Community Connections Winter 2025

CELEBRATING A HEART FOR COMMUNITY

HEATHER DEAN NAMED MANITOBA’S OLDER ADULT OF THE YEAR This year, Heather Dean has been named the 2025 Older Adult of the Year through the Manitoba Healthy Aging Awards.

Heather’s commitment to community runs deep. Her volunteer work reflects a genuine passion for ensuring that older adults feel supported, valued, and able to live independently for as long as possible.

As Chair of Seine River Services for Seniors, a board member of Villa Youville in Ste. Anne, and with the Transportation Options Network for Seniors, Heather has been a driving force behind expanding affordable transportation and essential services for seniors across multiple municipalities.

Whether helping seniors access medical appointments, strengthening connections between service providers, or shaping long-term seniors’ strategies, her work has had a meaningful and lasting impact.

Heather brings thoughtfulness, expertise, and compassion to every role she takes on, always listening first and leading with purpose. Her dedication to her community, and her wisdom have made such a positive difference that has inspired many to do the same.

This well-deserved recognition celebrates not only Heather’s remarkable achievements, but also her kindness, leadership, and unwavering dedication to the well-being of older adults throughout our region. Her example is an inspiration to all of us.

Congratulations, Heather, and thank you for all you do for our community!

2026 CALENDAR RM Council Meeting Dates January 14th, 9:10 am January 28, 6:00 pm February 11, 9:10 am February 25, 6:00 pm March 11, 9:10 am March 25, 6:00 pm April 8, 9:10 am LUD of Richer Meeting Dates January 7, 7:00 pm February 4, 7:00 pm March 4, 7:00 pm April 1, 7:00 pm Meetings of the RM of Ste. Anne and Local Urban District of Richer are open to the public. Council meetings are held in the Council Chambers of the RM Office at 395 Traverse Road and continue to be recorded and livestreamed via www.rmofsteanne.com. LUD of Richer Committee Meetings are held at the Richer Young at Hearts Club at 22 Dawson Rd. W. Committee of the Whole * January 20, 6:00 pm February 17, 9:10 am March 17, 6:00 pm April 14, 9:10 am *may be subject to change

Heather Dean.

Photo Credit: Mélanie Brémaud

La municipalité de Ste. Anne est maintenant officiellement et fièrement bilingue. Pour les informations et les services en français, vous avez tout simplement besoin de nous les demander.

LUD of Richer Garbage Pickup Changing to every Thursday, except holiday weeks as follows: Friday January 2, 2026 and Thursday January 8, 15, 22, & 30 Electronic Recycle Day First Tuesday of each month

MUNICIPAL SNOW CLEARING PROCEDURES Municipal graders take approximately two days to clear all roads within the RM of Ste. Anne. Please note that we only begin clearing once the snow event has ended and it is safe to start plowing. **Please note that these procedures do NOT include Provincial highways**

OUR PROCESS: Grader 1: • Starts by clearing Dawson Road and the LUD of Richer.

• Every other snowfall crews alternate their starting point by clearing either to the north or south of Highway 1 to ensure fairness.

Grader 2: • Starts by clearing Greenland Rd

• Every other snowfall crews alternate their starting point by clearing either in the Greenland area or the East side of RM. While the graders are out, our public works team prioritizes: • Clearing sidewalks, hard surfaces in Richer and the Richer Fire Hall • Clearing pathways and park paths in RM.

• Sanding major parking lots, recycling depots, the lagoon, and RM facilities, etc.

Once all the paths have been cleared and sanding has been done, we then work on clearing the Giroux Ice rink for our residents to use!

We appreciate your patience and understanding as this cycle is typically completed over two days.

Please refer to the map above to see which roads are RM of Ste. Anne municipal roads and which roads are Provincial Highways.

PROVINCIAL SNOW CLEARING Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI) clear snow from provincial highways based on priority levels: • Level 1: Travel lanes on major routes are plowed within 4 hours, after the end of a weather event.

• Level 2: Regional roads plowed within 8 hours, after major routes are cleared.

• Level 3: Gravel, access and service roads are typically plowed within 48 hours, after the end of a weather event, and during working hours.

Provincial Roads 207, 302, and 311 are Level 2 roads.

What’s your road’s priority level?

Check here for details: https://www.gov.mb.ca/mti/roadinfo/road_safety.html

This winter, MTI introduces Track My Plow, a new tool on the Manitoba 511 website and app. You can track snowplows in real-time, alongside road conditions and closures.

Download the app: https://www. manitoba511.ca/about/mobileapp What counts as a weather event?

Plowing begins after precipitation stops and winds no longer cause vis-

ibility or drifting issues. Main routes are cleared first, followed by snow buildup removal.

