A resolution is born…

UMM Annual Meeting, 1930.

Another round of June District Meetings have come and gone and the age-old process of voting on resolutions within each district, then carrying some of those on to the annual general meeting, has begun. While the annual convention is arguably the most important event municipal officials attend each year, as those resolutions passed by the entire delegate body go on to form the AMM’s lobbying position, the June District Meetings are where those resolutions are born.   Believe it or not, this process has been around for almost 80 years. June District Meetings were initiated by the AMM’s predecessor, the Union of Manitoba Municipalities (UMM). This excerpt, from “With One Voice: A History of Municipal Governance in Manitoba”, explains the reasoning:    

  Better communication was also seen as the key to improving the UMM itself. In 1934 it introduced a new practice that has since become an institution: the June district meetings. President C.L. Stoney explained that the purpose of the meetings, to be held in each of the seven judicial districts over a two-week period in June, was to foster closer communication between the UMM and its members, and raise awareness of local concerns.  

Fast forward to 2012, and the purpose of the meetings has not changed, nor has the process. What also has not changed over the years is the willingness of the host communities to go above and beyond to showcase what their area has to offer. Lucky are the AMM executives and staff members who get to experience all corners of Manitoba by enjoying some of the following:   

• Parkland – Youth played a big role in McCreary, where O’ Canada was belted out by tiny Echo Desjardins (who had to stand on a chair to reach the mic) and homemade lunch and desserts were served by local high school students in the McCreary Community Centre. In total 7 resolutions were carried. 

Ron Forsman accepts his Life Membership Award from AMM during the Midwestern District meeting.

• Western – The Oak Lake School Choir performed three songs to begin the day on a high note. Not one but two long-time elected officials were honoured for 35 years of service – RM of South Cypress Reeve Earl Malyon, and RM of Cameron Reeve Wayne Drummond. The RM of Sifton had an excellent array of prizes too, from gift baskets to a lounge chair to a Texas mickey. Thirteen resolutions were carried.
• Midwestern – RM of Harrison Reeve Doreen Stapleton showcased her musical skills by playing not only the national anthem on the organ, but entertaining during lunch (which was memorable in itself – a full turkey dinner)! Each delegate also received a free bag of perogies at the end of the day, and one lucky draw winner won a barbeque. The highlight, though, was Mr. Ron Forsman graciously accepting a life membership for his many years of service to the Town of Neepawa. A total of 11 resolutions passed.

• Central – It is a well-known fact that the “hall” is often the local gathering place, without which a community runs the risk of fading away. The Village of Austin knows this very well and their brand-new hall with state-of-the-art kitchen is sure to be the gathering place for decades to come. RM of North Norfolk Reeve Neil Christoffersen and Town of MacGregor Mayor Bill Wiebe were happy to showcase their area via a slide show during registration, and Mayor Bill McKitrick of the Village of Crystal City received his 35-year service pin. Ten resolutions were carried.

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  Hunt's Country Roadhouse in Stephenfield, Manitoba was the setting for the Interlake District Meeting.

   

  Interlake – Hunt’s Country Roadhouse was the scene for this year’s Interlake district meeting, and it’s safe to say an AMM meeting has not often (if ever) taken place in such unusual surroundings. Chock-full of memorabilia running the gamut from valuable antiques to kitsch, with seating ranging from diner stools to picnic tables, it was a neat way to end the week. Our own Rural Director, RM of Woodlands councillor Trevor King, sang the anthem and Councillor Laurie Hunt, RM of St. Andrews (and owner of the Roadhouse) served a delicious lunch. A high of 17 resolutions were carried.  

• Northern – The Town of Gillam was the location for this year’s Northern meeting. As is often the case for northern meetings, the day started with an early-morning flight. After opening remarks, Mayor (and AMM director) Jim Goymer took delegates on a tour of Manitoba Hydro’s Kettle Generating Station, the second largest hydroelectric generating station in the province. From there the group continued on to the Radisson Converter station for another tour and lunch before finishing up the meeting (and carrying 1 resolution).

• Eastern – Mayor Wayne Arseny welcomed delegates to the Town of Emerson, where at the direction of Eastern delegates, the meeting began at 1:00 and concluded at 5:30 with a bbq dinner (prepared by local firefighters). Delegates also welcomed a special guest to the Eastern District Meeting – Hetty Walker, County Commissioner, Pembina County USA – and carried 12 resolutions.

