CALENDAR
RM of Ste. Anne 2023 Council Meeting Dates
July 26, 6:00 pm
August 23, 9:00 am
September 13, 9:00 am
September 27, 6:00 pm
October 11, 9:00 am
LUD of Richer Meeting Dates
September 6, 7:00 pm
October 4, 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 in the LUD Hall at 136 Dawson Road in the town of Richer.
LUD of Richer Garbage
Giroux Heritage Park recognizes the history of Giroux, and those families who worked to establish this wonderful community. The Giroux UFM group and other community volunteers provided recreational opportunities to Giroux’s residents for many years and their contributions in building this hamlet deserved to be recognized and commemorated.
On Saturday, June 3, 2023, the RM of Ste. Anne proudly hosted a community celebration to open the Giroux Heritage Park. This event was held to recognize and thank the hardworking volunteers of the Giroux area who built and maintained this park over the decades. In addition, we recognize the history of Giroux, and those families who worked to establish this
wonderful community. The Giroux UFM group and other community volunteers provided recreational opportunities to Giroux’s residents for many years and their contributions in building this hamlet deserved to be recognized and commemorated.
When the RM acquired the park a few years ago, we invested in rejuvenating this space with a new
play structure and improvements to the picnic shelter, grounds, and ice rink area. Funding received from the Province of Manitoba’s Building Sustainable Communities program assisted in this re-development. Contributions from CN also allowed for the erection of a fence along the railway to increase safety.
Continued on page 2...
Pickup Day - Fridays
Electronic Recycle DayFirst Tuesday of every month
2023 PROPERTY TAXES DUE DATE - Before 4:30 pm on October 15th, 2023. Should payment(s) be sent in the mail or made through online banking, your payment will be considered LATE if your payment arrives after Oct. 15, 2023. See page 6 for more details.
GIROUX HERITAGE PARK GRAND OPENING
We are proud to carry on the work started by dedicated community members in creating and maintaining this park for all to enjoy for years to come.
As the Giroux Heritage Park is located around the Giroux Fire Hall, this celebration also recognized and honoured the Adams, Hornan, and Plett families, representing the first volunteers who were instrumental in establishing this department.
They all served for many years, and sacrificed much for the benefit of Giroux and our surrounding communities. A bench was dedicated to these founding members of the Giroux Fire Department.
This Grand Opening Celebration was well attended by the community. Along with the basketball nets, play structure, swings, and greenspace found in the park, Steinbach and Area Animal Rescue,
Rural Animal Management Animal Rescue, and Splash of Colour Face Painting were also on hand to help entertain everyone. Free hot-dogs, chips, drinks, freezies and cupcakes were enjoyed by all. The Municipality was very proud to bring a bit of magic back to Giroux with the World’s Greatest Escape Artist, Dean Gunnarson. Dean Gunnarson was a friend of local magician Philip Hornan who was the inspiration
Continued from Page 1...
behind Philip’s Magical Museum which helped share Philip’s love of magic with others for many years. This museum has since closed, and so we were all delighted to be entertained by someone with such a personal connection to Giroux’s magical history.
The Municipality would like to give a personal thanks to everyone who helped make this happen, past and present.
Splash of Colour Face Painting were also on hand to help entertain everyone. The Municipality was very proud to bring a bit of magic back to Giroux with the World’s Greatest Escape Artist, Dean Gunnarson. Dean Gunnarson was a friend of local magician Philip Hornan who was the inspiration behind Philip’s Magical Museum which helped share Philip’s love of magic with others for many years. This museum has since closed, and so we were all delighted to be Free hot-dogs, chips, drinks, freezies and cupcakes were enjoyed by all. The Steinbach and Area Animal Rescue and RAMS (Rural Animal Management) Animal Rescue were on site.GIROUX HERITAGE PARK GRAND OPENING
Continued from Page 3...
GRAVEL PROGRAM AND DUST CONTROL APPLICATION
We at the RM of Ste. Anne are proud to carry on the work started by dedicated community members in creating and maintaining this park for all to enjoy for years to come.
As the Giroux Heritage Park is located around the Giroux Fire Hall, this celebration also recognized and honoured the Adams, Hornan, and Plett families, representing the first volunteers who were instrumental in establishing this department. They all served for many years, and sacrificed much for the benefit of Giroux and our surrounding communities.
A bench was dedicated to these founding members of the Giroux Fire Department.
This year’s Gravel Program started after the May long weekend and is slated to finish mid-July. The annual gravel program involves the graders preparing the roads, then gravel being laid and spread, and finished with an application of dust control. This program can only begin once the frost is completely out of the ground, which means that the start date can vary significantly from year to year.