Be prepared! Always check road conditions at https://www.manitoba511.ca/ before traveling.

Adjust your driving to suit winter conditions.

Let’s stay safe on the roads this winter!

SNOW MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS Winter is a beautiful season, but it comes with its share of challenges—especially when it comes to snow removal. To help keep your driveway clear while supporting public plowing efforts, here are some helpful tips: 1. Pile Snow with Traffic Flow When clearing snow near a public road, always pile it in the same direction as traffic. This reduces the chances of snow being pushed back into your driveway by municipal plows.

2. Create a Snow Pocket On the opposite side of your driveway, create a snow pocket. This will catch snow from provincial or mu-

nicipal plows before it spills onto your driveway.

3. Avoid Pushing Snow Across the Road Never push snow across the road— it can create hazards for other drivers and block drainage in ditches.

For safety and operational reasons, the Municipality has enacted an Obstructions By-law prohibiting this.

Property owners who push snow across roads may face fines.

4. Keep Snow on Your Property Store snow on your property and as far away from the public road as possible. This will ensure you have enough space to store snow

throughout the season.

5. Avoid Street Parking Park off the streets to allow plows to clear roads completely. When plows can move faster and throw snow further from the road, snow removal becomes more effective.

Also, keep items like garbage bins, mailboxes, signs, and bus shelters well away from the road to help with plowing operations.

By being mindful of your snow removal practices, you not only make things easier for public snow removal crews but also help reduce the need for costly municipal maintenance. When snow can be spread

more efficiently along roadsides, it increases storage capacity for the entire season. If excess snow accumulates, the operations team must remove and haul it to another location, which is both labor-intensive and expensive for taxpayers.

Thank you for your cooperation!

Pile with traffic, and create a “snow pocket” on the opposite side.

PROPERTY ASSESSMENT INFORMATION Property taxes in the RM of Ste. Anne are collected based on the value assigned to a property. In Manitoba, property is assessed at market value in accordance with The Municipal Assessment Act. Market value is the most likely selling price of the property had it been sold by a willing seller to a willing buyer. Regular reassessments ensure that property assessments keep pace with real estate market conditions, and taxes are distributed fairly to property owners. This is why every two years, every property in Manitoba will be re-assessed, with more frequent re-assessments done if there is a change to the property, like the addition or removal of buildings.

The Municipality receives Assessed Values from the Province of Manitoba’s department of Assessment Services who is responsible for the assessment of all real and personal property in the Province, excluding property in the City of Winnipeg. This department’s website is https://www.gov.mb.ca/mao/public/ default.aspx which contains additional information on the work done by this department, including Frequently Asked Questions and links to other resources. The Steinbach District Assessment Office oversees assessments for the RM of Ste. Anne and can be reached at 204-326-9896 or assessmentsteinbach@ gov.mb.ca for more specific questions on your property’s assessment.

Property owners are responsible for verifying that the assessed value assigned to their property is accurate.

This information can be obtained online at any time by creating an account with MyPropertyMB (https://www.gov.mb.ca/mao/myproperty/login.aspx), or by contacting Assessment Services directly. Through the MyPropertyMB portal, a detailed breakdown of each assessed structure can be obtained, however to create an account, every person will need their client ID from Assessment Services. This Client ID is found on the Notice of Assessment, or can be obtained by contacting the Steinbach Assessment Branch at 204-326-9896.

MASC FARMLAND SCHOOL TAX REBATE Did you know that landowners who pay taxes on “Farm Property” class lands, as shown on the annual tax statement (below), are eligible for up to 40% of school taxes (up to a maximum of $2,500).

Follow the link/QR code (right) for more information and to download the application form. The deadline to apply is March 31st annually and proof that the property taxes are paid in full is required with your application.

If you need a copy of your receipt from the RM of Ste. Anne, please simply email your request to general@rmofsteanne.com and be sure to list the Roll numbers of the affected properties.

www.masc.mb.ca/masc.nsf/ program_farmland_school_ tax_rebate.html

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLANNING 2026-2030

Council of the RM of Ste. Anne, in partnership with the Economic Development Council for Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (CDEM), have begun an Economic Development Strategic Planning process, where we review and establish our goals and objectives for the future of our municipality and our community’s economic development. The ultimate goal here is to have a plan in place which not only identifies Council’s goals but also outlines an action plan and a timeline on how to get there.

In 2024, the RM of Ste. Anne conducted a few community surveys to get feedback from residents and property owners. This feedback helped us better understand who is in the RM of Ste. Anne, and how the community perceives the RM of Ste. Anne’s current operations and services and also what the community wants and needs. With that feedback in mind, we realized that we needed to get more specific plans in place to help us address some of those needs, with the main focus being economic development.

