Plenty to look forward to for 2022 in East St. Paul

By: Sheldon Birnie Posted: 1:55 PM CST Friday, Jan. 14, 2022

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This article was published 14/01/2022 (1693 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Nearly two years into a global pandemic, one thing is certain: it’s hard to know what the next day will bring.

The same could be said for any municipality before its annual budget is approved. But East St. Paul mayor Shelley Hart noted that 2022 will see a number of previously approved projects come to completion in the community.

The rural municipality approved a big upgrade to its water treatment plant in 2021, though the installation itself won’t take place until later this year. To date, $75,000 had been spent on the upgrade, with $900,000 more to see it to completion.

Hart added that the RM is hoping to gain approval for a grant to help fund an upgrade to its wastewater treatment plant, which is at the end of its lifecycle. New residential construction in the RM is on halt until capacity can be increased.

“We’re still talking to our MLA and MP about our need, because our sewer capacity is maxed,” she said. “It’s from the 1980s. At some point, you need to replace it.”

Further, $2 million in roadwork throughout the RM has already been approved for 2022.

“We’re always looking to improve infrastructure,” Hart said. “We’re trying to get out earlier this year with our RFPs to get work done sooner and get some better costing.”

In 2020, the RM also approved a four-year renaturalization plan for Swistun Family Heritage Park, with Phase One completed last year. Along with weed and turf control, operations crew will be busy at the park again this year.

“(They’ll be) overseeding with native grasses to convert the pit and surrounding area into a very natural environment, so the park kind of takes care of itself,” Hart noted. “We’re also doing a perennial bed design and a botanical garden installation.”

Hart is also excited for two new projects to be added to the Marconi Trail, the 3.7 km long active transportation pathway that was recently paved which connects to the Northeast Pioneers Greenway in Winnipeg.

A number of rest-stop “nodes” will be added to the trail this year, including one big one near Birds Hill School.

“I haven’t been this excited about something we’ve built since Centennial Plaza,” Hart said of the project, which should begin construction in the spring. “Parents can meet there when they’re dropping off their kids or picking them up, not far from the new Dairy Queen which will be at the Sobey’s Parking lot. The design is exceptional.”

In addition to the rest-stops, Hart said she hopes to convince council to approve a fitness node be built along the trail, similar to one located along the Pioneers Greenway in Elmwood.

“We see that as potentially people can self-direct programs, do group sessions,” Hart said. “It creates another interest along the trail.”

Finally, a new pilot project is expected to launch in March that will see the RM provide up to 100 counter top composting units to residents.

“It’s an opportunity to trial this food waste diversion project below market value,” Hart said. “Our interest is reducing food waste going into our landfill, reducing cost of our fees and supporting local climate change goals.”

The project, which is a partnership between the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Food Cycle Science, will allow East St. Paul and other municipalities to purchase the units far below market value.

“Retail cost is $50,000,” Hart said. “Our financial commitment is $12,500.”

A longtime resident of East St. Paul, Hart retired from a 36-year career with the Winnipeg Police Serice in 2014. Later that year, she was elected as a mayor of East St. Paul, then re-elected for a second term in 2018.

In October, municipalities across Manitoba will go to the polls. Hart said it is too soon to make an announcement whether or not she will run for re-election this fall. But she expected to make an announcement before long.

Nearly two years into a global pandemic, one thing is certain: it’s hard to know what the next day will bring.

Supplied image
In 2022, a number of installations will be added to the Marconi Trail in East St. Paul, including a rest-stop near Birds Hill School. — Supplied image In 2022, a number of installations will be added to the Marconi Trail in East St. Paul, including a rest-stop near Birds Hill School.