The Rural Municipality of Dufferin moved forward with several infrastructure, recreation and heritage initiatives during its regular council meeting Jan. 20 and a special meeting Feb. 10.
During the Jan. 20 meeting, council heard a presentation from members of the Carman Pickleball Club, who outlined the growing popularity of the sport in the community and shared information about the club’s activities.
Council also approved accounts totalling $616,631.30.
Among policy decisions, council approved hiring Taxervice Inc. to manage municipal tax arrears recovery proceedings on behalf of the municipality for a three-year term.
Council also adopted a revised utility sewer connections policy, rescinding the previous version adopted in 2017. The updated policy will be administered alongside the municipality’s sewer agreement with the Town of Carman. “The Sewer Connection policy was outdated and needed updating to reflex the current connections and align with the Waterline Connection Policy. We have yet to install sewer lines into the RM, so this will be the first project, planning for 2026,” said chief administrative officer Sharla Murray.
Council further approved a 2026 sewer service agreement with the Town of Carman to provide sewer services to portions of the RM east of the town along Provincial Trunk Highway 3.
Recreation initiatives were also discussed. Council approved a request from a volunteer basketball committee to move forward with plans to develop an outdoor basketball court at Kings Park on the site of the existing skate park.
Council also approved a $2,500 donation to support the Roseisle Rose Garden through the municipality’s third-party donation policy.
Heritage preservation was another topic of discussion. Council approved a storage expansion project for the Dufferin Historical Museum, consisting of an addition to the west side behind the existing building. The approval includes a condition that the new addition match or complement the existing building’s exterior materials and colour, or that the entire building be reclad to achieve a uniform appearance.
“Our current museum space is full and we do not have room to display everything we currently have. We are always being offered new items for the museum and we want to be able to accept them,” said Lori Keith, vice-president of the Dufferin Historical Museum.
“The new storage space will provide us with room to store larger items, display cabinets or shelving units so that we can rotate items between storage and display areas. At the moment, we have rented storage space off site which is not very convenient.”
Council also appointed Richard Dyck to serve as a director on the Boundary Trails Health Centre board for a two-year term from January 2026 to December 2027.
Council approved subdivision applications from William and Noreen Grindell and Wilhelm Bergen.
Council also approved Way-To-Go Consulting to provide post-election orientation for council following the 2026 municipal election at a cost of $1,929 plus taxes.
Chief administrative officer Sharla Murray was appointed the municipality’s senior election official for upcoming municipal elections.
Council also approved a surface drainage proposal from Andrew Fanzago.
At a special council meeting Feb. 10, council focused primarily on infrastructure and capital project decisions.
Council awarded the tender for the McEachern Bridge replacement project to Samson Developments Inc. in the amount of $1,138,233.73, the lowest of four bids received.
Council also waived the requirement for a 50 per cent labour and material payment bond for the project.
In another capital project decision, council approved posting a public tender for the Carman-Dufferin Fire Hall addition and renovation project.
