With both Mayor Hedley and Councillor Pottinger away for this week’s meeting, February continues to be a month of brevity for the Neepawa Town Council.

Councillor Nadeau updated Council on the activities of the local library, which is now offering activities nearly every Saturday for both adults and youth as well as other activities through the week. Councillor Sisley mentioned the recent winter festival, which drew over a thousand attendees on a beautiful Sunday evening during Louis Riel weekend and concluded with a fireworks display. However, following the event, the washrooms on site were once again vandalised, a recurring problem at The Flats. Thanks to the cameras that have been installed, the town expects to be able to identify the perpetrators.

Manager of Operations Denis Saquet notes that work is proceeding on the new water line on the east side of town and that drivers should be cautious going through the construction zone. A new hookup between Hylife and Rocky Mountain Equipment is now complete and the boil water advisory for that area was lifted after the weekend.

Once again the town had a couple of Provincial visitors. Minister of Advanced Education and Training Renee Cable held an extensive meeting with town representatives regarding the needs and concerns of the community as well as current projects, and Agassiz MLA Jodie Byram also met with Council to discuss the direction of the town and what the local needs are.

Neepawa has met the first milestone for the age-friendly community initiative by joining the organisation, which granted the town $1,000 in support, and there are further incentives as the town progresses as well as funding available for consultations. The Manitoba Association of Senior Communities is also looking at encouraging dementia-friendly communities.

Finally, there were a few pieces of business to clean up related to other ongoing projects. An application for the second phase of the redevelopment of the former East View Lodge property has been registered and the town can now start marketing those 11 lots; a friendly subdivision amendment was made to change the boundary between two adjacent properties to meet setback requirements; and Council passed second and third reading of a bylaw to open a new public road in order to be ready for the upcoming vocational high school.

As well, the town granted its approval for the Canada Day fireworks display at Riverbend Park  and granted community event status to the 2024 Neepawa and District Chamber of Commerce Fair in order for them to obtain a special community event liquor license.