In the first phase of preparing the roads, our equipment will sometimes “pull-up” the sides of the gravel roads by moving the materials that have been pushed to the sides over the past year back in the center of the road. This is done with the intent of saving and reusing the material rather than having it deposited in the bottom of the ditches, negatively impacting our drainage systems.
For the second phase, the municipality choses a few different contractors to haul and apply gravel to our roads. For this purpose, the Municipality is divided into 4 zones, with contracts awarded for one or two zones per contractor to haul and spread the gravel. Work is managed by completing one zone prior to moving onto the next if one contractor has multiple zones.
The final phase of our gravel program is the application of dust control. This is done by contracting a company to apply magnesium chloride onto the road surface in target areas, in accordance with our Dust Control policy.
The Municipality would like to acknowledge some challenges with dust control this year. There is currently only one provider of dust control services in our part of the province, and as a result, scheduling in relation to the graveling process can be very difficult. The Municipal Public Works team is exploring options to avoid further challenges in future years. Additionally, weather and equipment failures are also challenges that affect the timely implementation of dust control.
Finally, in addition to regular maintenance work, other road work is also being done beyond the annual graveling and dust control programs to improve the quality of our roads. This year has been quite bad for frost boils throughout the Municipality in large part due to the thaw/freeze/thaw cycle that we experienced during the transition from Winter to Spring 2023. This frost boil repair work is being prioritized, but please reach out the Municipal office with any concerns.
(photo on right) Photos by RM of Ste. Anne staff Volunteers from the Giroux, Richer and Town of Ste. Anne Fire Departments who were in attendance.As part of the Municipality’s Climate Action Plan, the RM is happy to announce the full launch of our Commercial Recycling Pilot Program. Currently, all residential households can bring their recyclables to one of our depots. However, any non-residential locations with the municipality would have to arrange for their own recycling services, which can be expensive and a deterrent to recycling.
Working with our current residential service provider, the Municipality has launched a program available at a reduced rate. In doing so, we hope to make recycling a more accessible option for our local businesses, divert more waste from the landfill and help our environment at the same time.
This program, unique to our Municipality, consists of several different collection options to give options based on the recycling needs of each business or non-residential operation.
For more information, or to sign up for the program, please contact the municipal office directly, or email cao@rmofsteanne.com.
COMMERCIAL RECYCLING PROGRAM HEALTHY CITIES PROJECT
In early June, the RM of Ste. Anne was approached by Kateryn Rochon, Associate Professor in the Department of Entomology at the University of Manitoba, and Camille Guillot, from the University of Montreal, with an invitation to participate in a study addressing Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases (TBD). This is a collaborative project and includes cities and municipalities from Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba.
The objective of this study is to develop a tick management plan, including educational materials for public awareness around ticks and TBD. Areas of the RM are known for tick activity, and this study grants us the opportunity to contribute to planning and resource material based on the conditions we experience in our own backyards.
The study would involve 10-12 volunteers from the RM to participate in a few meetings with the researchers to help identify local needs and discuss overall considerations for a response plan and materials. This would be the first phase of the project, as the researchers would then compose a plan and would seek out funding opportunities to take what was developed into action.
If interested, or would like more information, please watch our social media, or contact the RM office and speak with Hadiseh Bajelan, our Development Officer.
WARD 3 BY-ELECTION RESULTS
On May 24, 2023, the voters of Ward 3 in the RM of Ste. Anne got to choose who would represent them on Council for the next 3.5 years. Paul Saindon, David Buck and Patrick Stolwyk all presented themselves for the vacant position, with Patrick Stolwyk being the individual selected by the people to fill this seat.
Councillor Patrick Stolwyk joins Reeve Richard Pelletier and his fellow Councillors Sarah Normandeau, Kyle Waczko, Brad Ingles, Robert Sarrasin and Randy Eros on Council. Together, they continue to work hard to make the best decisions for all residents and stakeholders of the RM of Ste. Anne by reviewing and passing policies and By-laws.
Warmest congratulations to Councillor Stolwyk who takes on this often daunting role as steward of the Municipality.
We would like to thank all those who presented themselves as candidates,
Photo credit: The Carillon and those who took the time to participate in our democratic process by voting.
“Liberty and equality…will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost.” — Aristotle
ZONING BY-LAW: WE ARE CLOSE…
Following the public hearing on March 21, 2023, regarding our new zoning bylaw, the RM’s staff and Council have been actively addressing the concerns and feedback raised by our residents. We are actively reviewing all feedback and making some revisions accordingly. Our main goal is to develop a zoning bylaw that meets the needs and requirements of our community.
