From the Portage Daily Graphic

Kam Blight is excited to be stepping into the role as the Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie’s new reeve.

In a landslide victory on Wednesday evening, Blight won the race with 1,321 votes over the 553 votes garnered by incumbent Toby Trimble.

Blight was thrilled to find out he was the winner.

“I feel quite overwhelmed actually,” said Blight.

He said the night really was a surprise, especially since he couldn’t find out how the votes were going.

“We lost internet service and we kind of were out of touch for a long time,” Blight said with a laugh. “We were sitting here in the lurch, waiting.”

“We got a couple of phone calls at the end,” he added. “I didn’t think it would be that type of a margin. I am overwhelmed and thankful for all the support from all the people in the RM of Portage la Prairie.”

Kam said he thinks voters were ready for a change when so many voted for him.

Toby Trimble said he was rather sad to hear he was not successful in trying to keep his position as reeve of the RM.

“It’s a little disappointing,” he said. “But that is what our elections are all about. I am proud of what council achieved over the last few years. I have no regrets about what we have done in the past.”

He acknowledged council’s efforts to move ahead with the PCU Centre, while trying to please the ratepayers was a challenge.

“It was difficult, but the PCU Centre is there and I think we can all be proud of it,” said Trimble has been on council for the past 15 years with the last four years serving as reeve.

Trimble said he called Blight when he heard the results to wish him the best in his new position.

Blight said now that he is the new reeve he will be looking at what some of the priorities are for the upcoming year.

“I do definitely want to increase the communication levels between the ratepayers and the RM office, to make sure everybody knows exactly what we are doing,” he said from his home in the Oakville area Wednesday night.

“I would love to start tackling some of the drainage issues. As you can see, out here there is a lot of water lying around.”

Blight’s wife Krista was by his side when he won and was excited with the news.

“I am very happy for Kam,” she said. “He has obviously impressed some people and done well.”

For the race for reeve, there was 36 per cent turn out of the eligible 5,227 voters in the entire RM.

Election night was also an exciting time for the race for the RM councillor seats being contended.

In Ward 1, incumbent Garth Asham won the seat on council with a total of 222 votes, beating his contender Ian Holmes who received 88 votes. There was 47 per cent voter turnout of the 661 eligible to vote in this ward.

“I would like to thank the voters who have the confidence in me and in having the confidence in voting for me again and supporting me,” said Asham. “I would also like to thank my family for supporting me too.”

In Ward 6, Dale Wood garnered 229 votes, beating out incumbent Owen Williams who received 137 votes. There was 47 per cent voter turnout of the 775 eligible to vote for this ward.

Wood was pleased with the results.

“I went out and talked to all the people,” he said of his campaign. “It worked out very well.”

In Ward 7, Kevin Blight won against his challenger Barry McNaughton. Kevin took 276 votes, while McNaughton received 111 votes. The ward saw 45 per cent voter turnout of the 864 eligible to vote.

“I am really happy the voters supported me,” Kevin said. “We had a team of people working towards this goal, and everything came together.”

From The Portage Daily Graphic

Earl Porter is the new mayor of Portage la Prairie.

According to unofficial vote tallies, Porter won with 2007 votes compared to 1563 votes for Jeff Bereza and 237 for Matthew Gray.

Porter said he was happy to get the nod from Portage residents but was a little overwhelmed with the win.

“I just, I haven’t got words to explain,” Porter said as he celebrated at the Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans in Canada club in Portage Wednesday. “It’s fantastic.”

Porter gave credit to his wife, his campaign team and his fellow candidates for a well-contested campaign.

“My wife was a big push to get me out and get out and knocking on doors and Dave Rodgers, my campaign manager did a fantastic job and my committee did a really good job. We really worked hard, we worked for six weeks steady, everyday and they did a really good job.”

Porter said all predictions he had heard leading up to the election were calling for a close race but Portagers have sent a clear message to him with the results.

Porter said his first priority as mayor would be to help the Centennial Community Club Inc. get started with using Centennial Arena again.

As for Bereza, he said the people of Portage have spoken and he respects the decision.

Reading from a prepared statement, he said; “First of all, I want to congratulate Earl Porter. I am disappointed, of course, but the people have spoken and I fully respect their choice. A lot can happen in four years and I wish Earl and the new council all the best.”

