The Magazine of the ASSOCIATION OF MANITOBA MUNICIPALITIES SPRING 2010 PM40065075 New! Election 2010 • A home away from home BUILD A PLAYGROUND THAT BRINGS IMAGINATIONS TO LIFE! 22 TABLE OFContents The Magazine of the ASSOCIATION On the 22 37 OF MANITOBA MUNICIPALITIES SPRING 2010 Cover: The longest Olympic Torch Relay ever within one country visited over 30 Manitoba communities. (Cover photo courtesy of © VANOC/COVAN). PM40065075 New! Election 2010 • A home away from home FEATURES Departments President’s Report ..................4 A home away from home . 18 Executive Director’s Report ...........5 In Brief...........................6 New Packaging and Printed And Furthermore ...................8 Paper Stewardship Program . 22 *(NEW!)* Election 2010.............10 AMM Education ...................12 The Leader’s Olympic Salute . 28 From the Policy Department..........14 Upcoming Events ..................16 2010 M .O .S . & Trade Show . 37 MMAA Report ....................21 Memorable Manitoba ...............26 Legal Corner .....................64 2010 M.O.S. & Trade Show Insurance ........................66 MTCML.........................72 April 14-15, 2010 | Keystone Centre, Brandon Page 37 Candid Camera ...................74 Professional Directory...............76 Reach our Advertisers...............80 Municipal Leader is published quarterly by Publication management and production by: the Association of Manitoba Municipalities. Send change of address to: A M M M I S SION Association of Manitoba Municipalities A M M M I S SION 1910 Saskatchewan Avenue W. STATEM ENT Portage la Prairie, MB R1N 0P1 3rd Floor - 2020 Portage Avenue TheSTATE Association ofM ManitobaENT Municipalities Ph: (204) 856-2366 Fax: (204) 856-2370 Winnipeg, MB R3J 0K4 identifiesThe Association and addresses of Manitoba the Municipalitiesneeds and e-mail: [email protected] Ph: (204) 985-9780 Fax: (204) 985-9795 concernsidentifies ofand its addressesmembers thein order needs to and achieve www.amm.mb.ca e-mail: [email protected] strongconcerns and of effective its members municipal in order government. to achieve www.kelman.ca strong and effective municipal government. Publications Mail Agreement #40065075 Editor-in-Chief: Lynne Bereza Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Managing Editor: Terry Ross [email protected] Art Design/Production: Theresa Kurjewicz Advertising Manager: Dave Gill Advertising Coordinator: Lauren Campbell Note: The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the views of the AMM or its Board. Do your part for the environment, Contents may not be reproduced without the express consent of the publisher. reuse and recycle. Municipal Leader | Spring 2010 3 PRESIDENT’SReport AMM Board OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE We cannot fall PRESIDENT Councillor Doug Dobrowolski ANY FURTHER BEHIND RM of Macdonald Doug Dobrowolski, President VICE-PRESIDENT, RURAL Reeve Roger Wilson RM of Birtle Isn’t it great to usher in spring? Typically a being asked to do traffic control as RCMP VICE-PRESIDENT, URBAN time of renewal, warmer days, puddles (and have other priorities. Municipalities under- Mayor Shirley Kalyniuk sometimes, unfortunately, floods) spring is stand this and while traffic control is ultim- Town of Rossburn also the time for budgets. ately the responsibility of the RCMP, local Across Canada municipalities held their fire departments are willing to provide this DIRECTORS collective breath waiting for the federal service. However municipal fire depart- budget to come down in early March. ments should be trained and compensated Fortunately, the feared spending cuts and for their time. To that end we asked the Councillor Ralph Groening offloading did not materialize. Leading up Province to provide funding to munici- RM of Morris to the budget, the Federation of Canadian pal fire departments to offset the cost of Mayor Melvin Klassen Municipalities (FCM) called for the Federal providing traffic control at accident scenes, Town of Altona Government to sustain its core commit- and we also asked for training to be made ments to cities and communities, and that available to municipal fire departments. Reeve Alice Bourgouin is essentially what it did. The Gas Tax Fund, While this is just one example, it per- RM of Rosser the GST rebate and the existing social fectly illustrates how a download situation Mayor Randy Sigurdson housing programs will continue, even as is born – an expectation is created, munici- Town of Arborg the government begins its long term plan to palities rise to the challenge, and ultimately balance its books. Reeve George Harbottle end up providing a service that was never Given the fiscal situation, it comes as no RM of Alexander their responsibility to begin with. surprise that there is little stimulus fund- Naturally, we expect some movement Councillor Art Rempel ing still available for access by municipal on the sewage ejector issue as well – that is City of Steinbach projects – virtually every dollar has been one that requires no explanation. And, as committed, and in