by PAUL RAYNER

Hope still springs eternal, even as frustration is growing, regarding infrastructure spending for an important project in Boissevain and Morton.

At their Council meeting on September 29, Town Council got the news regarding another round of government funding for infrastructure development. On September 11, Treasury Board President the Honourable Vic Toews and Honourable Ron Lemieux, Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation, announced that communities across Manitoba will benefit from another $55.9 million in joint provincial-federal investments for key infrastructure projects under the Infrastructure Stimulus Plan, part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan. Like previous announcements, Boissevain and Morton were left out.

Both municipal corporations had projects they applied for funding for – the Town had street and new development work, and the RM road construction. They also had a joint project, the new waste disposal grounds, which Mayor Ed Anderson felt was the most likely to get some money from higher levels of government. However, he was once again disappointed.

“The only application we could reasonably get money for was the waste disposal grounds,” Anderson said after the meeting. “At the present time, there is no money forthcoming to assist with the financing of the waste disposal grounds from either the federal stimulus plan or infrastructure grants. It is frustrating.”

He said it was especially irksome from the standpoint of the Province of Manitoba, who ordered the municipalities to find a new landfill site by this fall as they had grown dissatisfied with the current one just south of Boissevain. Anderson feels it behooves the Province to help with developing the new one planned for north of town.

“We were ordered to develop this by the Provincial department. They are telling us we must adhere to the order, but there is no money forthcoming.”

In fact, Anderson said, there seems to be little money going into the entire South West area. Whether it be for community centres or cultural heritage, solid waste management, or water and wastewater infrastructure, names like Killarney, Deloraine, Souris, Melita, Cameron, Riverside and Winchester are rather absent. An upgrade to a wastewater pond in Crystal City seems to be the closest project to the local area, with $20 million alone going to parks and trails in the City of Winnipeg.

“I certainly think local Councils and staff are extremely disappointed that there is absolutely no stimulus money for Southwestern Manitoba.”

There is some hope, however. Anderson feels that many communities who applied for and received grants will not be able to come up with their 1/3 share to go with the money from Canada and Manitoba. If that cash goes back into the system, a more positive announcement in the future would be possible.

“I’m still optimistic about future announcements,” Anderson said. “If others can’t come up with their share, I feel that money will be made available. Then Boissevain and Morton’s application could still fall into place.”