Candace Derksen

Trustees for the Border Land School Division have approved a $39 million budget for 2023/24 - a $1.4 million, or 3.8 per cent increase, over 2022/23.

Nearly all of the budget, $38.5 million, will go to paying operating expenses.

"Salaries are always our largest component of the operating budget but, as everyone knows, in 2022 we saw an average inflation rate of 7.8% and we have seen significant increases in our fuel, parts and insurance. That directly affects our expenses and the amounts we're having to pay," explained Secretary Treasurer, Rachel Geirnaert. 

The Town of Altona is advancing an effort to install updated water meters in local homes, and has hired a contractor to do the work. 

According to the Town, a majority of the old meters have reached the end of their recommended service life and need to be replaced. 

The leader of Manitoba's New Democrats and official Opposition spent the day Friday touring a part of the Pembina Valley, meeting with business leaders in the region. Stops on Wab Kinew's tour included Friesens Corporation and Golden West in Altona, Decor Cabinets in Morden and Triple E in Winkler. 

New and old ideas are on the table as councilors and administrators for the Town of Altona meet to develop a new five-to-ten-year strategic plan for the community.
    
Mayor Harv Schroeder says he last participated in such an exercise about four years ago when he was a rookie councilor.

A recent surge of interest for the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) in the Altona/Rhineland area has program operators baffled. 
    
Stephanie Harris, Economic Development Officer for SEED, reports the number of registered profiles on their website grew by almost 35,000 in the last month, nearly doubling the total to about 81,000. These candidates have also been submitting applications to the RNIP program. One participating business received nearly 10,000 applications, she added.

Administrators and Council have put together a prelinary 2023 budget for the Town of Altona that Mayor Harv Schroeder says meets the needs of the community amid rising inflation, while keeping tax increases as low as possible.

"(We) met on February 21st. We had a really good meeting with lots of conversation and discussion," he explained. "Council has added their input and a few changes were made."

Despite high inflation, Schroeder says the group was able to come up with a financial plan that kept tax increases relatively low without reducing services. 

A familiar face will be leading Prairie Dale School in Schanzenfeld next school year.
    
Anny Froese, who has been serving as Vice Principal and Resource Teacher at the school since 2019, will take over as Principal starting in September. 

Crews have been scraping, digging, and leveling earth for just over a month now, and Phase 1 of Altona's industrial park expansion is progressing well. That's the latest update from Mayor Harv Schroeder.

"Fast Brothers are living up to their name. They are working quickly and effectively so far," he explained. "The last update that we received is that they are continuing to put in the manholes and sewer lines. They are also making progress on the retention pond which is necessary for drainage of the development."

Council and administrators for the Municipality of Rhineland have emerged from a two day planning session with six priorities to focus on this term.

"We hope to set the stage for the next four years and then annual plans are supposed to be reflected in these priorities that we set for ourselves," explained Reeve Don Wiebe. 

The priority areas identified as a result of the session include water management.

Those who supported the Altona Library's relocation were honoured at an intimate celebratory evening hosted by the South Central Regional Library at the new, bigger space in the Altona Mall.
    
The idea to move to library to the mall was hatched, and became reality, in just a year-and-a-half, and Laverne Siemens, a representative on the Board of Directors, said the effort is an example of what can happen when a community rallies behind an effort.