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New RM office aiming to open in December 2017

May 11, 2017 | 5:22 PM

Preliminary construction has started on the new office for the Rural Municipality of Meadow Lake. The site is just south of the Four Season’s hotel on 9th Street West. Bexson Construction out of Lloydminster is work on the building.

The RM’s Chief Administrative Officer Gina Bernier said that the new building will give more room and space for files and meetings.

“It’s been a discussion for a few years, but our Council decided last year that our current has gotten a bit small,” she noted. “We have a lot of records to be kept permanently. We’re aiming to have a fireproof safe built into this new building to safely retain our permanent records – and we have a lot.”

She said that the RM often holds large meetings, and the new facility will allow the RM to hold more cost effective meetings.

“Our boardroom at the currently is quite small,” noted Bernier.  

“We would like to be able to hold ratepayer’s meetings or larger gatherings in our own facility instead of having to rent from someone else. And this will help us, because in the new facility the boardroom will be quite large.”

She said to her recollection, the current RM office has been in the same building on Centre Street since the 1950s.

“We were only incorporated as an RM in 1976, but before that RMs were called local improvement districts,” said Bernier.

She noted that RM is looking to gain more grants to help pay for the building.

“We’ll go as fast as we can, but looking to find grants,” she said. “With the downturn in the economy we don’t know where that will go, but we’re pushing for it. We are slowly looking at diversifying into other aspects of the program, but right now this building is going to serve the current RM.”

According to the RM’s website, the municipality spans approximately 60 miles east to west, and 70 miles north to south. Its southern boundary is located just north of “Moose Country” on Highway #4, extending to the Meadow Lake Provincial Park. Its mission is to maintain and enhance the economic, cultural and social wellbeing of ratepayers.

 

kathy.gallant@jpbg.ca

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