Projects on the books for the RM of Stanley in 2024 will be to continue planning its joint wastewater initiative with the City of Winkler. The project will provide capacity for both jurisdictions for continued growth into the future.
For growing communities like Schanzenfeld and Reinfeld, RM of Stanley Reeve Ike Friesen says the project will provide improved sewer services for both.
Schanzenfeld and Reinfeld are the municipality's largest two communities, with Reinfeld's current population around 1400 and Schanzenfeld nearly 1000 people, according to Friesen. Once the wastewater project is complete, he says they expect further development within those communities to happen very quickly because the potential will be there to expand.
"We'll just have to work at that when we have the wastewater in place, but the developers are ready to develop in those areas as soon as it's there," said Friesen.
A celebration to mark the completion and opening of the Reinfeld Community Park last week was a big highlight for the RM of Stanley to wrap up the year on, and more to celebrate is anticipated in 2024. Work on phase 2 of the park which will include a picnic shelter, soccer pitch, and baseball diamond is expected to start in the summer.
Friesen says it's been so good to see how this community-led initiative has progressed.
"We took a risk and chance at buying the property,15 acres as a municipality, and then the hope was that the community would take ownership of it and build what they would like to see. And it has happened, so we're very pleased with the people involved, and we hope that they'll be able to maintain and continue on the growth," said Friesen. "I think as the community starts to use it, the interest will continue to grow in it."
Meanwhile, Friesen says the villages of Blumenfeld and Hochfeld are up next on the rm's list for community pathway improvements.