Matthew Gray could not be reached for comment.

Say PCU Centre not fit for training
By Eric Mackenzie, The Daily Graphic

There will be no Piranhas in the pool at the PCU Centre this competitive season.

After a trial swim in the Shindleman Aquatic Centre on Aug. 26, the Portage Piranhas swim club decided the venue did not meet their needs as a training facility, and a handful of the team’s members have found clubs in Winnipeg to swim with this winter.

“The club is suspended,” said Piranhas president Jodi Harder. “It’s just not a pool for a swim club to train in.

“It’s very disappointing.”

Portage Regional Recreation Authority aquatics manager Dean Janzen said he was sad the Piranhas opted not to use the new pool, and that the PRRA tried and would still be willing to work with the club on ways to make the facility a training site as the Piranhas saw fit.

“I’m disappointed,” he said. “It’s the end of an era, and it would have been nice if they continued.

“I hope the Piranhas think about it and decide to come back in a year from now, because I think you’ll find this facility is really good for training. I would love to see a competitive program back, because I think Portage can use it.”

PortageMultiplex note : So they have burned through there 2 million dollar contingency fund, they are short a million dollars from their fundraising, and now the city needs to borrow 2 million more. With reported holes in the pool liner and windows falling out, the truth comes out a little more everyday what a fiasco this is and sadly will continue to be.

From the Daily Graphic May 11 2010

The City of Portage la Prairie once again has to borrow more money to finish the PCU Centre.

City council aims to approve the borrowing of an additional $2 million for the recreation centre and discussed it during the committee portion of its regular meeting Monday.

This now brings the total cost of the building to $43,217,417, Coun. Janet Shindle, chairwoman of the Portage Regional Recreation Authority and the city’s community services committee, told council.

Although council doesn’t want to borrow more money to complete the centre, she noted, borrowing the money is necessary to finish the project in such a manner as to guarantee that more money won’t need to be spent on it in the future.

“None of us are really happy about the additional debt,” she said.

Of that, the city’s portion, including the latest $2 million to be approved, is $21,872,417. A total of $1,879,368 is to come from the city’s recreation reserve, $4,691,090 is to come from the city’s general reserve and $15,350,000 is to come from borrowing.

The Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie’s share is still $8 million, while the provincial and federal governments’ shares are still $5 million each.

Another $3.4 million is to come from donations, although that number is still a projection at this point as fundraising efforts continue.

City council did approve additional spending authorization to project managers Tower Engineering to spend the yet-to-be-borrowed $2 million to complete the project.

