The Rural Municipality of St. François Xavier is finalizing a new strategic plan following months of community engagement. Residents, advisory groups and municipal committees were all invited to participate, and Council says the feedback received is helping shape the municipality’s direction in the years ahead.
“We’ve been in the process for the last couple of months of printing out surveys, getting feedback from people,” says Reeve Delmer Nott. “All the groups in the municipality or committees were also contacted to get their input into what they see as needs going forward,” Nott adds. “We’ve had a meeting with the Council and with our consultant. And we are now putting together a final draft for the strategic plan for the RM of St. François Xavier,” he continues. “It’s good to have a past, but that’s not how we live. We have to be hugging of the fact that the world is changing, and we need to change with it with a strategic plan that will help guide us.”
Nott says the public engagement was among the most successful the municipality has seen.
“Our consultant said they received one of the highest return rates of surveys they’ve ever seen,” he notes. “We’re very happy that our community responded and took this as a very important step in the future of the RM and of St. François Xavier.”
Highway 26 remains a top concern
Council continues to lobby for long-term improvements to Highway 26, which runs directly through the municipality. While some patching has recently taken place, Nott says more permanent solutions are necessary.
“We’re still lobbying the government and we’ll meet with the government on issues regarding Hwy. 26 and its condition,” Nott says. “Today they’re out paving or patching a portion of it,” he adds. “We’ve had several meetings with some of the different deputies and ministers, lobbying for our concerns,” he continues. “I hope this is not just a Band-Aid. I hope this is an indication of what they plan for the future of Hwy. 26. It’s the historic Trans Canada Highway. It’s the only transportation route that runs right from one end of our municipal area to the other. It needs to get the upgrades and the changes that are required to bring it into... nowadays.”
Ongoing talks with province on intersection and CentrePort
Discussions with Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI) have also continued, focusing on the Highway 26 and Trans-Canada Highway intersection, along with long-term planning for CentrePort access.
“We’ve recently had a meeting with MTI regarding Hwy. 26 and the No. 1 intersection, as well as the future development of the CentrePort access,” Nott says. “They have been listening to us, which is a great thing,” he adds. “They’re looking at alternatives right now for that intersection. We’ve managed to talk to them and get it put on their radar,” he continues. “We have indicated a willingness to work with them to ensure that our goals are accomplished in conjunction with their goals of aligning CentrePort with the Trans Canada. We’ll benefit from that and benefit from the intersection upgrade at the same time.”
Zoning restrictions and development possibilities
Chief administrative officer John Visser says the RM has also initiated conversations about land use in the restricted development area surrounding the intersection.
“Right now there’s a restricted development area around there,” Visser says. “That was one of the reasons we approached the government,” he adds. “We wanted to find out what the actual plan was there so when we update our development plan, we can redesignate some of that land for future development. They seem willing to enter into some discussions about that as well.”
Wastewater planning tied to growth
As residential and commercial interest in the RM increases, Council is also looking closely at wastewater capacity and long-term servicing.
“Well, I think maybe the other thing we’re looking at, of course, is as we face the same challenges as other areas do as far as our wastewater abilities go,” Nott says. “We are looking at options that are available to us,” he adds. “We have several studies on the go, we are waiting for the recommendations. For our municipality as well as other municipalities, wastewater is becoming a big concern as we reach our capacity for growth,” he continues. “We have the interest in growth, we have the ability to grow, we have the area... we just need to ensure that our services that we provide our residents grow with us.”
Emphasis on regional presence and advocacy
Nott, who also serves on the rural ambulance board, says regional representation and relationship-building are crucial to the RM’s success.
“One of the things I’ve learned... is networking is of the utmost support,” he says. “If you’re not networking, you’re not putting yourself out there, nobody’s going to come knocking on your door,” Nott adds. “I encourage Council as well to ensure that we’re at the table, wherever we can be,” he continues. “If you’re not at the table, you might be part of the menu.”
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