We are pleased to announce that the first reading of the new zoning bylaw is scheduled for an upcoming council meeting in July/August. We
encourage you to stay informed by regularly checking our website for updates on the next public hearing. We sincerely appreciate your input and support in helping us create a better community. Your valuable guidance has played a crucial role in this process. Together, we are working towards the development of a zoning bylaw that serves the best interests of our residents.
Thank you for your continued engagement, and we eagerly look forward to your participation in the upcoming public hearing.
RICHER HOSTS AMM’S EASTERN DISTRICT MEETING
RICHER FIRE DEPARTMENT UPDATES
On Friday, June 16, 2023, the RM of Ste. Anne hosted roughly 150 delegates from the region at the Richer Young at Hearts’ Club. These elected officials and administrators from various Municipal governments gathered to discuss matters that affect our region, and municipalities in general.
The morning started by having the national anthem sung by children from our Richer School, followed by
Plumbing Mechanical Inc., Diamond Construction, Oakwood Golf Course and Campground, Girouxsalem Golf and Country Club, and Ridgewood South Golf Course and Campground.
The RM staff also put together gift bags and door prizes for the guests, all featuring the wonders that the RM of Ste. Anne has to offer.
Following the morning’s speeches and presentations, lunch was catered by the Richer Inn’s Lagimodiere restaurant with great success. The afternoon session included the elected officials voting on actions to be taken, such as lobbying efforts with the Province of Manitoba on various matters.
Along with these lobbying efforts, the Association of Manitoba Municipalities’ mandate is to provide strong leadership and support to all Manitoba Municipalities and their Councils.
Several Trainings occurred in the last few months for members of the Richer Fire Department. In addition to an internal traffic control training day, 16 members of the Richer Fire Department receivededge and kits to prevent an opioid overdose. The program provided information on how to recognize an opioid overdose, administerrive. Individuals who completed the training program received a
The Richer Fire Department proudly recognized the long-term service of Wilfried Kropp with the presentation of his 25 years of service certificate, 30 year of service medal and 35-year bar and certificate. The Richer Fire Department would like to congratulate Wilfried for his years of service and dedication to the Town of Richer
The Association of Manitoba Municipalities’ mandate is to provide strong leadership and support to all Manitoba Municipalities and their Councils.
Photos by RM of Ste. Anne staff
Roughly 150 delegates from the region at the Richer Young at Hearts’ Club. These elected officials and administrators from various Municipal governments gathered to discuss matters that affect our region and municipalities in general.
On June 12 in Richer it was practice night for the RFD. The department staged a single vehicle accident beside the hall on Forsythe Rd N. The members practiced different scenarios to use skills, including vehicle extraction, communication, patient care and more.
The Richer Fire Department members that completed the naloxone training program.
PAYING YOUR 2023 PROPERTY TAXES
THINGS TO BE AWARE OF WHEN IT COMES TO PAYING YOUR MUNICIPAL 2023 TAXES:
• Advise the RM office of any mailing address changes to ensure tax statements are properly forwarded.
• Failure to receive a tax statement (including new property owners) is not a satisfactory reason for late or non-payment.
• All outstanding tax balances that remain unpaid after the due date are subject to a 1% penalty charged on the 1st day of each month until the balance is paid in full.
• Properties that are 2 years in arrears will be subject to the tax sale process.
• Receipts will only be sent out for accounts showing a balance owed. Receipts can be provided upon request.
• Please allow up to 5 business days for all electronic payments to reach our office.
• Accepted methods of payment:
- Cash, Debit
- Cheque - with roll# (post-dated, mail, or drop-off slot)
- Credit Card payment via RM website (processing fees apply)
- Online Banking (All Credit Unions, TD, Scotiabank) - Search
“Ste. Anne RM”, Roll # is account number
- Automatic Payment Plan (TIPPS) (Registration forms available on RM website)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT TAXES:
Why did my taxes go up this year?
The RM worked very hard this year to keep mill rates the same as last year, which ultimately determines the amount of taxes levied along with the total assessment in the Municipality. Despite these efforts, many residents still saw an increase in their taxes. Why?
Assessment has gone up
All properties in the province were reassessed by the Provincial Assessment Office starting last fall. Reassessments take place every two (2) years. Most property assessments significantly increased in correlation
with the fair market value of homes selling at higher prices.
Last year, the Province of Manitoba Assessment Office mailed notices of property assessment amounts, which notified all property owners that their assessment amounts have changed.
If you have questions about your property assessment or do not agree with your assessed value, please call the Manitoba Assessment Office in Steinbach: (204) 326 9896
I live in the LUD of Richer and noticed that my garbage collection fee went up?