By Ken Waddell
Rivers Banner
Ten years in the making and countless numbers of meetings later, the Riverdale Community Recreation Complex plan was officially unveiled to the public on Monday night, March 22. The meeting was scheduled for 7:15 p.m. but with a huge lineup extending a block down the street, it was a few minutes late in starting. An estimated 400 people jammed Rivers Legion Hall. The atmosphere was emotionally-charged as the proposed financial plan was unfolded. An estimated expenditure of $6.5 million is planned with $800,000 each from Province of Manitoba and Western Economic Diversification Fund (federal government), $50,000 from a Community Places grant, $750,000 from RM of Daly, $295,000 from the town’s arena reserve fund, $333,000 from fundraising to date, another $1,472,000 from anticipated donations and fundraising and the $2 million balance to be raised by a special levy. That levy, which will go against every parcel of property in Rivers, can be paid up front at $3,150 or over 15 years at $345 per year.
Because the financing is through a local bylaw, not only was a public hearing required but written submissions were accepted. Up to meeting start time, 64 written objections were received by Town of Rivers Chief Administrative Officer Dennis Higginson. Rules for the meeting were explained by Mayor Al Morken; the actual proposal was explained by Councillors Al Lepp and Tim Gray.
Lepp said, “We tried to keep the building as practical as possible and to salvage as much equipment as we can from our existing facilities. This is not a fancy building. We want to be in it by the fall of 2011.”
Being “in it” will not mean a turn key operation. Lepp said volunteer help will be needed to finish the hall and some parts of the facility, but it is expected the skating and curling surfaces and washrooms would all be finished within the proposed budget and in time for the 2011 season. That said, it will depend on the tender results and many other factors involved in any construction project.
Speaker after speaker came to the microphone, many very supportive, some not so much so. Those objecting to the proposal mostly didn’t object to the project for at least the need of a new rink, but many objected to the location and method of financing, namely the levy.
Donna Smith said, “I don’t know if I can afford this. Why not put it to a vote?”
Council’s response was that they felt that a plebiscite question would be hard to write as there are a number of aspects. They also felt it would further divide the community.
Rick Taillefer said,”I’m thankful for the opportunity that this will be here for my family,” but he also sympathized with those who opposed the project, especially for financial hardship reasons.
Barb Sveistrup, presenting a submission on behalf of her husband Hal who had been hospitalized, gave an impassioned plea to go forward with the project. The Sveistrups have long been supporters of the rink and want a new facility for future generations.
Harold Dyck said, “Building lots are filling up, the financing will never be cheaper, the time has come to move ahead.”
Shelly Foster “learned to skate on an outdoor rink with a warming shack. When we moved here 24 years ago it was partly because of the rinks.” She wants to go ahead with the project.
Byron McMurchy felt the tax burden was unfair.
Harvey Roberds said, “The location is terrible,” and many others questioned why the new facility wouldn’t be placed at the fairgrounds, especially considering the Ag Society had offered the land for $1 and an agreement for use of the rink for fair days.
Michelle Budiwski said,”I do not oppose the complex but I do object to the financing bylaw.”
RM of Daly resident Joe Dolecki presented a lengthy explanation as to why the levy was unfair in that lower-valued properties will pay the same as higher-valued properties. Questions were raised about cost overruns and tender prices, questions council admitted they can’t answer.
Gray said, “If tenders come in too high we will have to re-vist the whole project.”
And so the evening wore on for more than three hours as various points of view were discussed. If a summation is needed it could be said the council has voted to fund the project with a levy and now will have to hold a final vote based on the findings of the public hearing. Most people are in favour of building new facilities—few dispute the need for a new complex. At issue is the location as downtown commercial lots would be used up for recreation purposes. The major objection is how it will be financed. Considering the size of the crowd and the intensity of the emotion in the room the meeting went well.
According to Higginson the process going forward is as follows: there were 79 written objections and 17 verbal objections filed. Each one of those 96 people will be sent a letter this week advising them they have 30 days to file their objection with Manitoba Municipal Board. Depending on the number of objections filed, the Municipal Board may amend the bylaw or they may call another hearing. It will therefore likely be 60 days before town council can consider a third and final reading of this bylaw.
The meeting was recorded by WCG-TV Rivers Channel 12 which they are hopefully will be aired sometime next week but the studio has been having equipment problems so the actual air dates may be delayed. The meeting will be played for two consecutive days at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Apr 2010

A potential third ice surface for Portage la Prairie is a step closer to becoming reality.

Shane Moffatt, who has organized the city’s ice user groups to push city council to keep operating one half of the recently shut down Portage Centennial Arena, said he and fellow representatives met with City of Portage la Prairie representatives Wednesday.

The group has agreed to draw up another proposal for running the west rink in the arena and give it to the city in time for council’s May 10 regular meeting.

The group had drawn up a proposal for running the rink and presented it at a recent council meeting but, Moffatt said, some of the details of that proposal had to be ironed out, which resulted in the city requesting a new proposal.

If the group’s new proposal is accepted, Moffat said in an interview Thursday morning, the city might consider a one-year lease for the rink.

Because city representatives, including Mayor Ken Brennan, Coun. Dave Quinn and city manager Dale Lyle, said the city won’t spend any money to operate the rink, the onus is on the ice user groups to come up with funding for running the rink.

“We’re going to have to try and raise the money through the public,” Moffatt said.

http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2556680

Apr 2010

The big news out of the Portage Minor Hockey Association annual general meeting was the general consensus of an increase in ice fees would be OK if the City of Portage la Prairie is willing to save Centennial Arena’s west ice sheet.

“We used to have three ice surfaces and 17 teams,” said PMHA past president Ferdi Nelissen. “Now we have 27 teams and two ice surfaces.”

