applying for a $1.2 million grant in order to repave the 3000 foot runway.

Reeve Potter – As you know, the ratepayers of Harrison Park delivered an emphatic ‘No’ to the original proposed siting of the Four Winds Waste Management facility in our RM. We are still committed to the project and exploring if another suitable site can be found. Meanwhile, we will keep our options open and see if there are other solutions that make better fiscal sense for our constituents.

Meanwhile, Council will be working on recycling and composting initiatives, beautification projects, and youth-friendly facilities such as parks and ball diamonds.

Although there were plans to move the RM offices over to a new facility, Council is going to shelve that for the time being. We did not feel that it would be a wise use of taxpayer funds to pay for costly renovations at this point. Therefore, the old Onanole Westoba Credit Union building slated for the project has now been put up for tender.

Longer term, we want to hire a Community Development professional to assist with the RM’s development needs and planning. Our RM is fortunate to be in good shape financially and I am loath to propose any tax hikes for future projects. It would be preferable to bring in more businesses and people in order to expand the tax base. But our community is particularly concerned that development blends in with the natural environment. We want to avoid another debacle such as the recent ‘Meadow’ proposal which received so much public backlash.

Q. Although there are the usual challenges such as road or infrastructure maintenance, can you foresee any speedbumps ahead for your Council for 2019?

Reeve Baraniuk – At last November’s Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) Convention, Premier Pallister essentially told the delegates that the Province has no more money for RM infrastructure spending. For example, our RM used to receive about $60,000/year in provincial infrastructure grants. This year’s figure will only be $1,300. Also, I am very concerned that the Province seems to be ignoring the AMM’s Mill Rates and Farmland Assessment Resolutions. The provincial assessment process as it stands puts undo and unfair strain on RMs and their ratepayers who have to deal with high fluctuations of taxes. Plus farmers are getting hit hard as their land values have dramatically increased without a commensurate increase in their farm receipts.

Also, one unique issue that will be causing the Council headaches will be the local beaver population plugging up culverts. It is very expensive to clear a clogged culvert and the area has lost their traditional trappers who used to keep the beaver population in check.

Reeve Potter – Word from the Province is do not expect monetary assistance from us. The RM is fine for now from a budget standpoint but we would like to keep working on creating a positive business, tourism, and living environment that will attract and keep a diverse community.

One challenge for all the new Council members will be the budgetary process itself. Four special budget meetings will be taking place to hammer out the fine details but we will have to rely on staff expertise for guidance.

Q. Do you have a 2019 message to your Municipalities?

Reeve Baraniuk – Amalgamation of the Clanwilliam and Erickson Municipalities was tough. It is difficult to balance the disparate needs of our rural and urban communities. I will be working diligently to ensure that I create a fair balance between all the people that I represent.

Reeve Potter – The Council and I are committed to being open and transparent. We welcome and are actively seeking input from our ratepayers. Also, as a professional body, we will not be playing fast and loose with the tax dollars. In the past, there were too many verbal or ‘handshake’ Municipal agreements. Future RM dealings will all be in writing in order to avoid misunderstandings or confusion.

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March 4, 2019March 4, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 40

***Original published in South Mountain Press, January 18, 2019***

Harrison Park Council Holds Town Hall in Sandy Lake

Following through on a key election promise to be accessible and to seek input from the ratepayers, the Reeve and Councilors of Harrison Park Rural Municipality held an evening Town Hall meeting on January 10 at the Sandy Lake Drop-In Centre.