On October 15th, 2025, Council members, the Local Urban District of Richer Committee members, municipal staff, and key community and business leaders, were invited to participate in a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) session. During this session, we learnt more about Economic Development, where the RM of Ste. Anne is in terms of its evolution towards economic development, and then did a SWOT analysis focussing on economic development in the RM of Ste. Anne.

On November 5th, a follow-up session was held with RM team members, and a handful of key community leaders representing various demographics. This session’s purpose was to assist in funneling the main themes that were raised during the earlier SWOT session, into more specific objectives.

At this time, the facilitators from CDEM are compiling all of the information gathered during these 2 sessions and are consolidating them in a report which Council will then review and adjust to then adopt as the RM’s

main objectives for the next 5 years as we work towards improving our communities through economic development. In the new year, Council will then work on an action plan for the objectives adopted in this report, and will provide resources through the annual financial plan, and the 5-year capital plan where appropriate to do so.

So, what does this mean?

We see that our community is growing, which means that as the local government, we need to plan for this growth. This would include things like housing, childcare, jobs, recreation, and of course, the infrastructure to support all of this. By identifying these items more specifically, and in greater detail, we can then under-

stand what are the goals that fit our reality, and fix objectives to reach those goals within set timelines to benefit and improve the quality of life for our residents.

We are excited about this process and look forward to releasing more details as they become available. Stay tuned for more updates as our plan unfolds.

2025 YEAR END ROUNDUP: PUBLIC WORKS ACCOMPLISHMENTS The RM of Ste. Anne is proud to highlight the many Public Works projects completed throughout 2025. This past year focused on improving drainage, road safety, parks, and sidewalks, ensuring safer travel, better water management, and enhanced public spaces for residents across the Municipality.

Drainage Improvements Significant work was completed to improve drainage, reduce flooding, and maintain our road network.

Culvert work was done at 8 dif-

ferent locations across the RM. This work included some that were installed, lowered, replaced, repaired, reset (to ensure the proper depth and slope) or otherwise given some much needed attention to ensure proper flow.

Ditching work was done along nine segments of roadside drains.

This mainly consisted of removing debris and sediment accumulation, but also ensuring the slope is appropriate for the water to flow and drain as designed.

A few ditches were created to

COMMUNITY NOTICE:

BURNING TRASH IS AGAINST THE LAW AND COSTLY! Did you know that burning household trash is prohibited under the municipal Fire By-law? Beyond posing serious health and safety risks, illegal burns come with significant financial consequences. Fines start at $500, and the costs only rise from there.

A “simple” fire response, even one that firefighters quickly extinguish, can cost $1,000 or more once equipment, personnel, and emergency resources are factored in. These charges may be billed directly to the property owner responsible for the illegal burn on top of the fine imposed.

To help keep our community safe (and to avoid an unexpected bill), please dispose of waste through approved methods: - Recycling: Plastics, paper, cardboard, metal, and glass can all be diverted from landfill by placing them in a clear bag and taking them to your local Recycling collection site.

- Composting: Yard waste, leaves, and food scraps can be composted at home and reused to enrich your garden or flower beds.

- Proper Waste Collection: Items that cannot be recycled or composted should be placed in your regular garbage and brought to the Steinbach Landfill, either by yourself, or by one of our local hauling contractors that you can hire for this purpose.

By choosing safe and responsible waste management options, you help protect our environment, reduce fire risks, and support a cleaner, healthier community.

If you have questions about garbage and/or recycling in the Municipality, please contact the office.

Let’s work together to keep our community safe — and burn-free.

ensure water flowed and didn’t cause major flooding. The RM also completed a project with the North East Red Watershed District to improve drainage along Road 45E, just north of Highway 1.

Paving & Surface Repairs • Asphalt paving was completed on streets in Giroux.

• The Giroux Park parking lot was milled.

• Road repair patches completed on Dawson Road and Lilac Lane.

• All road edges around asphalt roads in Richer were filled, along with pothole repairs and service road edge improvements.

• Mun Rd. 37N (Park Rd) – from Road 36E to the creek, was bridged with C-base and our crews pulled the shoulders up to reshape the road.

Parks & Green Spaces Public municipal spaces across the RM received important upgrades: • 145 trees were planted at Parkland, Thurston Park, Miller Drive, the RM shop yard, and in Richer and Giroux Parks. A watering system was also created to support summer maintenance.

• At Thurston Park, dead trees and stumps were removed and topsoil work was completed.

