The Town of Stonewall celebrated multiple milestone moments in 2023, with many more exciting projects are coming up in 2024.
“It has been a very positive year for Stonewall. We have been fortunate to have a lot of our successes reported on by the Tribune,” said Stonewall Mayor Sandra Smith.
“Some that stand out for me include getting ministerial approval for our annexa-tion of five quarter-sections from the RM of Rockwood. This will help set the stage for Stonewall’s continued growth into the future.”
Smith also pointed to the commencement of the restoration work on the town’s iconic kilns in Quarry Park, which was made possible by funding from the town, province and the Quarry Producers.
As well, the town was abuzz with excitement for the construction and opening of a 74-space daycare facility, all within less than a year.
Smith was also pleased that the town secured an announcement from the provin-cial government to the next stage in development and design of a 144-bed person-al care home facility.
Throughout 2023, the Town of Stonewall hosted multiple open house events to en-courage public engagement and participation, including events focused on the Quarry Park master plan, the cemetery plan and the new traffic and parking by-law.
The town also updated its strategic plan, which sets priorities up to 2028. The stra-tegic plan focuses on six main priorities: community and economic development; housing and growth management; culture, recreation and mobility; community identity and adaptation; partnerships and communication; and sustainability and resilience.
In addition, the town received funding from the federal and provincial govern-ments for an electric vehicle pilot project for Stonewall and Area Mobility Services.
“Through the hard work and dedication of volunteers and town staff, Stonewall has successfully hosted several sporting tournaments, which contributes to elevat-ing our town’s profile,” Smith added.
At the same time, the town has faced some challenges, including concerns about the criminal justice system and policing.
In a recent letter to the justice minister, Smith noted that policing services cost the Town of Stonewall about $900,000 in 2023, which is nearly $200 per capita. At the same time, residents are expressing concern about issues such as the catch-and-release bail process, policing contracts and service delivery levels. Smith is seeking the provincial government’s help to address the underlying issues and di-rect impact of crime in the community.
“For the most part, I view challenges as opportunities,” she said. “The opportunity for council is to continue to engage with the RCMP, our residents and business owners to work towards measures to try to effectively curb the actions of select in-dividuals in our community.”
Coming up in 2024, several projects are in the works, while council also considers other major undertakings. These projects include the new water treatment plant, reverse osmosis system, study for the next phase of the Veteran’s Memorial Sports Complex, road improvements and paving, expansion of off-leash dog park to create space for smaller dogs and the secondary plan and new zoning bylaw.
“Council continues to look ahead with a view to making improvements to benefit our residents,” Smith said, “all the while keeping in mind the constraints of budg-etary issues and the impacts of the cost of living.”