many cases projects have Reeve Randy Lints with the federal budget, we must not see begun. Our hope in the coming year is for RM of Hamiota any erosion of our current programs. In Ottawa to continue to partner with prov- times of fiscal rebuilding, everyone under- Mayor Eileen Clarke inces and territories to monitor stimulus stands the need for restraint. However, Town of Gladstone projects, identify regional challenges, and there is an equal need to maintain and Reeve Ron Kostyshyn show flexibility where delays are caused by protect what we already have. We simply RM of Mossey River factors outside of municipal control. The cannot fall any further behind. Federal Government stood by municipal- Our budget submissions for 2010, both Councillor Betty Nykyforak ities with Budget 2010, and we join FCM in federal and provincial, are available on Town of Roblin urging it to continue to do so. our website at http://www.amm.mb.ca/ Councillor Alan Ransom It should come as no surprise that pol_budgets.html. RM of Morton provincially, too, our “wish list” is on the With that, our year is well under way short side. Gone are the days of big “asks” and our work certainly appears to be cut Councillor Maxine Chacun – at least temporarily. We expect a tough out for us! I am thankful for the many Town of Virden budget and hopefully, a fair budget. We opportunities I have already had to meet Councillor Oswald Sawh are taking a realistic approach in that we with our members, including our recent City of Thompson expect existing programs to be maintained round of Mayors, Reeves and CAOs meet- and protected. That is not to say we are ings. These meetings continue to be an Councillor Karen MacKinnon looking for nothing new at all, simply that excellent way for the AMM to feel the pulse City of Flin Flon we are looking for movement on smaller, of our membership and hear the issues Councillor Russ Wyatt more achievable items. facing our community leaders. I look for- City of Winnipeg For example, an issue of great import- ward to our next opportunity to meet – at ance to many of our municipalities is the MOS in Brandon. See you there. Ernie Epp cost of using fire personnel to do traffic President of the Manitoba Municipal control at motor vehicle accident scenes. Administrators’ Association Too often untrained fire personnel are | 4 Municipal Leader Spring 2010 Click here to return to Table of Contents EXECUTIVE DIRECTOr’SReport Contact the AMM STAFF Joe Masi Voicing differing Executive Director 856-2360 OPINIONS IS HEALTHY [email protected] Joe Masi, Executive Director Linda Hargest Director of Administration & Marketing 856-2361 By the time you read this we will have is also why it is essential that every AMM [email protected] wrapped up our annual series of Mayors, member has an equal opportunity to Reeves and CAOs meetings which ran from attend these events. Tyler MacAfee March 15-23, 2009. These meetings repre- Thank you to everyone who partici- Director of Policy & Communications sent the first opportunity of the year for pated in this year’s Mayors, Reeves and 856-2362 the AMM Executive to update our mem- CAOs meetings, and thank you to this [email protected] bers on issues of importance, and update year’s hosts – the RM of Grandview and you we did. Your Executive covered almost Town of Grandview (Parkland), RM of Julia Green two dozen of our most pressing issues Hamiota and Town of Hamiota (Midwest- Administrative Assistant - during the seven meetings, including the ern), RM of Pipestone (Western), RM Board & Administration Onsite Wastewater Management System of South Norfolk and Town of Treherne 856-2365 Regulation, provincial land use policies, (Central), RM of West St. Paul (Inter- [email protected] economic development, housing, recyc- lake), Town of Churchill (Northern), and ling, health care, rural childcare, policing, RM of Springfield (Eastern). Your hospi- Lynne Bereza drainage, and more. tality was outstanding. Communications Coordinator The meetings also gave us an oppor- We now turn our attention to our 856-2366 tunity to fill you in on some newer issues next big event, the Municipal Officials [email protected] that have come up, things like the need for Seminar and MTCML Trade Show at the equal rights for municipal officials while Keystone Centre in Brandon on April 14 Patti De Baets in council meetings and our work on the and 15. As always, we expect approxi- Finance Coordinator women in government resolution. mately 700 municipal elected officials 856-2367 We also provided timely updates on and staff to attend and take advantage of [email protected] federal infrastructure funding and gas our wide selection of policy and profes- tax, two items – thankfully – not clawed sional development workshops and plen- back in the recent federal budget. ary sessions. The MTCML Trade Show is Erika Rempel Furthermore, we filled you in on our pri- THE largest municipal trade show event Administrative Assistant - ority issue for 2010 – the core challenges in Manitoba, with a wide range of dis- Policy & Communications of municipalities.