Candace Derksen

As of August 8th, the Plum Coulee Landfill will be permanently closed.
    
Municipality of Rhineland Reeve Don Wiebe explains the facility has hit capacity.

In 2019, the Province advised the Municipality that it would not be permitted to expand the landfill because there wasn't room for a new hole, but it could continue operating it until the existing hole was full or until June 2023, whichever came first. That day has now come and a decommissioning plan has begun.

The Town of Altona will once again have a local primary Municipal Emergency Coordinator.
    
In years past, that person was resident Bob Stoesz, and more recently the job was contracted out to Commissionaires, a private, non-profit security agency that offers a wide range of services.
    

Council for the Municipality of Rhineland is reviving a previous discussion regarding an expanded special services bylaw for the L.U.D. of Gretna.

Recommended by the L.U.D committee in 2019, the original proposal included more services like highway construction and maintenance as well as snow removal, on top of street lighting and fire protection that is currently offered. As well, presently exempt properties, like schools and churches, would fall subject to the levy.

However, in early 2020 Council decided to table the discussion for two years.

If you've driven past 2nd St NE in Altona you've probably noticed that part of the road has been torn up.
    
Public Works Manager, Clint Derksen, says it's all part of the final phase of last year's downtown drainage project. Two blocks of the road are being torn up between 4th Ave NE and 6th Ave NE and will be re-engineered for improved drainage.

The Municipality of Emerson-Franklin has unveiled its long-awaited economic development master plan. 
     
Part of that vision includes capturing the economic potential generated by the Canada/U.S. border crossing at Emerson by partnering with the Province to create an economic development zone on Crown land along Highway 75 north of the port of entry.  

The Municipality of Emerson-Franklin has unveiled its long-awaited economic development master plan.
    
Part of that vision includes capturing the economic potential generated by the Canada/U.S. border crossing at Emerson by partnering with the Province to create an economic development zone on Crown land along Highway 75 north of the port of entry. 

The sod was turned Wednesday on a new 2,000-plus square foot location for Rosenort Credit Union's (RCU) Altona branch.

Brad Penner, CEO of Rosenort Credit Union, says the undeveloped area at 306 Centre Ave. East has great visibility.

"We were in contact with the local developer (that is working on the plot of land) and really liked the location...and this is offering us the ability to develop with the developer and create a nice space for our future credit union," he explained.

Penner added, that they've simply outgrown the current branch location at 4th Ave NE.

The RPGA Planning District is reporting a surge in building permit values to start the year.
    
Values for the first six months in the Municipality of Rhineland are up 75 percent over the same period last year, ringing in at $13.8 million.
    
The Town of Altona is sitting at 56 percent with permits valued at $5.6 million so far. 

"We're seeing quite a surge in the values of the permits. I believe that's partially due to inflation, however, building permit numbers are still very good," said Community Development Officer Susan Stein.

"The Bank of Canada (BoC) is definitely looking to keep inflation under control," says Larry Davey, President and CEO of Access Credit Union, following the BoC's aggressive one-point hike to the key lending rate last week. The BoC rate now sits at 2.5 per cent. 

"The consensus was we thought we'd see about a three-quarter of a percent jump, but the Bank obviously wants to make things happen quicker, so they bumped it one percent," adds Davey.

He describes the intent behind increasing the key lending rate in order to curb inflation.

A trend being experienced at many Manitoba animal shelters is unfolding here in the Pembina Valley. Like other organizations, the Pembina Valley Humane Society (PVHS) is reporting a high number of dogs and cats being surrendered or returned this year.