It’s not just seeding operations that are putting talk of municipal amalgamation on hold in rural Manitoba. The Manitoba Conservatives have introduced a “hoist” motion on the NDP’s Bill 33, the Municipal Modernization Act, requiring towns and rural municipalities with under 1,000 permanent residents to submit amalgamation plans by Dec. 1, 2013 to the province.
Tories use ‘hoist motion’ to slow contentious bill passage
Manitoba food advocates give new ‘local’ definition thumbs up
The new name for local is ‘provincial.’ Until recently, only food grown within 50 kilometres of where it was sold qualified as local, but under a new interim ruling issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, any food grown in a province can legally be called ‘local food.’ (Food sold across a provincial border must
National 4-H museum comes home to Roland
The national 4-H Museum in Roland will soon have significantly more artifacts
4-H capped off its celebration of 100 years in Canada this past weekend by coming home. Like a good old-fashioned rally, dignitaries, clubs and alumni joined with local residents here May 31 to celebrate. If how the venerable organization honours its past is any indication, 4-H has no worries about its future. It was on
Municipalities need 3,000 people to prosper
Municipalities need at least 3,000 residents and a hefty tax base in order to prosper, according to a new study by Brandon University’s Rural Development Institute. The study used census data from Manitoba to look at factors such as population gain, an expanding tax base, favourable demographics (such as a rising percentage of females aged
A job well done
Linda Malcolmson retires from Cigi after 30 years
Colleagues are lining up to bid farewell to food scientist Linda Malcolmson who retires at the end of May with the Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi) — and it’s a long line. In a career spanning 30 years, including 15 as Cigi’s manager of special crops, oilseeds and pulses, Malcolmson has worked with a plethora
4-H legacy fundraiser sets $100,000 goal
4-H Canada is urging supporters of the program to consider a donation to help secure the program for its next century
4-H Canada is asking supporters of the Canadian youth program to help raise $100,000 in recognition of the 100th year of 4-H in Canada being celebrated in 2013. The program’s national legacy fundraising campaign encourages $100 donations toward improving and expanding 4-H programs across Canada for future generations. “We’re creating a legacy fund to embrace
McConnell 4-H Beef Club stands the test of time
The southwestern Manitoba club has been active since 1922, making it the oldest club in Canada
In 1922, a teacher in McConnell duly recorded the reason for so many empty desks in her classroom by writing “Boys and Girls Club” beside the names of those absent. Now 91 years young, McConnell Beef Club is the longest continuously active club anywhere in Canada — even surviving its namesake. McConnell is officially listed
Crocus blooms late — but on time for May 4 festival
This is the latest spring showing of the crocus anyone around here can recall, say festival organizers
The star of the show at Arden’s Crocus Festival was late this year — April 27 — the latest anyone recalls for that first appearance of crocus around here. The good news was they were blooming in abundance on the actual day of an annual festival — May 4 — to celebrate their arrival. Normally,Young drivers need more instruction on country roads
Manitoba Women’s Institute says beginning drivers should be given hands-on practice on unpaved roads
Do young drivers get enough instruction on how to safely drive country roads? The Manitoba Women’s Institute doesn’t think so, and wants hands-on practice on unpaved surfaces to be part of drivers’ education. Beginning drivers should be required to spend a specified amount of time driving on gravel and other unpaved surfaces, said Justina Hop,Merger saved money, sped up decision-making, says mayor
The voluntary merger that created the Municipality of Shoal Lake saves taxpayers $60,000 annually and improved local government efficiency
Don Yanick is getting a lot of calls from municipal officials across the province these days about the hot-button issue of amalgamation. And when asked if it was worth it, the mayor of the Municipality of Shoal Lake points to $60,000 in annual savings and a much more efficient local government. “Right off the top,Cyber-Savvy Farmer