• Giroux Park improvements included leveled picnic tables, freshly painted rink boards, new utility poles replacing damaged ones, and updated electrical wiring.

• A new pathway was created along Road 45N from Carlton to Deerfield.

Lighting & Facilities Maintenance • All Christmas light pole plugs in Giroux were rewired.

• Giroux Rink pole rewiring was done to ensure safer and more reliable lighting.

LUD of Richer and Richer Fire Hall Improvements The Local Urban District of Richer also saw several key infrastructure upgrades: • Sidewalk construction began from Dawson Road along PR 302 heading north.

• A new crosswalk was installed, and sidewalks were completed to improve pedestrian connectivity.

• The Richer Fire Hall approach was rebuilt to improve access to Fire Hall #2.

• Floor grating in the fire hall was repaired to address a safety concern.

RM Office Upgrades • Handrails were installed at the RM Office to improve public safety.

• Landscaping repairs were completed, including sprinkler system fixes.

Equipment Investments To support efficient operations now and into the future: • A new stainless steel sanding unit was purchased, with rehabilitation planned for the existing unit.

• A 2018 CAT loader backhoe and bucket were added to the fleet.

Looking Ahead A lagoon sludge survey was completed in 2025, with treatment work planned for 2026 to extend the lifespan of our lagoon.

A 2018 CAT loader backhoe and bucket were added to the fleet.

NEW MUNICIPAL BURSARY PROGRAM LAUNCHING IN 2026!

The Municipality is excited to announce the launch of a new Municipal Bursary Program, set to begin in 2026. This initiative is designed to support local students pursuing post-secondary education and to help develop the next generation of community leaders.

Full program details, including eligibility requirements, application instructions, and deadlines, will be released in the coming weeks.

Students and families are encouraged to watch the municipal website and Facebook for updates.

Application deadline is March 1st, annually.

If you’d like to be on the Bursary Review Committee and help us select the deserving students, please let us know by emailing general@rmofsteanne.com.

ACCUEIL KATERI CENTRE STE-ANNE FOOD BANK DONATIONS Donations are always welcome and tax receipts are issued for donations of $20 or more.

For information on how to donate please go to the website : www. accueilkatericentre.ca or call 204-371-4984 or deposit your donation in the drop box to the left of the front door at 132 Centrale.

Food donations are also welcome and can be left in the yellow bin behind the food bank. The most wanted items are: cereals (low-sugar), canned soups, peanut butter, spaghetti sauce, canned meats or fish (ham/turkey/ chicken /tuna, etc.), canned vegetables, canned fruit, juices, fruit cups, baked beans.

CHILDREN’S WINTER WEAR Accueil Kateri accepts children’s gently used winter outerwear, tuques, mittens and socks to give to children in need. It’s best if the items are functional, but we accept ski pants which need repairs as a volunteer seamstress will fix those torn knees. You can place your donations in the same yellow bin behind the food bank or make arrangements by calling 204-371-4984.

Thanks in advance for your generosity!

2025 GRANTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS The RM of Ste. Anne and the LUD of Richer provide financial support to many of our community organizations and residents through our grant program. We believe community organizations are critical in providing services and opportunities to RM residents which also help to enhance our quality of life. We also support our residents though rebate programs, such as our Learn-to-Swim rebate and rebates for memberships at the Jake Epp Library, as well as Bursaries for high-school graduates.

The Municipal website has the up-to-date policies and applications forms for all of these programs, with the forms usually found at the end of the policy document. Council periodically reviews these programs, so be sure to frequent our website for updates!

In 2025, the following contributions were made by the RM of Ste. Anne: • Accueil Kateri Centre Food Bank - $15,000 to support their operating costs, to purchase food, and to provide their dedicated volunteers a year-end recognition celebration • Agriculture in the Classroom - $1,500 to support their efforts • Bibliothèque Ste. Anne Library - $15,000 which also provides RM residents with a free annual membership • Dawson Trail Museum - $6,000 to help with their operating costs, and also to support the Dawson Trail Trek fundraiser for the Dawson Trail Arts and Heritage Tour • Eastman Crisis Centre Inc / Agape House - $4,000 towards their Comfort for All: Families and Pets project • Grassroots Giroux - $1,000 towards their various events • Heartfelt Lunches - $1,000 in addition to administrative support for the monthly senior lunch program • Musée Pointes-des-chênes Museum - $2,000 to support their maintenance and improvement efforts • Richer Community Club - $42,000 towards their operating expenses, Events, Electrical and Security upgrades, and for a new beverage cooling unit • Richer Recreation Committee - $15,000 towards various programming • Richer High-School Rodeo - $2,000 • Richer School - $1,100 towards their breakfast program • Richer Young at Hearts Club - $15,000 towards the purchase of new chairs for the community hall • Seine River Services for Seniors - $3,000 towards their programming • STARS (Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service) - $5,571.52 which amounts to $1 per person, plus 3%, based on the latest census data • Ste. Anne Hospital Fund - $2,520 towards their various fundraisers • Other smaller contributions were also given out totalling $2,545.00 in 2025.