Yes, you will now see a levy of $100 for garbage collection. Our previous contract ended for collection in 2023, and all the rates quoted by companies had gone up due to inflation and gas costs. As a result, the levy was raised to its current maximum amount.
What is my EPTCA credit and why is it being reduced?
The Province of Manitoba changed the Education Property Tax Credit Advance (EPTCA) for 2023. Last year, the credit was $437.50. This year it
has been reduced to $350. With the reduced credit amount on the property tax bill, property owners will see an increase in the School Tax Rebate cheque.
The School Tax Rebate, provided by the province, is a rebate cheque for 50% of the gross school taxes. Property owners should receive rebate cheques from the province before the property tax due date of October 15th, 2023. The School Tax Rebate cheque will be sent to the first name listed on the property title as of May 12th, 2023.
Farm property owners will still need to apply for the Farmland School tax rebate, a separate rebate program being offered. Properties classified as anything other than residential, or farm will receive a 10% rebate.
Please contact the Province of Manitoba for any questions or concerns related to this matter: (204) 945 3744 or 1 866 626 4862. For more information or to calculate your rebate amount, visit www.manitoba.ca/ schooltaxrebate
For any questions regarding your property taxes or method of payment, please contact the Municipal Office at 204-422-5929 or finance@ rmofsteanne.com
BUSY LUD SERVICE ROAD ASPHALTED
The Local Urban District (LUD) of Richer is proud to have completed the asphalting of the TransCanada Highway #1E Service Road.
This project was originally planned for 2022, however delays in obtaining Provincial approval resulted in limited availability later in the season, with weather conditions finally rendering the project impossible in that year.
The LUD Committee once again planned to complete the work in our 2023 Financial Plan, with financial support from Council’s general Community Building reserve fund (formerly known as the Gas Tax Fund) as this road serves as one of the main economic corridors in the LUD of Richer and the RM of Ste. Anne serving the public at large travelling through the area.
Many thanks to the Public Works and Administration teams who worked diligently at coordinating this project over the years. We also thank the local businesses and travelers for their patience while inconvenienced by the construction work.
View of the newly paved Service Road between the TransCanada Hwy #1E and the western side of Richer. Photo by Myriam DyckNEW PUBLIC WORKS STAFF AND EQUIPMENT
Over the last couple of months, the Municipal Public Works team purchased several new pieces of equipment to assist in project completion
RM DOES FIRE SYSTEMS REVIEW
The addition of a new staff member in our public works department later this summer will also help us take care of municipal infrastructure, services and programs in a more timely manner.
Finally, our 3 summer students have now all started their employment with the Municipality. Please say Hi or give a friendly wave to Taylor, Colton, and Samuel as they are out working in the area!
Earlier this year, in partnership with Deloitte, the Municipality engaged in a review of our Fire Protection Services arrangements. This review was funded through a grant awarded to the Municipality of Ste. Anne by the Municipal Service Delivery Improvement Program with the Province of Manitoba.
Over the course of several weeks, the review team did interviews with all of our surrounding municipalities as well as our own Fire Chiefs, to talk about things that work, things that don’t, and other items that could be of benefit in terms of service delivery. After further reviewing fire coverage maps and agreements that are in place, their analysis was finalized and presented to council.
From this fire systems review, Council will consider and implement the recommendations as appropriate to assist in making our fire department services more efficient and better able to respond to the needs of the Municipality.
Check out the Municipal website for more updates and announcements regarding this review in the coming months.
RECREATION PROJECTS
The Giroux Heritage Park shelter and ice rink will see some more improvements in the next few weeks with better lighting and new fencing installed along the rink area.
Work on a new play structure at Thurston Park will also be starting soon and should be complete be-
fore the end of the summer. We are excited about bringing more recreational opportunities for all to enjoy throughout the Municipality.
If you have any ideas of features you’d like to see in our Municipality, please let us know your thoughts!
SWIMMING
POOLS AND HOT TUBS WITHIN RM REQUIRE PERMIT
Did you know that all private swimming pools and/or hot tubs, capable of containing more than 24 inches of water, require a Building Permit and must be inspected by our Municipal Building Inspectors? This includes ALL types of above and below ground pools, including temporary or seasonal pools.
All private pools must be completely enclosed with a fence or other suitable barrier, including self-closing and locking gates, where applicable. Pool covers of any type, material, manufacture, or strength do not count as a suitable barrier. Hot Tubs require a cover that has the structural strength to support the weight of an adult walking across the top of the cover when it is in the closed position.
Many pools have features, such as inflatable ring edges, that allow the depth of the pool to increase beyond 24” and should be included in any pool’s depth measurement.
