The RM of Rockwood is introducing its new Community Safety Officer Program in an effort to bolster public safety while building community relationships and supporting local enforcement needs.
Community safety officers are trained to address non-emergency issues including bylaw enforcement, traffic concerns and general safety support. They’re appointed and sworn in as peace officers who are able to uphold certain aspects of the law.
As peace officers, they have the powers of arrest and detention, and they’re also able to conduct searches and seizures. They can uphold numerous provincial acts as well as some criminal and municipal laws.
Anyone who fails to stop and remain stopped when signalled or requested by a peace officer could face a serious provincial charge under the Highway Traffic Act or the Off-Road Vehicles Act.
The RM of Rockwood currently has one community safety officer to start the program.
Manitoba’s Community Safety Officer Program launched in 2017 in response to municipalities’ concerns about rising crime rates combined with decreasing police presence. The program aims to address some medium-risk to low-risk responsibilities so the RCMP can focus more on responding to high-risk incidents.
To contact a community safety officer for a non-emergency matter, you can use the online service tracker on the RM of Rockwood’s website (www.rockwood.ca) or call the municipal office at 1-204-467-2272 Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For emergencies, call 911.
More information, as well as a video introduction, is available on the RM of Rockwood’s social media channels.
In other council news:
• The RM of Rockwood’s municipal office and Winfield Transfer Station will be closed on Monday, Aug. 4 for Terry Fox Day. The municipal office will also be closed at 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 7 since the municipality is hosting the 26th annual ARM golf tournament at the Teulon Golf and Country Club. In addition, the Wednesday, Sept. 10 council meeting will be changed to Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 9 a.m. in the council chambers.
• Council approved 2025 grants to the following organizations: Age Friendly Stonewall, Brant-Argyle Legion 222, Community Re-source Network, Rockwood Festival of the Arts, South Interlake Fifty-Five Plus Inc, Stonewall Quarry Days, Stony Mountain Community Association, Teulon & District Seniors Resource Council, Teulon Canada Day, Argyle Curling Club, Balmoral Hall, Balmoral Childcare Centre, Interlake Pioneer Trail, Settlers Rails & Trails, South Interlake Rockwood Ag Society, South Interlake Regional Library, South Interlake Seniors Resource and Grosse Isle Heritage Site.
• Council authorized the installation of four additional streetlights in the Stony Mountain industrial park. Manitoba Hydro required a resolution to change the street lighting agreement to add the additional lights.
• Council authorized a $500 sponsorship for the business awards banquet that will be hosted by the Stonewall and District Chamber of Commerce at the Heritage Arts Centre on Oct. 25.
• Council approved a request from a Balmoral resident to keep two chickens at her property. In addition, council will amend the zoning bylaw to allow chickens and hens in residential zones.
• Council gave third reading to a bylaw to regulate the Stony Mountain utility system and to establish new water and wastewater rates. Utility rates haven’t changed since 2019, and a rate study was submitted to the Public Utilities Board in 2024. In addition, council gave first reading to a bylaw to amalgamate the Balmoral and Gunton utility systems.
• Council passed third reading to close a government road allowance on Road 8E.
• Council gave third reading to a bylaw for the 2025 budget and financial plan. The 2025 municipal rate is 7.852, down from 9.033 in 2024.
• Council gave third reading to bylaws to augment multiple reserve funds, including one for road construction of municipal highways as well as for maintenance, construction and re-construction of the municipal drainage system. The municipality will also augment the reserve fund for firefighting, equipment, building, renovation and replacement and the reserve fund for major repairs and maintenance on all transportation equipment and machinery replacement.
• Council gave first reading to a bylaw to prohibit and rectify unmanaged nuisance weeds, grasses and other herbaceous plants on private lands.
• Council gave first reading to a bylaw to regulate the operation of all-terrain vehicles.
• Council gave first reading to a bylaw related to the storage of construction waste materials at all construction sites.
• Council gave first reading to bylaws to regulate activities at the Teulon-Rockwood waste disposal grounds and the Winfield Road waste transfer station.
• Council gave first reading to a bylaw to regulate unnecessary and harmful noise.
• Council conditionally approved a request to relocate an older mobile home from Rosser to a property near Grosse Isle. In addition, council conditionally approved a request to relocate an older mobile home from Road 96N in Rockwood to a property near Teulon.
