The Town of Carman council advanced several notable initiatives across its two November meetings, focusing on transportation services, community development and long-term planning, while moving forward on projects with regional partners.
Council began the process of establishing a Vehicles for Hire bylaw, giving first reading to legislation that will formally regulate taxi and ride-for-hire services in the community. This step comes as the municipality looks to expand transportation options, including approving Winkler Taxi to operate locally in 2025–26 and waiving driver and licensing fees to encourage broader service availability.
In response to questions about the intended outcomes of the new bylaw and its connection to expanded service options, CAO Susan Stein said: “the previous by-law limited the amount of taxi’s and made the process of application cumbersome. The changes to the by-law make it a simpler process as well they don’t limit the number of taxi’s. If there is a company willing to provide the service we do not want to limit the ability to provide services.”
Council also received concept plans from the Carman Dufferin Historical Museum Committee for a proposed facility expansion that would increase display and program space. The project is in early stages, but council acknowledged the importance of the museum’s role in heritage preservation and community engagement.
Asked about what additional information will be required before council can consider the proposal more formally, Stein noted “the proposal is in the very preliminary stages of planning. The committee will need to determine the cost of engineering the addition and the cost of the addition and then bring a proposal to the two councils to proceed.”
Another significant undertaking involved authorizing an agreement with the RM of Dufferin to purchase land for a new campground. Administration has been directed to proceed with a subdivision application, signalling forward momentum on the regional recreational initiative.
Regarding next steps and anticipated timelines, Stein explained: “The next step will be applying for subdivision and getting a survey on the proposed portion of land. The application will go to Community Planning for the Provincial departments to review and provide comments.”
Financial planning also occupied a notable portion of council’s discussions as members adopted the 2026 interim operating budget to ensure continuity of services ahead of next year’s full budget. Council designated 2024 as the tax sale year and set Oct. 12, 2026, as the date for the sale of properties in arrears. Transfers were approved to support ongoing projects, including funding for the Greenwood Cemetery concrete ribbon project. Council also endorsed using Pay Works to provide payroll services going forward.
Other business included reviewing RCMP policing reports, receiving updates on drainage work in the industrial park and noting an upcoming radon-detection program.
Asked how the radon initiative will be rolled out and what residents should know, Stein said “the program will be coming out in 2026, and each community can choose to make an application. If the community is chosen, there is a cost which will provide detectors. Currently through the Boyne Regional Library there is a program, where households can use the detector and return it.”
Council also considered correspondence ranging from regional tourism updates to information on business-safety protocols and community programming. Members recognized the University of Manitoba Aggies Bed Push, which raised $9,004.58 each for STARS Ambulance and the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program.
Across both meetings, council continued to move forward on priorities affecting transportation, recreation, community safety and long-term infrastructure planning, setting the stage for several significant projects entering 2025 and 2026.