Reeve Jason Potter started the meeting with several statements regarding the state of the Municipality’s affairs:

In the interest of openness and transparency, the Council would continue to hold a series of Town Hall meetings in order to seek out ratepayer’s questions and concerns especially before setting this year’s Municipal budget. To that end, February meetings in Horod and Onanole are planned with specific dates to be determined shortly.
The vacated Onanole Westoba Credit Union building owned by the RM has been listed with a local real estate agent. Previous plans to renovate the building and relocate RM offices have been shelved for the time being.
According to Provincial government officials, RM funding for programs and infrastructure will decrease or altogether cease. Responsibility is being downloaded to the Municipalities. The Reeve and Council are prepared to make the hard financial decisions that may become inevitable.
Although recent tax changes have removed a 15% tax exemption for Council indemnities, the Council voted to keep their compensation at present levels. Indemnity for the Reeve remains at $1000/month and Councilors receive $850/month.
Considering the ratepayer’s objections, it was announced quickly after last fall’s election that the proposed Four Winds Waste Management site was unsuitable. The Council is still committed to the Four Winds partnership but is considering all options and will determine what will be best for their ratepayers.
Grant applications are being received by the Municipal office. Unlike previous years, such as 2018 when disbursements were about $73,000, this year’s grant monies will only be in the range of $30,000. This will be in line with the roughly $34,000 VLT share the RM receives from the Province. This Council intends to keep taxes and expenditures at reasonable and prudent rates.
The financial running of the RM is going to be tightened up. For example, there is approximately $100,000 in accounts receivables that have not been collected by the RM. These types of items will be corrected.
The Reeve made special mention of the volunteer fire departments of Newdale, Onanole, and Sandy Lake. At an annual operating cost of $120,000, the departments more than paid for themselves in decreased fire insurance rates for the area’s citizens.

The twenty plus citizens attending the Town Hall were appreciative of the Reeve’s comments and for the chance to direct queries to their representatives.

Quite a few of the concerns brought up to the Councilors involved water and sewer issues. As Reeve Potter explained, water and sewer for the communities of Onanole and Sandy Lake is high on his ‘To Do’ list for 2019. For example, it is long past the time for Sandy Lake Beach Road residents to be hooked up to the town systems considering how long they have been helping pay for them.

Another concern brought forward was the disparity in base water rates as compared to the neighboring RM of Minto-Odanah or the City of Brandon. But as the Reeve explained, economies of scale keep the rates lower in those areas and since the Manitoba Water Services Board sets the rates, the RM has little say. But the Council will look into the matter.

Other questions were asked related to the allocation of road maintenance resources and timely snow removal. Councilor Ian Drul fielded a few of those questions by explaining that occasionally RM and Local Urban District (LUD) jurisdictions can cause overlapping road responsibility conflicts. As for snow removal complaints, there are some Public Works employee issues that should resolve themselves shortly. In addition, as the union’s contract is up for renewal, the RM could consider bargaining for a better position in regards to snow plow operators running plows after hours in order to clear blocked roads in a timelier manner.

Reeve Potter and the rest of the Councilors were pleased with the Sandy Lake turnout and the chance to meet with the town’s citizens. He wanted to emphasis that whatever the previous Council did or did not do was in the past. The Reeve wants to focus on what is ahead instead of dwelling on what had been done before.

The Council members urge all interested parties to attend the upcoming Town Halls in Horod and Onanole in February especially with budget deliberations upcoming. Specific dates will be set and advertised as soon as possible.

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January 18, 2019January 18, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 35

***Original published in South Mountain Press, November 30, 2018***

‘The Meadow’ Safe from Development – For Now

The new Harrison Park RM Council dealt with their first major, contentious issue at the last Council meeting on November 20 during a heated Public Hearing concerning development of an Onanole area known as ‘The Meadow’. A company, Riding Mountain Estates, had petitioned to have the Victor Avenue property reclassified from “RG” Residential General Zone to “RMH” Residential Mobile Home Zone.

A five person delegation representing Riding Mountain Estates and Grandeur Housing of Winkler laid out their plans for the undeveloped green space which is located 1 km west of Highway 10 on the south side of Victor Avenue. The proposal was to create a 100 plus unit modular home park. The homes would be a minimum of 20 feet wide, trucked in, placed on pads, and sold for $130,000-$180,000. The Grandeur representative gave a slideshow presentation of some of their model homes and stated that they would be built with skirting and no hitches, there would be some variety, and they would be four season ready. A real estate agent with the group gave his opinion that these would be good entry level houses that were well built by a reputable, experienced company. The main pro argument advanced by the delegation was the economic benefits and spinoffs that would be gained by the local community.

