Council Checkup: The Year in Review

In this special year-end Council Checkup, Mayor Blake McCutcheon leads off with the big news the town had been waiting a long time to hear—the construction of a new hospital in Neepawa over the next few years. While the official announcement was made only a couple of weeks ago, McCutcheon is able to elaborate on what steps lead up to the announcement and what comes next.

The hospital is a vote of confidence by the provincial government in the future of the community, and McCutcheon believes that it will inspire confidence in investors and developers as well. Between the hospital itself being a major industry and the possibility of additional businesses and building projects, Neepawa’s growth seems almost certain to continue.

According to McCutcheon, one of the most interesting things about 2021 is how, despite all its challenges, the town continued to flourish. “I’m so proud of our community and our council and the administration because we had a great year in Neepawa,” he says. He identifies one of the highlights of the year as the new bike park, which as an outdoor recreational facility has attracted local usage and tourism alike, but there is a long list of other accomplishments which includes building projects, special events, and the unveiling of future plans.

One can’t discuss the year in review without mentioning the pandemic, and in a year-over-year comparison to last year, McCutcheon says that the biggest difference is that we’re more familiar now with what to expect and we’ve learned to manage and roll with the changes. Mental health has been an increasing consideration, however. He notes that in their latest report to council, the RCMP said that more than 60% of their calls are now mental health related.

Looking forward to 2022, McCutcheon sees the completion of some projects, and the start of several more. As McCutcheon says, the kind of infrastructure growth that the town spent years getting ready for is now here.