Anyone who feels younger people are shy at taking outside responsibilities has not met Jake Ayre.
The young Minto farmer recently took on his third major role in an agriculture-based committee. Two are with Keystone Agricultural Producers and a third is connected to the provincial government. In each case, Ayre is all in and ready to go.
Within KAP, Ayre is the co-chair of the Manitoba Young Farmers Group, and now a second vice-president of the parent board. He said he first got involved in the Manitoba agriculture organization when he was in his last year of agriculture studies at the University of Manitoba. In 2017, they were asked to bring a resolution to the floor of the KAP AGM. The class came up with one regarding a carbon tax, a very controversial subject in agriculture. They took it to the meeting, and Ayre was one of the students who spoke to it. There was considerable division and debate on the resolution, and the three students involved felt they were being misrepresented. They responded and did well enough that their resolution passed.
After a lot of work and plenty of anticipation, the remodeled Boundary gas bar and convenience store on Mill Road looks as if it just stepped out of a Co-op commercial.
The store was open and the pumps were running on Wednesday, February 12. According to Boundary General Manager Ryan Polnik, it is good to get the facility running almost exactly on schedule.
“We had a delay there at one point putting the temporary tank on site,” Polnik stated, “but it really went pretty well. It’s good to have it up and running.”
There are many new features to the spot. Instead of the two pumps and four nozzles at the gas bar, there are four pumps and eight nozzles. There are screens and the more modern “pay-at-the-pump” option. As well as regular and premium fuel, there is also a mid-range option. The canopy gives a little extra protection from inclement weather. There is room for more fuel storage as well.
Turtle Mountain School Division is in the process of planning its finances for the next school year, as well as looking at longer-term goals.
It is the time of year the division starts putting its budget together for the upcoming fall. In fact, Superintendent Tim De Ruyck said they started with consultations on November 20. They received their notification regarding provincial funding on January 30, which allows them to put proper numbers in their appropriate spots.
As has become usual, the news from Winnipeg was not great. De Ruyck said they once again saw their provincial support drop 2% on their guarantee. He said it is a dollar decrease of $120,000 when all is said and done. As well, they are trying to stick with the province’s request to put a ceiling on local taxation of the same 2%.
For the first time in two and a half decades, Boissevain will not be participating in Communities in Bloom this year.
The decision was made by the Beautification Committee earlier this week. According to Boissevain-Morton Head of Council Judy Swanson, it was unanimous. She said it started when she contacted the Communities in Bloom National Committee to find out where they thought Boissevain fit in. The community won the Grand Champions category in 2019 and was looking to the next year. Swanson said they were offered a spot in the Circle of Champions. If that sounds familiar, it is because Boissevain has been in that category in the past.
“We could have been in Circle of Champions,” Swanson explained, “but they had done it. The group said it is difficult to get motivated when you get where you want to reach. Plus, I’m thinking it is time for the group to plant the flowers and enjoy the flowers with the pressure off.”