But the packed crowd of 35 plus concerned citizens attending the Public Hearing outright rejected the plan. In fact, there was not a single shred of support from the local community presented during the hearing. It took an hour and a half just to read into record the 33 letters opposing the by-law change. The Grey Owl Estates Board of Directors sent a letter against the proposal. Another five concerned citizens gave verbal rebuttals to the plan. Also, if you take a drive in the Victor Ave/Meadowview Drive area you will see ‘Save the Meadow’ signs in front of just about every home.

The main reasons for the ‘Say No’ campaign centered on the following main points:

There is already a glut of undeveloped lots from Riding Mountain Estates directly across from the Meadow on the north side of Victor Ave. They should be developed first before more building gets started.
Traffic concerns on Victor Ave were a main concern. The road has no shoulders and there would be problems with entry onto Highway 10. The commensurate addition of foot and vehicle traffic would drive up an increase of accidents and noise pollution.
No one was in favour of a ‘trailer park’ that was not going to fit in with the general development of the area. The existing homes are mostly high-end, custom builds on large lots. There has been a long standing stipulation from former Councils that the area would have low density housing that fits into the surrounding environment. There are RM bylaws governing esthetics, size and colour of homes, and limitations on development of land for mobile homes. People felt it was unfair that the rules that they abided by for their home construction were not going to be followed by this developer.
Environmental and infrastructure factors were also a major issue. The neighbors did not want to lose their wildlife corridor and green space. They had questions about water, garbage, and sewage plans for 100 extra homes. They wanted answers to watershed and erosion risk queries before development started.
The last major argument against the plan was a general belief that property values would decrease due to the presence of a ‘trailer park’ in their community.

The considerable assemblage against the proposal were not against development of the Meadow per se. But they were definitely against this type of housing plan which in their opinions did not make any sense.

In the face of the community’s strident opposition and after a brief period of deliberations, Council unanimously defeated the proposal put forward by Riding Mountain Estates.

When contacted for comment, a representative of Riding Mountain Estates said he was disappointed with Council’s decision. When the organization held preliminary discussions with Council during a June 5, 2018 in camera session, there seemed to be a general acceptance for their preliminary site plan proposal. If there was public opposition, the group was willing to retool and work with Council and the affected neighbors.

In fact, the representative believed that had a planned Public Hearing for October 9 had gone ahead, the proposal might have passed. Perhaps the former Council had started to hear the rumblings of disapproval and felt pushing the matter over to after the election was more prudent. The abrupt cancellation of the planned agenda item definitely hurt the proposal’s chance of succeeding.

There was also an issue with a leaked site plan document from that first meeting back in June. According to Riding Mountain Estates, those plans were confidential and preliminary. But they got out and subsequently showed up on social media. Consequently, this helped to stir up opposition which had time to build with the extra six weeks to get organized. The representative was upset with this development and has not ruled out legal action in order to recover financial losses.

As for future plans for the Meadow, Riding Mountain Estates is exploring options to tender for sale both parcels of land on either side of Victor Ave. The property will be advertised to local and foreign buyers and all reasonable offers would be considered. As the representative put it, ‘If the neighbors want to save the Meadow, then buy the Meadow’.

So for now, local residents will be happy that the Meadow is safe from development until new investors take over.

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January 14, 2019January 14, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 33

***Original published in South Mountain Press, November 16, 2018***

New RM Councils Tackle Thorny Local Issues

As voters are well aware, there was an almost wholesale changing of the guard in the Rural Municipalities (RMs) of Harrison Park and Clanwilliam-Erickson with this last Municipal election. After the dust settled, it was obvious that a change in leadership had been called for.

The new Councils will be facing a steep learning curve as many of the fresh faces at the table have never previously been involved in politics. But the job of running an RM does not pause due to inexperience. At the Harrison Park October 30 Regular meeting, the new Reeve and Councilors held a brief swearing in session conducted by the Chief Administrative Officer, then it was straight down to the responsibility of governing the municipality.

