“I think there is a perception out there that we haven’t done anything,” Adams said, “or that we aren’t doing anything, but you just have to look at the list of what we’ve done.”
Adams said there are a number of big projects in the community over the years, including those before he went on council. It is indeed quite impressive, and points to the contributions of many people who served with both Boissevain and Morton.
One of the earliest is the water treatment plant, which is nearly twenty years old. A major project, it has seen improvements in the years since, including a larger line into the plant to anticipate population growth. Adams said there is even more capacity than being used presently in the facility.
A new library was put into the old Field’s store and a new theatre was built. Even before the theatre itself, there was a new back end/dressing room project, which still exists. Volunteers added other developments to it such as a new projector and air conditioning.
Adams said the community has always had well-maintained recreation facilities, with great senior ball diamonds and terrific Lions diamonds for young players.
“People that come here, they can’t believe the diamonds we can offer them. They’re a great boost to our community.”
There are soccer fields for the kids, and about 15 years ago, they added new dressing rooms to the arena. Adams reminds everyone that a group of volunteers raised about half of the $400,000 for the project. He said volunteers have played a big role in many of these developments, but council and councillors also contributed a great deal.
In the new development, there have been about 60 lots added, which are essential to community growth, Adams adding about two-thirds of them are sold and built on. There have been three phases to the campground, which are important to visitors. A new town shop and fire hall was built as well. The Province determined the community needed a new landfill site, and that was built. A new recycling building is paying for itself. These are a few of the important developments over the last couple of decades.
“Those are just a few I remember,” Adams said. “I’m sure there are more.”
There are some that continue onward. For example, late Councillor Bert Barwick was adamant that they replace one street of sewer lines a year, which they continue to do. Mayor Ed Anderson was the spark of the successful Communities in Bloom program, and they recently finished well in that again.
Present council and that in the future will have to deal with a new lagoon, with Adams saying they have been working diligently on a number of possibilities, in order to find the most optimal solution that is easiest on taxpayers. They received a government order to decommission the old landfill site. There are councillors who continue to work with neighbours in Deloraine-Winchester to alleviate the problem at Whitewater Lake.
Council continues to look for sources of gravel for rural roads and they are fighting hard for our health care, trying to reverse the government decision to pull out our EMS personnel. There will be plenty on the plate for incoming councillors for sure.
Adams said he has noticed a change since starting.
“In the 16 years on council, I have never handled so many different situations, so many different personnel issues, hiring of people, government orders, so much downloading.”
The council saw the retirement of Mayor Ed Anderson, Boissevain Foreman Barry Chinner, RM Foreman Richard Dyck and Administrator Lloyd Leganchuk. Longtime Rec Director Brent Littlejohn and Development Officer Dale Banman also left. That is a lot of change to deal with. As well, there were other issues the public might not have been aware of.
For example, Adams said the federal government cut the amount of taxes the municipality could collect from the PFRA pasture by $60,000. Other taxes like the railway also went down. Boissevain-Morton also eliminated the business tax.
“There are a lot of taxes we are not collecting any more, and we have to make it up in another place. That is the toughest thing.”
Council recognizes rising taxes are not popular, and they are acting on that, he said. The idea of a base tax, which would help take some of the pressure off of higher assessed properties, would help.
“We understand there should be concerns about rising taxes,” Adams explained, “but we are working on it. There are ideas in place we can’t do overnight.”
He also said people need to look at not the whole tax bill, but to look at what portion is education tax. Also, people can check in with the assessment branch if they feel their assessment is unfair. But they also need to remember running a municipality is expensive. Costs of doing business go up all the time. They also have to remember the lots in the new development, which have paid for themselves thus far, are much cheaper than elsewhere.
Adams added the financial position of the municipality is not bad at all; in fact, they are in as good shape as any. However, they are still working on making prudent budget cuts to make more improvements in the future.
Overall, the councils in the recent past, as have those farther back, have made strong contributions to the community, and Adams feels that should be remembered. Some, like Bert Barwick, Spence Patterson, Bernice Cuvelier and Brian Hammond are no longer with us. Others like Ed Anderson, Bob McCallum, Brian Maxwell, Al Pearen, Alan Ransom, Richard Chambers and Kennedy Cohoe have left the fold. Adams said there is a lot to being a councillor and there is a lot to building a community.
“People who are looking to relocate, ask what the school is like, what the recreation facilities are like. They don’t ask, ‘what do you pay for taxes?’ It is about the community.”
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff