Business View Civil and Municipal | May 2021

156 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL MAY 2021 Proudly applying Environmentally friendly Dust Control for the RM of St. Clements for 25 Years 1-204-785-2180 | www.fortdistributors.com Fort Distributors Ltd. has more applicators than any leading competitor and is already preparing for a busy season of dust control. We have the right size tankers and spray bars to suit any needs. Attracting tourists and building a viable visitor economy is an essential part of the region’s economic and development strategy, so encouraging people to come to the region to live, work, and visit is key. Through investment in the service provision for tourists and visitors, the intention is to attract more people who bring their diversity, experience, and enjoyment into the region, then take their knowledge of the region with them when they return back home. Another area of significance noted by the Mayor is the indigenous group and reserve that sits within the municipality. The Brokenhead Ojibway Nation is located northeast of Winnipeg and is a community rich with culture, experience and knowledge about the region. Fiebelkorn shares, “I’m extremely interested in the indigenous communities in the region and working with them to benefit both communities in the future. We take part in the collaborative Leadership Initiative – launched around four years ago – whereby Mayors from around the region of Winnipeg work with First Nations chiefs to develop collaborative initiatives that benefit both populations. The initiative also seeks to improve the experiences of indigenous people, and works to rebuild broken trust from past, historical experiences.” As part of the Leadership Initiative a Memorandum of Understanding was signed that outlined these key areas for development within the region. Speaking to some of the challenges when it comes to infrastructure in a semi-rural to rural location, Joshi acknowledges, “A reliable broadband connection is limited in some areas but that isn’t the case in the whole region, and many places have readily available broadband. We’re looking to make improvements to the provision of vital internet services in the area, as many people continue to work and learn from home and the availability of a reliable internet connection becomes a more pressing issue.” One project that’s currently being worked on