Local leaders touched on an array of issues and priorities last Thursday as the Winkler and Morden chambers of commerce jointly hosted the Your Region, Your Voice event at Zara’s Garden.
Morden-Winkler MLA Carrie Hiebert, Winkler Mayor Henry Siemens, Morden Mayor Nancy Penner, and RM of Stanley Reeve Ike Friesen addressed a variety of topics ranging from education and training opportunities to the need for more housing and supports for people in need.
Other questions covered such areas as investment and support for newcomer businesses and the need for more industrial space in both Winkler and Morden. And of course infrastructure—including most especially wastewater treatment—came up as an urgent priority so that development can move forward at the pace the region is demanding.
A common theme throughout the evening was the importance of regional collaboration between the three municipalities.
Friesen highlighted the Stanley community pathway as a prime example of what co-operation can accomplish.
“It’s been a work in progress for many years … more recently, it got more traction, and we got a committee that’s worked very hard on it.”
“The pathway is such a visible one, and it’s going to benefit so many of us,” agreed Penner.
She also cited the regional landfill as another good example, including the recent initiative for it to take on doing composting for the area.
“They’re moving full steam ahead, and we are pleased that we still have an opportunity to keep our composting out of the landfill,” she noted.
“I think it is important to remember there have been some really good regional partnerships over the years,” Siemens said. “When we look at MSTW, and we look at SWAMP [Solid Waste Area Management Project], and we look at some of the areas where we have worked together that have planted some of the seeds for what is happening now.”
He also cited how the three municipalities came together to jointly support the Boundary Trails Health Centre Foundation for the current hospital expansion.
“There’s a whole bunch of things where we have worked together that don’t necessarily hit the news,” he added.
Siemens went on to note how the local leaders meet monthly to discuss a range of issues
“Many of them are planting seeds for tomorrow,” he suggested. “There are some pieces that we can point to that are big wins … really, really big wins are still to come. They’re to come based on the relationship that we are building of trust in each other.”
He also referred to the rivalry that had existed for so long between Morden and Winkler as mostly being a thing of the past.
“To see it now being pushed aside and to recognize those 25,000 or 30,000 vehicles a day that go back and forth,” said Siemens. “People had figured it out a long time ago. It’s time that we do as well, and we are working very hard to do so.”
“I’ve never seen anybody work so well together, and I think this is such a big success for our region,” noted MLA Hiebert. “It’s a big thing for our area.”
Hiebert said that she always works to bring forward the needs of the region, and she also highlighted the success of the expansion of the regional hospital but also such projects as the new arena in Winkler and the new school in Morden.
“There’s a lot of really good things happening,” she said. “I’m always going to fight to make sure that we get what we need in our communities.”
Another question though focused on some of the challenges that are being faced and areas where things have perhaps not progressed as well or where there have been barriers.
“One thing I do know is that when there are roadblocks in our communities, we have got such amazing communities … all of you step up,” said Hiebert. “I think there’s always a way, and our business community, our people, our volunteers … everybody just gets together and they figure out how to make it work.”
“I think most of the things that we run into today are more not now rather than not at all … that last piece is primarily a function of financing,” suggested Siemens.
“We look at growth related infrastructure costs that are exponentially hard to do, and it’s almost impossible to go back and ask the local ratepayers to pick up the cost of those things,” he added. “It’s not necessarily the local money that’s the problem.”
Penner touched on the challenge faced by Morden in getting to a wastewater solution.
“It’s an issue that Morden has been struggling with … but we are finally moving forward on it,” she said.
“In the meantime, it is a project that we can’t do alone,” Penner stressed. “We need federal, provincial, and municipal funding for this, but thinking about co-operative spirit, Winkler’s going to look at the feasibility option for us in the short term to help us.
“So, here again, we’re talking about co-operative spirit in the region. It’s something we can’t just walk away from. It’s taking a major effort from a number of parties … but Morden is situating itself so that when this wastewater treatment gets approved and in the ground … we’re full steam ahead.”
Friesen also emphasized the spirit of regional co-operation in working to help out Morden in the short term, and he concluded with a thought on the need for capital lot levies to support and help pay for the infrastructure that the growth across the region demands.
“It’s not coming provincially or federally, and we’re having to go to developers,” he said.
