The big news this week was a visit from eight provincial cabinet ministers on a short tour of rural Manitoba. They met with Council and administration as well as visiting, both together and separately, several different locations around town before carrying on to Brandon. Mayor McCutcheon and Councillor Parrot share with us some of the highlights of the visit, one of which was a visit to the new Touchwood Park Day Program building where they heard a presentation on the need for better employment conditions for frontline care workers.

Last week we talked about the process the town will go through when the water line from the new reservoir is connected. This week we have a date for the event: May 20th. Residents will experience water disruptions while the connections are made, and we will begin a boil water advisory for the entire area that will last a few days. Excess water usage on that day is discouraged, and it is recommended residents fill water containers on the 19th for personal use. The town will be providing more information on this process during the first half of May.

Public swimming lesson registrations are open now, and registrations for private lessons open on May 11th. As well, residents and visitors are reminded that registrations are open for Riverbend campground and must be made through the online booking system. More information on these is available on the town’s website at neepawa.ca

Counciller Gerrard passed on some feedback from constituents, specifically about a section of downed streetlights and large pile of railway ties at the north end of town. CAO Synchyshyn detailed the town’s response to those, which included the procedure that residents should take if they notice a single streetlight is out in their area.

We have previously discussed the Handivan’s struggles to recoup operating funds during the pandemic. This week the town discusses a request to help them cover their losses from the past year, which is going out to all of the municipalities that participate in the local handivan program, not just the Town of Neepawa.

The town also received a request from Junior Achievement Manitoba for a small contribution to their work in the area, which Councilllor Gerrard was able to expand on thanks to his participation in the program as a student. Junior Achievement Manitoba expands student’s knowledge and experience in areas such as financial literacy and entrepreneurship, which aren’t a part of the regular high school curriculum.

Also covered were RCMP Staff Sergeant Mark Morehouse’s retirement, summer staff orientation, grant letter dispersal, regional library financial statements, new signage from Citizens on Patrol, another subdivision request, and second and third reading of the tax levy for 2022.