Big things coming to West St. Paul

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This article was published 14/01/2022 (1651 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

That sound coming from West St. Paul is opportunity knocking.

“We’re excited about the growth and the opportunity to spend money,” Cheryl Christian, mayor of West St. Paul said.

Recently, the RM of West St. Paul released a strategic plan to guide development and municipal decision making for the next five years. Founded on four principals of community, service, the environment, and governance, the plan identifies nine strategies to focus on over the next five years. Over 700 respondents took part in compiling the plan, which included feedback from residents, community stakeholders, and business interests.

“We have close to 7,000 residents, so to have that many people participate is great,” Christian said. “It gives people confidence in where we’re going and provides a roadmap of where we’re going.”

If all goes according to plan, big changes are on the way for West St. Paul this year. The RM recently approved 1,200 residential lots for development. Once homes are built on those lots, it will mark a 50 per cent increase in the number of homes in the community.

“That’s very exciting. It will bring a lot of new families to West St. Paul,” Christian said. “We are set to be one of the fastest growing municipalities, if not the fastest growing, in Manitoba.”

With the new King’s School nearly complete, an expansion to Dasmesh School in the works, and West St. Paul School, Christian believes new families will be pleased with the options available to them for education in the RM. 

One area she and council are hoping to address, though, is retail.

“We have close to $50 million in infrastructure in the ground, preparing for retail south of the highway,” she said. “We want to see that retail come up in 2022. For a community without a town centre, without somewhere for people to buy milk or bread, that will also provides long-term financial sustainability to our community.”

All the new development in the area has put West St. Paul in an envious financial position, one that council has used to leverage improvements for residents throughout the RM.

“We’re wanting to improve services and beautification,” Christian said.

While budget discussions for 2022 are still underway, a number of trails projects are already approved, including a new pedestrian bridge over the Grassmere Road drainage ditch that will allow residents from across the RM to bike or walk to the Sunova Centre (48 Holland Rd.). A path to connect to the trail system in St. Andrews to the north is also in the works.

“To be literally able to get on our bikes and get to our 10 parks,” Christian said. “We have 17 km of trails here. To now expand that network to St. Andrews is really positive. Last year, we finalized a mural under the perimeter bridge. None of that would be possible without the trails.”

The RM also has $1 million in roadwork planned for 2022, along with adding to its fleet of operations vehicles and an expansion of its public works building.

Christian was elected mayor of West St. Paul in 2018, following a term as councillor for Ward 1 that began in 2014. She would not say if she would run for a second term as mayor.

“I’m proud of the term we’ve had and I’m still thinking it over.”

Sheldon Birnie
Managing editor

Sheldon Birnie is the managing editor of the Free Press Community Review. Email him at sheldon.birnie@freepress.mb.ca or call him at 204-697-7112

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