Finally, with the amount remaining in the 2025 budget, Council tasked our team with purchasing toys for the annual Accueil Kateri Toy Drive to make sure every child has an age-appropriate gift this year.

As we look back on this year’s applications for grants, we’re inspired by the dedication and creativity of the organizations we’ve been able to support. Each grant represents not only an investment in vital programs, but also a shared commitment to strengthening our community and building a more connected, resilient future. We extend our sincere gratitude to all the partners, volunteers, and neighbors who make this work possible, and we look forward to continuing this momentum together in the year ahead.

Visit www.rmofsteanne.com regularly for updates!

And don’t forget to follow us on facebook.com/steanne.rm.3 Documents and information may be provided in alternate formats upon request.

RM OF STE ANNE MUNICIPAL OFFICE: 395 Traverse Road (Physical address) Box 6, Grp 50, RR 1 (Mailing address), Ste. Anne, MB R5H 1R1 Telephone: (204) 422-5929 Fax: (204) 422-9723 general@rmofsteanne.com | www.rmofsteanne.com Office Hours: Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Closed on Holidays For specific inquiries, the following Administrative Staff may be contacted: Chief Administrative Officer - Shelley Jensen cao@rmofsteanne.com | Ext 105 Legislative Officer - Nadine Vielfaure legislative@rmofsteanne.com | Ext 102 Operations Manager - Kevin Medeiros pw@rmofsteanne.com | Ext 110

EXPANDED LEARN-TO-SWIM PROGRAM NOW OPEN TO ALL AGES The Municipality is pleased to announce the expansion of our Learn-to-Swim Rebate Program, open to individuals of all ages beginning in January 2026. Previously focused on children and youth, the program has been redesigned to open the eligibility for everyone learning to swim, from toddlers to seniors and everyone in between.

“We are thrilled to make swimming education more accessible for the entire community by providing a rebate to those otherwise paying more to access facilities outside the Municipality,” said the Municipality. “Water safety is a lifelong skill, and no one should feel that it’s too early or too late to learn.”

Community members are encouraged to watch the municipal website and Facebook for updates on this revised Policy, and for full eligibility and application details.

Finance Officer - Tiana Bohemier finance@rmofsteanne.com | Ext 103 Finance Administrative Assistant - Ashley Poiron accounts@rmofsteanne.com | Ext 104 Development Officer - Hadiseh Bajelan development@rmofsteanne.com | Ext 107 Planning Administrative Assistant - Colette Martens planning@rmofsteanne.com | Ext 106 Public Works and Recreation Administrative Assistant - Samantha Kornelson pwrec@rmofsteanne.com | Ext 113 Administrative Assistant – Felicia Ramage reception@rmofsteanne.com | Ext 101 RM OF STE. ANNE COUNCIL Reeve: Richard Pelletier - 204-371-7756 reevepelletier@rmofsteanne.com Councillors: Ward 1 - Sarah Normandeau ward1sarah@outlook.com / 204-392-6900 Ward 2 - Kyle Waczko councillorwaczko@rmofsteanne.com / 204-510-4968 Ward 3 & LUD Council Rep – Patrick Stolwyk councillorstolwyk@rmofsteanne.com / 204-223-2570 Ward 4 - Brad Ingles ward4rmsteannebrad.i@gmail.com / 204-793-0671 Ward 5 - Robert Sarrasin robert.rm.steanne@gmail.com / 204-791-7735 Ward 6 & Deputy Reeve - Randy Eros reros@mts.net / 204-371-2959 LUD COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Chair John Lenton - 204-422-8496 / 204-371-1674 jlenton@rmofsteanne.com Norm Bremaud - 204-371-9282 nbremaud@rmofsteanne.com Jessica Ostrowski - 204-355-8245 jostrowski@rmofsteanne.com RCMP: Steinbach Detachment - 204-326-4452 During an emergency, dial 911 / 204-326-1234 RAMS Animal Control Officer: 204-223-5521 RICHER FIRE DEPARTMENT: For questions on burn bans or burn permits Richer Fire Chief Chris Wilkins richerchief@rmofsteanne.com / 204-422-5966

The Municipality is pleased to announce the expansion of our Learn-to-Swim Rebate Program, open to individuals of all ages beginning in January 2026.