Rosser electoral race is on

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/10/2018 (2772 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

RM of Rosser voters are facing a choice of candidates for reeve and also in Wards 1 and 2. Incumbent councillors Angela Emms and Kelvin Stewart were acclaimed in Wards 3 and 4 respectively.

 

Reeve
Frances Smee (incumbent)
Frances Smee said it has been her privilege to serve as reeve of the RM of Rosser since 2010. She feels that she still has a contribution to make to the growth and success of the community and so she put her name forward for re-election in the upcoming election.

Smee said she believes Rosser residents need visionary leaders who see possibilities for today and for tomorrow. They need to think big in order to create a future for local children and grandchildren that will be healthy, happy, prosperous and sustainable.

Smee believes Rosser council has worked hard on the Rosser CentrePort development, putting in place extremely innovative and comprehensive zoning and development regulations that will ensure the highest level of sustainable development. The commercial development in this area provides almost 60 per cent of the tax base for the municipality which is an enormous benefit to the entire community.

Smee said council has put in place a comprehensive drainage plan through which the municipality is systematically creating profiles for all drains and waterways in Rosser. It is reviewed annually and implemented seasonally. Council works with landowners, neighbouring municipalities and the Province to improve drainage in an on-going and strategic manner. Landowners are encouraged to bring their drainage concerns to council so they can be incorporated within the plan.

Smee said she will continue to support agricultural development and expansion in the municipality, working with producers and the community to ensure the best possible outcomes for all. As well, she pledges to have progressive secondary plans that will encourage innovative, desirable residential development in Rosser.

 

 

Donald Stratuliak
Donald Stratuliak has lived in the RM of Rosser for over 20 years.

He ran to represent Ward 4 as a councillor once before, in an attempt to stop the acclamation of Rosser’s municipal councillors. He said he put his name in to run against incumbent reeve Frances Smee, who again would be holding the position without a challenge. By running for reeve, he wants the voters to have a say if they want the same old ideas or if they want change in the community.

He said he believes that commercial development has moved forward only because CentrePort Canada was forced upon the council, not because the council was looking for future growth in the municipality. He thinks council needs to stop reacting and start planning the municipality’s future growth. This includes finding ways to keep local youth in Rosser. Future growth in residential development would give youth an opportunity to live and work in Rosser.  It will keep schools open and allow local youth to contribute as volunteer fire fighters or even future councilors.

By offering his time to fill the office of reeve, Stratuliak is hoping to give eligible voters a chance to get out and vote for what they now have or for future growth, and to have their say with their vote.

 

Ward 1
Scott Corbett (incumbent)
Scott Corbett has lived in the municipality for his entire life. His farm is located two miles south of Rosser, and he is the fifth generation of Corbetts involved in mixed farming with his wife, two children and parents.

Corbett has been a municipal councillor for the last 12 years and is seeking re-election in Ward 1. He said he has always had a strong belief in community which has drawn him to the role of councillor. Proper land use planning, a long history of protecting and enhancing, agricultural lands, and sound financials are pillars of the municipality.

Corbett said he hopes to continue to be part of the policy and planning process to build on what has been accomplished thus far. He believes his farm business background and years of teaching at the University of Manitoba are assets that can continue to add to council discussion to improve service delivery, strengthen municipal land use planning policies and grow Rosser’s agricultural, residential and commercial tax base.

 

 

Ken Mulligan
Ken Mulligan said he is very pleased to be running for councillor in Ward 1 in the RM of Rosser.
Mulligan, 59, has lived in Rosser for his whole life. He has been married for 40 years and has two children and five grandchildren. He says he is proud to be the fourth generation of Mulligans on the century-old farm. He is currently farming 4,100 acres with son Jeff. He said agriculture has always been his main focus but he has always been interested in and proud of the RM of Rosser.  

In his younger years, he was involved in 4-H activities, and played baseball, hockey, and curled, as well as coached his son’s hockey team and daughter’s baseball team. He drove a school bus for many years for the Interlake School Division as well as worked as an ice maker at the Rosser Community Centre during the winter months.

Mulligan served on the Rosser Community Club board and was president for many years. In 1990 he volunteered as building director for a major expansion of the community centre, making it more usable for all members of the community as well as surrounding municipalities and Winnipeg.

Mulligan says his reasons for wanting to be a councillor are to represent the people of Ward 1 and bring their concerns to council. He proposes to deal with issues such as drainage, the ongoing major project of  CentrePort Canada, and also trying to find property that will be adequate for those people wishing to reside within Rosser.

 

Ward 2
Scott Beachell
Scott Beachell was raised on his family farm in Rosser. Since studying agriculture at the University of Manitoba,  he has been actively managing the farm with his brother and father as well as working in the private agriculture sector for the past 17 years. He currently resides on the original homestead of the family’s heritage farm with his wife and three children.

He said he decided to run not to merely fill a seat, but he wants to dive in and be involved in continuing to make the municipality a great place to live. Some of his best memories as a child are going to school in Rosser, skating on the outdoor rink and being in the field. He wants to ensure all those activities are possible for his children’s generation and the ones that follow.

Beachell said the community has provided him with a lot of opportunities and he wants to be able to give back and ensure there are future opportunities for others. He believes it needs to be easier to help people to either move into the community or return to it. He feels Rosser has great schools and sense of community, and there is a need to ensure the local population is high enough to support the community in the future.

Beachell volunteers and coaches two minor hockey teams in Warren, spends some time at the lake, travels, cooks meals, and entertains friends and family.

 

Lee Garfinkel (incumbent)
Lee Garfinkel said the RM of Rosser is not simply lines on a map, or a collection of properties and businesses. It is the people who are connected to the land, to their institutions, and to each other.

She said she believes government should be transparent and accountable, and that resources and services should be provided equitably.

Garfinkel decided to run for re-election because she felt that she has more to offer the community.  With the experience of serving on council for four years, she says she has a good understanding of the issues that face local residents.

Growing up on a mixed grain and cattle farm, and continuing a cow/calf operation, Garfinkel said she understands issues facing the farming community. Landowners have rights and should have decision-making power over their property. With that in mind, she says she supports responsible, rational development that benefits the community and allows the continuation of institutions such as recreation centres and schools. Her father, herself and her children have all attended Rosser and Grosse Isle Schools and have benefited from the education we received there.

Garfinkel says she is concerned about the equitable distribution of resources and feels that the municipality needs to be cautious that all local resources are not disproportionately absorbed by CentrePort Canada. She also wants council to remember Rosser was first a close-knit farming community and that residents continue to value and nurture their rural roots. Councillors must think of the people, who through their connectedness and sense of community make Rosser a great place to live. It is these Garfinkel says she feels honoured to serve.

— Staff