Longtime Winkler city councillor Marvin Plett was recently recognized by both the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) for his dedicated service to municipal government.
“I just received an award from the Association of Manitoba Municipalities for 25 years of service on council,” said Plett in an interview. In addition to that milestone, he has received recognition for serving on the FCM Board for 15 consecutive years, having been elected annually by Manitoba municipal delegates.
Two-and-a-half decades of service
Reflecting on 25 years on Winkler’s city council, Plett shared a sense of both pride and humility. “It's been an honour, I think, for me to represent the people that have put their trust in me over the years... we've had lots of capital things that have happened that we wanted to make sure our citizens appreciate,” he said.
He emphasized the breadth of work often unseen by the public, namely, infrastructure, water, and waste systems. “A lot of people probably don't realize... there's a lot of work that goes into making sure that the water that you drink is safe,” he explained, also pointing to the importance of wastewater management and recycling programs.
Evolving in the role
Over time, Plett says his understanding of his role has shifted. Early on, he believed “if you can assume that your water is going to be drinkable and safe... then we've done a good job.” But today, he sees education and transparency as essential parts of public service. “It's not automatic... It's important for us to educate,” he said, “I’m very happy to let our citizens know what we do.”
Keeping that level of openness for Plett is important, as it allows for an understanding between the council and the public, knowing that people don’t need to wonder what happens, and that answers are always available.
Representing Winkler on the National Stage
Plett currently serves as one of five Manitoba representatives on the 75-member FCM Board, which brings together councillors from across Canada. “Manitoba has five board members... and three people who are elected at large at our annual conference. And so that's how I'm a board member,” he explained.
He credited his colleagues in Winkler for supporting his participation on the national stage: “We feel strongly that we need to be at the table for bigger issues, and so that’s why I’ve had the support of my Council to be on the federal board.”
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Being an advocate
One of Plett’s long-running national priorities has been improving communications infrastructure in rural communities. “Cell service and Internet,” he said. “We worked on it very long and very hard, and we’re not there yet... but we’ve got a lot of wins.”
He’s also currently engaged in national discussions around bail reform. “A lot of work needs to be done to make sure that if people are repeat offenders... that needs to be addressed in a better way,” he said.
But Plett emphasized that prevention is as important as response. “We have Central Station, something that we strongly advocate for and the city strongly supports.”
Looking back—and forward
Asked how it feels to see the impact of his work over 25 years, Plett called it “one of the things that is most rewarding, much more so than a certificate”.
He acknowledged the ongoing challenge of housing and expressed support for strong policy development that empowers local actors: “I think it’s important that we as a city develop really good policy, and then kind of get out of the way and let the people do the work.”
Plett closed by thanking the City of Winkler and its council for their trust and acknowledged the sacrifices made by his family. “I would be remiss if I didn't recognize my partner, Elvira, and family. It takes a lot of time away from home, and sometimes even when I’m home, I’m engaged with things I’m working on," he laughed, “It’s a complete family affair for me.”
- photo provided by Winkler Mayor Henry Siemens -