L to R: President Doug Dobrowolski, Executive Director, Canada-Manitoba Infrastructure Program, Karline Debance, and Local Government Minister Ron Lemieux.

During each meeting, Executive Director Joe Masi, President Doug Dobrowolski, and Vice-Presidents Eileen Clarke and Roger Wilson updated members on the latest issues. This year, the Honourable Ron Lemieux, Minister   

of Local Government, also attended 6 of the 7 meetings to discuss federal-provincial infrastructure programming in Manitoba. Minister Lemieux proved to be an effective facilitator and delegates were eager to share their views on what the next round of infrastructure funding should look like. As President Dobrowolski said, “this is the first time in history municipalities have had the opportunity to influence a federal infrastructure program”, and AMM members made sure their voices were heard throughout this process.   

Overall, this year’s meetings went very well and our hosts did a fabulous job showcasing their communities for our members. And of course, the most important result of the meetings – the resolutions – must now be dealt with. In September, the resolutions committee, whose members are elected at each district meeting, will meet to review the 71 resolutions carried during June Districts. From there the resolutions will make their way to the Annual Convention in Winnipeg in November where several sessions will be held to debate them. And while the AGM tends to generate all the media attention and excitement, let’s not forget where the whole process began…at the 78^th annual June District Meetings!

Summer’s here, and the time is right…for municipal officials to meet…

For Manitoba municipal elected officials, mid-June can only mean one thing –District Meetings. This series of meetings, held in each of the AMM’s seven districts, are second in importance only to our Annual Convention in November in terms of policy discussions. 

Central Urban Director Mel Klassen (l) stands by as Ron Lemieux, Minister of Local Government, answers an audience question

There is a long history behind the June District Meetings. They were introduced way back in 1934 by the AMM’s predecessor, the Union of Manitoba Municipalities (UMM), and their purpose has not changed: …to foster closer communication between the AMM and its members, and raise awareness of local concerns. 

This years’ JDMs were held from June 9-17 and during that time we experienced all kinds of weather, saw many new faces (thanks to last October’s municipal election), and of course, enjoyed terrific meals – another thing June District Meetings are known for. 

Local Government Minister Ron Lemieux addressed members at six out of the seven meetings, and six out of the seven meetings saw a presentation on the same “local” issue –  housing. The AMM executive updated members on their activities, and staff presented the newly launched “Putting Communities First” campaign. Good news came from Western Financial Insurance too, in the form of an announced $2 million refund. 

Most importantly, though, members took part in lots of policy discussion. In fact, the 84 resolutions submitted represented the highest number in a decade. Here is a recap: 

Councillor Cornie Goertzen and Mayor Chris Goertzen

 Eastern 

Held at beautiful Providence College in Otterburne, the Eastern meeting had the distinction of breaking tradition by beginning at 3:00 pm and concluding at 9:00 pm. AMM members in the district had expressed a desire to hold more meetings outside of regular working hours to ensure they could participate, and overall the meeting went very smoothly, thanks to top-notch hosting by the RM of De Salaberry. Highlights included both our directors – Mayor Chris Goertzen from Steinbach and Mayor Bob Stefaniuk from Ritchot – being acclaimed, with Chris even having the pleasure of presenting a special 25-year service pin to RM of La Broquerie Councillor Cornie Goertzen – his Dad. 

Leaf Rapids airport

Northern 

Travelling to beautiful northern Manitoba is always a wonderful experience. Travelling from the flood-ravaged south to the forest-fire threatened north served to illustrate the vast geographical differences in our province, something we at the AMM are always aware of but can still appreciate when experiencing first-hand. Our Northern members do have distinct concerns, with the resolutions debated often telling stories that vary widely from our issues in the south. At the same time, we are all municipal officials elected to serve our communities to the best of our ability, and that connection is always evident. We DID enjoy truly northern fare in Leaf Rapids – our meal of freshly baked bannock, moose stew, caribou stirfry, and fried pickerel will not soon be forgotten by any who were fortunate enough to enjoy it. Northern delegates elected a new director in Councillor Angela Enright, Town of Snow Lake, and acclaimed Mayor Jim Goymer, Town of Gillam.   

