Municipal growth to be at forefront in ’07

Looking ahead to the new year, and with new councils recently elected, several district reeves have noted community growth as a focus for 2007.
“One thing we’re looking at is getting the Judson [Echo Lakes Estates] subdivision up and running,” Emo Reeve Ed Carlson remarked Friday.
“We’ve made some headway there and hope to see that through to completion. . . . That would allow certainly more expansion for the community,” he added.
Reeve Carlson said having more residential areas within the township would allow for the accommodation of anyone wanting to move to Emo from outside Rainy River District or elsewhere in the district.
“I mean, Emo is the place to be,” he stressed. “And with a lot of talk of the possibility of a mine starting and getting going, we certainly need to be ready for that.
“We’d have the infrastructure in place and be ready to meet that challenge. It would be good for them and would be good for our community, as well.”
Another idea proposed this past year was construction of a water spray park at the Lions Park, which Reeve Carlson believes would attract people to the village.
“I think it would be a great addition to the community, so we’ll be looking to support that in any way we can,” he noted. “We’ll help get a committee going and see what we can do as far as any grants that might be available.
“There’s a lot of young families in Emo and maybe we can’t afford a pool, but there are things we can do to entice people to stay here with their families and make it a fun place to be.”
Meanwhile, progressing plans for a district abattoir have other municipalities anticipating growth in the area.
“The only thing we’re looking at is possibly an abattoir starting, but I don’t know if it will be in our municipality,” said Chapple Reeve Peter Van Heyst.
“The choice hasn’t been made yet, but we’re ready to accommodate if possible. It will be good for all the farmers in the district,” he stressed.
“Certainly we hope the abattoir issue will be settled because that does affect a number of our residents, as well, so we’re hoping to see a positive outcome for that,” echoed La Vallee Reeve Emily Watson.
Reeve Carlson noted Emo also is interested in having the abattoir built there.
“We have communicated with the abattoir committee about [it] moving here to Emo,” he said. “They know we have the infrastructure to handle it with the lagoon, etc., and actually some property that’s well suited for it, too.
“We definitely would like to see that happen and not for another business in Emo—it’s just something greatly needed in the district,” Reeve Carlson stressed.
“If we could help out that way, it would be a boost to everyone, not just Emo.
“We’ll support it however we can, no matter where it’s going to be set up, because it’s very needed,” he remarked, adding work on the township’s roads and the biomass project also will continue in the new year.
“We got a good jump on roads last year and there’s a lot more that needs to be addressed, so hopefully we can access the funds we need to get the roads, particularly in the country, back up to the state they should be in,” Reeve Carlson said.
“Once they’re there and in good shape, they’re easier to maintain.”
As for the biomass project, although in the works for many years now, it still is moving forward.
“Right now there’s a couple things being put out to tender on it,” Reeve Carlson noted. “We have to have the environmental study and waste flow analysis come in.
“They are the green light indicators for us and they both have to be a positive force for us to go ahead,” he explained.
“Once they come in, we’ll know where we are at with that. . . . There are some positive things happening there, unfortunately, it’s slower than you’d like, but it always works like that.”
Reeve Watson also is expecting growth in La Vallee due to several divisions of property there.
“There’s another division of property coming up in January, so people are dividing property so more people can move here and that means growth for our community,” she noted.
“We’re looking for positive things to happen in the new year.”
Meanwhile, both Reeve Van Heyst and Reeve Carlson said they will be pushing an open door policy in 2007.
“If anyone has anything they’d like to discuss or suggestions for improvements, or even if they have complaints, we’ll listen and work together for a better community,” Reeve Van Heyst stressed.
“We’d like to keep the lines of communication as open with the ratepayers as we can,” echoed Reeve Carlson. “If anyone has any questions, certainly get them to us and we’ll get an answer back as best we can.
“I think it is pretty much a key issue.
“And I certainly wouldn’t say it’s been neglected in the past, there just seems to be this impression sometimes that things are behind closed doors and they’re not,” he remarked.
In the meantime, all three reeves said they’re looking forward to the upcoming year.
“I think it will be a good year,” noted Reeve Van Heyst. “There’s always changes, but I don’t foresee any real problems—we always stay optimistic.”