Gimli council appointed new members to the Gimli Community Development Corporation’s board after the corporation became defunct this summer when a majority of board members resigned.
The new appointments were approved at council’s Nov. 28 meeting.
Assistant chief administrative officer Kelly Cosgrove and councillors Kurt Reichert and Thora Palson were appointed to the board in accordance with the CDC bylaw, said Christine Payne, the RM’s newly hired manager of community engagement.
“Council, as shareholders of the Gimli Community Development Corporation, made the appointment,” she said.
A majority of the CDC’s board resigned after failing to secure the confidence of its sole shareholder – the RM of Gimli – in moving the organization forward. The resignations came a number of months after Gimli councillor Andy Damm blew the whistle on the CDC’s financial losses of almost $1 million since 2019 and management issues.
Gimli mayor Kevin Chudd was one of the former CDC board members who had resigned. The resignations had occurred at some point during the summer, after the CDC’s AGM in July, but they had not been announced on the CDC or RM’s website. The CDC’s website list of board members is out of date (viewed last week).
Other council news:
-The RM lost a senior administrative position, according to its website. Doreen Steg, who was director of finance, is no longer with the RM. The public works manager position is also vacant.
Both positions are listed (as of last week) under employment opportunities on the RM’s website, with applicant review dates of Dec. 6 (for finance) and Jan. 6, 2025 (for public works).
Payne was unable to share details regarding the vacancies, indicating they are personnel matters.
“… we have strict policies in place to protect the privacy of our employees and the confidentiality of internal matters. For this reason, we are unable to share specific details regarding Doreen Steg or the Public Works Manager,” said Payne.
-Gimli will be getting a new medical clinic after a doctor agreed to provide full-time family doctor services until the end of 2029.
Council approved an incentive agreement at its Nov. 20 special meeting for the medical clinic that Dr. Adeniyi Adegbesan is building on land beside Shoreside GM on PR 231. The site is legally described as Parcels A, B, and C Plan 45705 WLTO.
The exact amount of the incentive that council approved was not provided, but the incentive is capped at $200,000.
“In return for Dr. Adegbesan agreeing to complete the medical clinic and ensure full-time family doctor services are provided until December 31, 2029, the municipality agreed to cover costs for bringing water, sewer and electrical services to the property, up to a maximum of $200,000 (including taxes),” said Payne.
-At council’s committee of the whole (COW) meeting on Nov. 20, HTFC Planning & Design, a landscape architecture and land use planning firm from Winnipeg, presented a master trails plan. And at council’s special meeting the same day (Nov. 20), council hired the firm to create a master trails plan, according to agendas.
The selection of HTFC followed a “thorough evaluation process” to ensure the best fit, said Payne.
“The award was based on a careful evaluation of HTFC’s proposal, not on a plan they had already created,” said Payne. “HTFC’s presentation during the meeting demonstrated a strong alignment with the municipality’s goals. This was an opportunity for council to hear directly from HTFC, and the feedback confirmed they were a solid match for the project.”
HTFC’s presentation of a master plan and the RFP award to HTFC were done under different meetings on the same day as it had been recommended at council’s Nov. 14 regular meeting to “award the contract to HTFC” based on an evaluation process.
“Council requested an in-person meeting with HTFC at the Nov. 20 Committee of the Whole meeting to ensure the project would be a good fit,” said Payne. “The final award was passed by resolution at the Special Meeting of Council that followed.”
Seven proposals in total for a master trails plan were submitted to the RM, said Payne.
“Each firm presented impressive qualifications, and all submissions were evaluated based on key criteria such as experience, price and their consultation programs. HTFC stood out as the top choice after a detailed evaluation process, particularly for their understanding of the project and their emphasis on public engagement and safety,” she said.
The RM has about 15 trails throughout the municipality offering hiking, bicycling, rollerblading, skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling.
The RM’s Active Trails Advisory Committee, which promotes human-powered activities on the trails and organizes collective hikes, and the Interlake Offroad Club, which advocates for safe, licensed ATV pursuits, have differing views of what activities should be allowed on the Rail Trail, in particular.
The 36-kilometre-long Rail Trail, a former CPR rail line, stretches north from the Diageo distillery to the boundary of Gimli and the Municipality of Bifrost-Riverton, passing by several residential subdivisions along the way. ATVs are currently not allowed on the Rail Trail, but some ATV drivers disregard the rule.
The RM’s master trails plan, when completed, is expected to address the potential shared use of trails.
-The East Interlake Handi-Van incurred a deficit of $43,645 for 2023. Gimli council posted the financial statements for the municipally shared transportation service under its agenda for Nov. 13.
The handi-van is a charitable organization that provides transportation throughout the year to mobility-disadvantaged residents in the RM of Gimli, the RM of Armstrong, the RM of St. Andrews, the Village of Dunnottar and the Town of Winnipeg Beach.
A question pertaining to the deficit was deferred.
Since Greyhound cancelled its bus services in western Canada in 2018, Interlakers have struggled to find affordable transportation services. Municipalities help subsidize handi-van services.