Please apply for a pool and/or hot tub permit by visiting our web¬site at www.rmofsteanne.com, and apply though Cloudpermit.
If you have any questions or troubles navigating Cloudpermit, please
All private swimming pools and/or hot tubs, capable of containing more than 24 inches of water, whether above or below ground and including temporary or seasonal pools. require a Building Permit
and must be inspected by our Municipal Building Inspectors.A new mulcher, a 1-ton flatbed truck and a tractor mower are now being used and have made day to day operations much easier for the Public Works Team. Photos by RM of Ste. Anne staff
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 - Mike McLennan cao@rmofsteanne.com
Legislative Officer - Nadine Vielfaure acao@rmofsteanne.com
Operations Manager - Kevin Medeiros pw@rmofsteanne.com
Finance Officer - Tiana Bohemier finance@rmofsteanne.com
Finance Administrative Assistant - Colleen Maurice info@rmofsteanne.com
Development Officer - Hadiseh Bajelan development@rmofsteanne.com
Planning Assistant - Colette Martens admin@rmofsteanne.com
Administrative Assistant - Julia Levesque reception@rmofsteanne.com
Municipal Emergency Coordinator - Chris Harvey mec@rmofsteanne.com
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 - Randy Eros reros@mts.net / 204-371-2959
LUD COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Chair John Lenton - 204-422-8496 / 204-371-1674
Norm Bremaud - 204-371-9282
normbremaud8@gmail.com
Jessica Ostrowski - 204-355-8245 / jostrowski@live.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
SPRING CLEAN UP EVENT A SUCCESS
This year’s Municipal Spring Clean Up event went very well, with upwards of 50 people and groups participating. There was a great turn out at the community BBQ following the clean-up where we handed out a dozen prizes that were
donated for the event from local community businesses and organizations.
A big thank you to all who came out to participate and sponsored this annual event! We look forward to seeing you all again in Spring 2024.
R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
In every community, municipal employees play a vital role in ensuring the smooth functioning of essential services. From administrative staff to public works employees, these dedicated individuals work tirelessly to meet the needs of their fellow citizens. However, sometimes interactions between residents and municipal employees can become strained or disrespectful.
Municipal employees are the backbone of our communities, diligently working behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly. It is essential to acknowledge and appreciate their contributions, as they play a pivotal role in maintaining the quality of life we enjoy. By showing respect, we not only uplift their morale but also promote a positive work environment that enhances their productivity and dedication.
We know that concerns and frustrations need to be expressed regarding municipal matters from time to time. When members of the public are engaging with municipal employees, it is crucial to express ourselves clearly, patiently, and courteously. We also expect our staff and representatives to reciprocate this behaviour. Effective communication is key to fostering respectful interactions. By actively listening to concerns and inquiries, we can address issues more efficiently and cooperatively. Additionally, speaking to the problem, not the person is important. Personal attacks are disrespectful and aren’t productive when trying to problem-solve.
Respectful and focused dialogue results in better service delivery and creative problem solving.
Municipal employees face unique challenges and constraints while fulfilling their responsibilities. From time constraints to bureaucratic processes, they often work within predefined systems and policies. Recognizing these constraints can help us approach interactions with understanding. By being patient and cooperative, we can assist in finding solutions that benefit everyone involved.
When encountering problems or concerns related to municipal services, it is important to report them appropriately. This can be done through communication channels such as in person meetings, telephone conversations, or through emails, but not through social media as we do not monitor those accounts regularly. Please note that all communications must be respectful, regardless of the method used to express those concerns or frustrations. Angry outbursts, personal attacks, or public shaming will not be tolerated. Rather, we encourage constructive feedback which allows municipal employees to address issues promptly and effectively, improving services for the entire community.
Respectful interaction with municipal employees is an essential component of building stronger communities. By promoting effective communication, understanding challenges, and reporting issues responsibly, we can foster a culture of respect and cooperation.
WELCOME MUNICIPAL EMERGENCY COORDINATOR: CHRIS HARVEY!
The RM is very excited to have Chris Harvey join the Municipal Team as the new Municipal Emergency Coordinator.
Chris currently works as a fire fighter in the City of Winnipeg, is a member of the volunteer fire department for St. Pierre-Jolys, and was a volunteer with their local emergency response team.
He will be spending time working on vol -
unteer recruitment followed by some team training and exercises. Welcome Chris and good luck in your new role!
If you would like to be a part of this team and help serve your community during an emergency, please complete our Emergency Services Volunteer form found on our website www.rmofsteanne.com or contact the RM Office.