Currently, the PMHA is paying $67 per hour of prime time ice, but it was discussed that the association would be willing to pay more should there be more ice time allocated to each team, and as well, that the ice be in town. While the fees would increase, teams would have three practice times in two weeks, as opposed to only one ice slot per week (or less for the younger groups, who combine practice slots due to a shortage of ice). Money would also be saved with practices staying in town, saving costs on fuel driving to Oakville and MacGregor.

http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2531922

Apr 2010

Amidst dueling documents and recoiling reports, city officials agreed to work with user groups of the Portage Centennial Arena to keep an ice sheet open at the aging facility.

City of Portage la Prairie council announced the decision at its regular meeting Monday.

“We will defer our decision about Centennial Arena for four weeks,” Mayor Ken Brennan said.

Previously, city council had decided to decommission the arena in late spring this year and take out the ice plant that serves both its ice sheets, but those plans are now on hold.

Brennan also said council would open a dialogue with a handful of representatives from groups that use the arena, such as the Portage Minor Hockey Association (PMHA), on running one of the ice sheets at Centennial for no cost to the public.

The group would include representatives from the city and about four or five from the ice user groups.

The Portage Regional Recreation Authority (PRRA) will not be involved in the process, as this would be a city-led initiative.

Roughly 150 people, including children enrolled in ice sports, crowded into council’s chamber, surrounding the elected officials and spilling out into the hallway. They all applauded council’s announcement.

The announcement came about an hour into the meeting, after much verbal jousting and the handing out of reports and counter reports from Shane Moffatt, representing the ice user groups, and city council.

http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2530820

By Penny Wilson, Southport
Posted 23 days ago

I have three children in Piranhas Swim Club.

Let’s talk about the fabulous PCU centre.

After $40 million for the PCU, we will have less, FAR less of a pool than we have now at Southport, which the city is forcing to close. Which, by the way, is paid for and just had a $1.5 million overhaul for all new tiles, etc., on the perfectly functional pool deck (check out the plaque celebrating the event on the door to the pool).

The hockey clubs are not the only ones with less, far less (after $40 million) than more with the new facility.

There will be no diving platforms at the new pool. Why? Most of it is only three to four feet deep, or shallower. How can we go to a meet when our swimmers have never seen a starting block?

I keep seeing print saying “six swim lanes.” As long as you don’t mind dragging your knuckles on the pool bottom in most of them — maybe. However, the swim club has only been offered the rental of three lanes.

Three lanes, no starting blocks. Too shallow to teach the kids to even dive off of the edge of the pool (close your eyes and pretend it is a starting block kids …).

We use five lanes now at Southport, and the kids are constantly banging into each other swimming laps because we have four to five kids in each lane. How can we operate with three?

I take great offence at the ludicrous line that a competitive pool was too expensive. How much did the two-storey waterslide cost? How about the fabulous underwater wave machine — $1 million? — $1.5 million? This was cheaper than a rectangle with diving blocks? How stupid does the city hope I am?

The sad part is, the pool is exactly the right size for 12 swim lanes. What a great competitive pool it could have been. Imagine how many sporting meets Portage could have hosted there. It is the right size, the city just made it three feet deep with a sprinkler and a current river and a waterslide.

Wait a minute — isn’t that Splash Island? Right across the road from the PCU Centre?

And, it is built on what used to be an awe-inspiring greenspace. Also a swamp.

This pool is a disaster of planning — none of the input from the swim club was followed. Why did they even ask?

Sign me — Stop asking for my money and feeding me bull.

http://www.cpheraldleader.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2527976

Apr 2010

The operating costs to maintain Centennial Arena open for ice purposes are manageable, says Shane Moffatt in his report.

The City of Portage la Prairie’s cost estimates for keeping the Centennial Arena open as an ice rink are not on tract, according to the new report compiled by a representative of the ice user groups in Portage.

Moffatt worked in conjunction with the Portage Minor Hockey Association and other ice users and spent about nine months compiling the Portage Centennial West Rink Business Proposal and Cost Comparisons study, which he plans to present to city council at its meeting April 12.

Because there is such a shortage in ice in Portage, he and every other parent with a child in an ice-related sport, has to do an inordinate amount of traveling.

“What motivated me is the travel that we have to do across the province,” he said.

According to Moffatt’s study, running the west rink of Centennial Arena for four months would cost just under $54,000.

http://www.cpheraldleader.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2527690