Pam Fedack

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.

At 6:15 on Wednesday evening Winkler Police, the Winkler Fire Department, and EMS responded to a single-vehicle collision at the intersection of Main Street and Roblin Boulevard. 

Police determined the driver of a southbound Ford Escape drove into a traffic signal light and cement planter located on the south median of the intersection.  

The collision knocked down the traffic signal light and damaged the planter.

Travel in the area was temporarily restricted while the scene was cleared of debris.

The $52.8 million expansion for Winkler Meats, the completion of multiple infrastructure projects and a number of recreational highlights were all included in Winkler Mayor Henry Siemen's' reflections of 2023. Overall, he said it was great year for the city, and a lot was accomplished.

"We were able to continue to work very hard on our Asset Management Plan to ensure we know what we have, what the condition of it is, and to know how and when we're going to need to repair, replace or upgrade."

Co-op members from Winkler and St. Joseph have voted in favor of amalgamating.
    
Winkler Co-op General Manager, Evan Toews says they began communicating with St. Joseph before 2020, and those conversations picked up steam within the last year.

Together with both boards, Toews said they decided it would be a very good fit to do business together, noting Winkler Co-op has already been doing the accounting for St. Joseph for a number of years, as well as delivering petroleum to their bulk petroleum division for the last couple of years.

A contest is underway to rename Winkler Co-op.

With the member-owned company now having operations in six communities, General Manager Evan Toews said the board feels the company needs a name that better reflects the communities they've branched into over the years. Expanding well beyond their first location in Winkler established in 1941, Winkler Co-op has grown to have a total of twenty-three locations in those six communities.

It's another sign of the continued growth happening in the City of Winkler.
    
Earlier this week, a significant infrastructure project wrapped up, creating a new efficient way to travel in Winkler from the Northlands Parkway area of the city to the rest of the community.

500 Stephen Community Centre in Morden is a flourishing place for local non-profit organizations to operate, and for community members to gather.
    
The centre brings many resources together under one roof and greatly enhances what existing local organizations can offer.
    
Executive Director Jenna Warkentine says the centre caters 100 % to non-profit organizations and community groups. She says they understand budgets are very limited and organizations need support in providing programs.
    

There's a new mosasaur fossil in Manitoba.

The dig site, two miles southwest of Miami, Manitoba,  has produced an exciting find by field workers and researchers with the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre (CFDC).
    
CFDC Executive Director, Adolfo Cuetara says CFDC staff recently discovered a full mosasaur skeleton on the property.

Millions of dollars in new capital investments announced last month in the City of Winkler are a reflection of the thriving business environment.
    
That is according to Winkler and District Chamber of Commerce President Hank Froese.
    
Froese says the thriving environment has produced a lot of growth among existing businesses but is also what attracts new investments.
    

The Bunker Youth Ministry's Industrial Eats food trailer is operating again for the summer season, an endeavour that has morphed into much more than dreamed.
     
Executive Director of the Bunker, Kevin Hildebrand says what started as a pulled pork lunch from the food trailer each Thursday to generate revenue for the ministry, has grown to include catering as well.