Newly elected Parkland District Directors Reeve Gary Momotiuk (RM of Gilbert Plains) and Mayor Lyle Smith (Town of Gilbert Plains)

Parkland   

Just an hour beyond the City of Dauphin is the small community of Pine River, located in the RM of Mountain, our Parkland District hosts.  The resolutions debated here really painted a picture of the major issues facing many municipalities today – things like doctor shortages, rural library funding, and high speed internet. Even the more typical Parkland issues – such as beaver control – are now transcending into other areas as this problem continues to grow and threaten municipal infrastructure well beyond traditional boundaries. At the end of the day, the Parkland District also has two new directors, both from the Grandview area – Rural director Gary Momotiuk and Urban Director Lyle Smith.   

Midwestern  

The AMM’s Midwestern members are a tight-knit group. Hosting duties were ably shared by three members – Minnedosa, Minto and Odanah – and members submitted only six resolutions, the fewest number of all the districts. Doesn’t mean there are no issues to debate, though – the need for a federal/provincial flood protection program was high on the list, since some municipalities in this district have experience serious flooding problems for nine out of ten years. Funding for small rural airports was discussed, and a resolution calling for  the Province to not implement a cosmetic pesticide ban  Our district directors – Shirley Kalyniuk (Town of Rossburn) and Randy  Lints (RM of Hamiota) – were both acclaimed.    

The AMM Executive and District Directors stand for O'Canada during the Midwestern District meeting. AMM VPs Eileen Clarke and Roger Wilson are Midwesterners themselves.

Western   

Executive Director Joe Masi and former UMM President Manson Moir

Always the largest meeting, this year the Western District gathered in the southwest corner of the Province in the hamlet of Tilston, located in the RM of Albert. There, Reeve Tom Campbell’s council and staff put on a terrific meeting complete with roast beef cooked by none other than former UMM President Manson Moir (1989-1991). So there is life after municipal politics! The 14 resolutions ranged from those common amongst several districts (traffic control compensation, library funding, national water supply expansion program) to those specific to the Western District issues (oil industry tax revenue). In the end, three resolutions were defeated and two new directors were  elected – Mayor Rick Pauls of Killarney Turtle-Mountain (Rural) and Councillor Terry Johnson, Town of Virden (Urban).    

Central   

  The humidity was high in Lowe Farm, RM of Morris. So high, in fact, the floor was slick with moisture, making treading carefully a must. Treading carefully is a good analogy for this always polite district, yet Minister Lemieux’s final presentation of his JDM tour was probably his most difficult – the Province’s position on the Canadian Wheat Board was not well received by Central delegates! With 14 resolutions to debate ranging from disaster financial assistance to bridge replacement to airport runways it was clear municipal infrastructure is a top priority here. The ubiquitous traffic control compensation resolution was also carried, as was a late resolution on the cosmetic pesticide ban – obviously a big issue for members this year.   District Directors Mel Klassen (Urban) and Ralph Groening were both acclaimed to serve another term.   

Interlake   

Despite flooding challenges, Interlake delegates still appreciate a good joke

Areas of the Interlake suffer flooding every year. This year, being extremely wet, just means the Interlake is suffering all the more. Several attendees of the Interlake JDM were, in fact, evacuees from the St. Laurent area. Minister Peter Bjornson took to the stage in his riding today, and did his best, but was unable to satisfy those who asked “I’ve been in a hotel for 3 weeks now – what am I supposed to DO?” Hopefully the details of compensation programs have become clearer in the days since. A high of 20 resolutions were debated at this meeting, some common (bridge funding), some regional (Highway 6 improvements), and some new (rural veterinary board funding). All told, only 1 resolution was defeated, meaning Interlake issues and concerns will be well-represented come the annual convention in November. Unlike other districts, the local issue was not housing, but Treaty Land Entitlement, something being negotiated among large parts of the Interlake District. Thank goodness for some consistency – our District Directors, Randy Sigurdson (urban) and Trevor King (Rural) were easily acclaimed, and the meatballs – a staple at Interlake meetings – were hot and tasty.   

 There, wasn’t it appropriate to end with a comment about the food?