The first major order of business was to decide on and divvy out the numerous vacant committee positions. A municipality has a surprising amount of organizations that require representation from Council. Rest assured that the rate payers will be getting their money’s worth out of their representatives.

Then along with the mundane issues such as listening to routine reports or holding conditional use hearings on such things as lot resizing, the new Councils will have some pressing contentious issues to cope with. High on the agenda will be decisions regarding the proposed Four Winds Waste Management facility that was to be located on PTH 250 between Newdale and Sandy Lake.

The interested parties are wasting no time on the Four Winds file. In fact, a special stakeholders meeting was already held at the Erickson Crossroads Community Centre on November 2. The main stakeholders that make up the Four Winds Waste Management Group are the RMs of Harrison Park, Clanwilliam-Erickson, and the First Nations communities of Keeseekoowenin and Rolling River. Riding Mountain National Park’s Town Site manager was also in attendance as the Park will act as a customer of the Four Winds facility.

The intent of the meeting was to have representatives of the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER) and Manitoba Sustainable Development bring the new members of the Councils up to speed on the project and to gather input from the various stakeholders as to its disposition.

The process of building the new waste management and recycling site had reached the stage of tendering for a business plan. According to one of the former Four Winds management team, the tender was put on hold until the results of the election were known.

The meeting was amicable and the representatives of Keeseekoowenin and Rolling River First Nations reiterated their desire to continue a working, mutual aid relationship with the RMs with regards to their shared waste management issues. But as the Keeseekoowenin Band Chief stated, since there was so much new leadership, it would be good for everyone to huddle up in their corners and then determine what changes may be needed in order to go forward.

The new Reeve for Harrison Park, Jason Potter, agreed with the Chief’s sentiment. He understood that there was a substantial sum of money available from Indigenous Services Canada to get a local waste facility up and running and if there was too much delay, then that money would probably end up off the table. But in his opinion, when you are dealing with tax dollars on a major project like this, you want to ‘hit a homerun’ for the tax payers. He acknowledged that many of his constituents had significant concerns particularly with the proposed siting of the waste facility.

So for a short period of time, the disposition of the Four Winds Waste Management and Recycling Facility will be up in the air. The Councils will go back to their communities, see what positions they want to take, and then return in early December to hash out a plan on moving forward on the issue.

Meanwhile, regular Council meetings and the important task of governing RMs and listening to the concerns of their citizens will continue. For those people interested in attending to observe local government in action, Harrison Park Council meets every third Tuesday at the Onanole Municipal Office with the next regular meeting scheduled for November 20 at 9:00 am. The new members of the Clanwilliam-Erickson Council will hold their first regular meeting at the Erickson Municipal Office on November 14 at 9:00 am. Their meetings are held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month.

News regarding the RMs, meeting dates, upcoming events, and contact information for your local representatives can be found on their respective websites: http://www.harrisonpark.ca/ and http://www.ericksonmb.ca/

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October 26, 2018

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 22

Stormy weather over proposed Four Winds Waste Management site off of PTH 270

***Original published in South Mountain Press, August 31, 2018***

Heated Discussions over Proposed Waste Management Site

Last week from 22 to 24 Aug, the Four Winds Environmental Management Board held a second round of public information sessions in the communities of Erickson, Newdale, Onanole, and Sandy Lake.

In order to better answer the public’s specific concerns over the waste management site proposal, the board brought in technical experts from Neegan Burnside Ltd., the engineering firm that conducted the feasibility report for the project. The report’s author and Lead Technical Specialist (Landfills), Kent Hunter and Project Manager, Kris Sewgoolam were on hand to answer specific technical questions related to their company’s report and the subsequent proposed waste and recycling site. Mr. Hunter is a Professional Engineer licensed in Manitoba and Ontario with 30 years of landfill project experience.

It seems that for the general population of the area, there is not that much concern over the issue. One of the main stipulations of the process to begin with was that levels of waste service would remain the same or improve. The existing six landfill sites already in use will be converted to transfer stations, so instead of a burn pile and dump pit, area residents will place their trash into portable bins instead.

