Macdonald’s growth continues

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This article was published 31/12/2018 (2728 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Macdonald reeve Brad Erb said the municipality continued growing in 2018.

Total assessment in Macdonald increased to the point where it became the second-highest rural municipality in the province at just under $1 billion. Erb said Macdonald’s mill rate is the second lowest in the province at just over seven mills. The assessment growth is a combination of approximately 75 new housing starts, continued industrial development along McGillivray Boulevard and farmland value increases.

Residential development, particularly in La Salle, has evolved to offer a greater variety of housing alternatives with the hope of having a more diverse community that includes young families as well as those that want to age in place, Erb said.

The municipal five-year program to provide connectivity in Macdonald communities with walking paths was completed in 2018.

Macdonald’s public works has undergone significant changes with the retirement of some long-serving employees including Jim Hunt, Bill Bain, Ken Chase and Michelle Ammeter.

The dry summer allowed the municipality to complete its 2018 scheduled rural drainage program. The municipality plans to complete approximately 60 miles of rural drainage each year, making it one of the largest municipal drainage programs in the province.

Erb said one of the biggest challenges Macdonald council faced in 2018 was the impact from access closures on the Perimeter Highway within Macdonald, in particular in and around Oak Bluff. It will be important to keep the lines of communication open amongst all stakeholders as council works with the province to find workable solutions to the fallout as a result of these changes.

Macdonald, along with 12 other member municipalities through its jointly owned development corp. JohnQ Public Inc., recently announced a partnership with RF Now and WireIE to provide reliable, cost efficient, fast internet service to the Winnipeg Metro Region. Erb said there will be further updates on this project in the spring that will include community engagement.

Council will be meeting this month to set its priorities in a planning session with topics that include recreation, emergency services, enhanced communication and infrastructure as discussion points amongst others.