But there is a significant group of about 50 concerned citizens with specific concerns over the project and in no uncertain terms, they are demanding to be heard.

The one item everyone agrees on is that something needs to be done with the area’s waste. But the main sticking point is the site that has been picked for purchase, located at NW 4-17-20 on PTH 250, is unsuitable due to the proximity of the Little Saskatchewan River valley just over a mile away.

Local residents contend that surface and sub-surface water in that area will carry contaminants into the Little Saskatchewan subsequently affecting downstream communities such as Minnedosa and Rapid City. When asked to address this contentious issue, the Neegan Burnside Ltd. representatives said they were confident that landfill development technology is sufficient to prevent this type of scenario.

As Kent Hunter explained, any issues with sub-surface water being contaminated by waste will be dealt with by a properly constructed leech aid-evaporation lagoon. The waste storage pit will be built with a High-density polyethylene (HDPE) liner, covered with select waste that will prevent puncturing, then it will be continuously tested and monitored throughout the landfill’s lifecycle to ensure that it is not leaking. The HDPE material is at a minimum designed to last for the 30 year projected lifespan of the landfill pit.

As for sudden influxes of surface water from spring run-off or heavy rain storms, Mr. Hunter contends that the design of the facility will keep the clean water separated from any polluted water. Although not required by current regulations, the site will be over-engineered to handle a one in one hundred year flood event.

Another hot topic brought forward was the cost and acquisition process of the site chosen. Lloyd Ewashko, Reeve of Harrison Park RM, declared that he is standing by the decisions that have been made leading up to the purchasing of the $500,000 ¼ section of land. Due to provincial regulations, the process of developing a landfill facility requires that the physical site already needs to be in possession of a RM before the process can move forward.

Another major concern raised dealt with comparisons between the proposed Four Winds site with the Evergreen Environmental Technologies Waste Facility located between Neepawa and Minnedosa. The fear is that although the Four Winds site will be initially run as a Class 2 operation accepting a maximum of 5000 metric tons/year that it will be converted later to a Class 1 operation. Although this scenario was discussed in the Feasibility Study as an option, the engineers did not recommend it and the Four Winds Board members say that sort of proposal is not under consideration.

The Board is confident that their solution for the area’s projected waste requirements of 130,000 metric tons over the next 30 years will be managed with their current proposal and subsequent facility.

Moving forward, the next step for the Four Winds Board, as laid out in an August 7^th mail-out to area residents, is the completion of a project business plan. Then by the end of October, after a tendering process, they expect to accept a site design. With completion of an engineering design, environmental licensing can be sought through the Manitoba Sustainable Development department. Monies supplied by Indigenous Services Canada will pay for capital construction costs and operations at the site should begin in the fall of 2019.

A key factor to ensuring the success of the new waste site will be the recycling component. General attitudes and habits regarding garbage and recycling are going to go through an upheaval if the 60% waste diversion rate aimed for by the Four Winds Board is to be realized. For example, the RMs of Harrison Park and Clanwilliam-Erickson have an abysmal 3% diversion rate. Riding Mountain National Park is at the provincial average of 17%.

Surprisingly, the best diversion rates in Canada do not happen in the dense population centers like Toronto or Montreal or out in environmentally conscious BC. In 2017, according to Statistics Canada, PEI led the country in diversion rates. After Halifax implemented their clear bag policy for garbage removal in 2015, in two years waste dropped by 24% and recycling increased by 13%. Small changes of habit and waste policies can reap immediate dividends and the RMs and First Nation Band Councils have been studying other jurisdictions to determine what innovative strategies can be adopted for the region.

The Four Winds Board welcomes the input and level of attention concerning the project that has been received to date. Although aspects of the process can be contentious, waste is a hard fact of life. Federal and provincial regulations and laws governing municipalities and their mandated responsibilities vis-à-vis waste management are steadily becoming more onerous.

For more information about the Four Winds Environmental Management Facility’s progress, contact your Municipal or First Nation offices. Also, keep an eye out online for the soon to be released Four Winds website.

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