Three members of Niverville’s town council are eager to throw their hats in the ring for re-election. Earlier this month, councillors Chris Wiebe, Nathan Dueck, and Kevin Stott all announced their intention to run for second terms. The province-wide municipal election will take place October 24.
All three councillors are finishing up their first terms, although in Dueck’s case he has only served two years, since he took over his position in 2016 when former councillor John Falk stepped down.
With the town in constant growth mode over the last decade, council has been pushing initiatives on several fronts. All three councillors cite the same major accomplishments as being highlights of the past term—the development of the business park, the installation of a water main along Main Street, the start of construction of the new high school, and the continuing efforts to realize the dream of the Community Resource Centre.
“Through partnership with Hanover School Division, the Public School Finance Board, and the Province of Manitoba, we as a community have, as we speak, a new high school in the ground,” says Dueck. “The Community Resource Centre is firmly rooted and we are in the planning stages of the sports facility. That will be a shared facility for our citizens, neighbours, and our students. The project is really a first of its kind in Manitoba.”
Wiebe, too, is enthusiastic about the Community Resource Centre. He cites an internal report which shows that the current arena draws about 20,000 people each year—and so he wonders, how many more people will be drawn to the new, state-of-the-art campus? Not only does he say the facility will improve and expand the town’s recreation offices, but it will create a tremendous amount of economic growth in all sectors. As a result, Niverville is poised to become a major hub.
The delivery of town water, Dueck adds, is a key reason why the high school and Community Resource Centre are happening, and the recent upgrades to the water system will allow new developments—residential, commercial, and industrial—to flourish.
“One of the things we ran on was getting more business in town,” says Stott, referring to the previous municipal election campaign in 2014. “We’re only starting to see the beginning of it. But we have plenty of interest and lots, and we’re hoping within the next six months or so we’ll see it pay off and we’ll have a bunch of businesses [there]. The public will see that it is working.”
The splash pad in Hespeler Park is something Wiebe is especially proud of. “Building that splash pad is all about giving back to the community.”
Dueck in particular is excited about the formation of Niverville’s new health advisory committee, the purpose of which is to retain and attract new medical professionals and business to town.
Wiebe: Patience and Accepting Criticism
Each councillor sees in themselves key strengths and leadership qualities that have allowed them to make specific contributions to the overall puzzle that is town council.
“Patience,” says Wiebe, hitting an introspective note. He says that when you storm out on every issue, problems can escalate very quickly. “I didn’t used to have patience for politics, and my maturity has been in recognizing that. But I’ve learned that patience is an area where I can contribute.”
He also has learned the importance of being able to accept criticism. “Sometimes the first reaction is, ‘I’m right.’ But criticism is a form of democracy. You have to own it and don’t take it personally.”
Wiebe adds that public criticism is often the main way in which citizens can engage in the democratic process, and as such it’s important not to get your back up every time you hear something you don’t appreciate.
On a practical level, Wiebe says that he brings a lot of leadership expertise in the area of infrastructure. He has 38 years of experience building sewer lines, airports, developments, streets, and sidewalks—just to name a few—everywhere from western Ontario to Saskatchewan, and throughout Manitoba as far north as Gillam, both in rural and urban settings. His expertise has been instrumental in weening the town off some of its dependence on engineering firms and providing confidence to council’s decisions, especially in terms of budgeting, and in the everyday operations of the Public Works department.
“I feel that I’ve been able to give confidence to Public Works,” Wiebe says. “They are very capable, but sometimes they just need someone to back them up.”
Stott: It’s All in the Roots
“What do I bring? I think I bring some of the roots,” says Stott about what he brings to council’s team dynamic. “I’ve been in town all my life. I’m out there still participating in a lot of things, like I’m in the golf league, I’m in the curling league. I think I have that voice of the town. My mother is still in town in the [Niverville Credit Union Manor]. When you’re in there as a visitor, you talk to the seniors and learn about their concerns. I’ve been here all my life.”
Overall, Stott is really happy with the working dynamic on council over the past several years.
“One thing I want to put a highlight on is that we gelled so well together,” he says.
“It’s been a really nice council to work with.”
Dueck: Positivity and Communication
“The ability to see a different side of the coin, or a different goal or purpose, is a strength,” says Dueck. “I would consider myself a very positive person… and I am passionate about everything I do. I rarely give up.”
Dueck also believes that he has adopted a common belief held by many people in Niverville: that nothing is impossible so long as we find a unique way to do it.
Although Dueck didn’t specifically mention this aspect of himself, his fellow councillors were quick to appreciate his strength in terms of staying active on social media and providing much-valued communication to residents there.
“I have taken it upon myself as a goal to work with the people in this town who reach out and look for better understanding,” Dueck says, “to sit down and go through their concerns to make Niverville better, and make sure we find better and new ways to evolve communication in our town.”
Although Dueck looks forward to many more years on council, he acknowledges that it’s no cakewalk. “My time on council for the last two years has been an amazing experience,” he says. “It is, however, a large investment of yourself… I am very blessed that I have energy and the support of my wife and our two young daughters.”
The Term Ahead
Despite several notable achievements, the work of a town council is never done, and a great many important projects remain in the future should these councillors get re-elected to continue their work.
“We have a whole pile of stuff started and halfway through, and we’d sure like to finish it and bring those things to town before we do retire from the political field,” Stott says. “And with a new CEO coming in, you just hope that he has some experience on council [to back him up]. That would be a good thing for the community. A lot of people look at the CEO as just working in the office, but [former CEO Jim Buys] had a relationship with many people and politicians around us that he got to know over a period of time… A lot of things that do happen in the town, it’s about relationships and knowing who to talk to.”
Over the course of the past year, Eric King has been getting ready to take over the CEO position full-time with Buys’s departure.
In addition to the high school and bringing the Community Resource Centre to fruition, Wiebe is looking forward to turning more attention to the burgeoning business park, as well as shepherding new developments. He also sees that the town still has a lot of infrastructure needs to prioritize in the coming years.
Wiebe also cites the town’s joint work with the Niverville Chamber of Commerce to develop a business mentorship program, to provide support systems for young or otherwise inexperienced entrepreneurs to get their businesses off to promising beginnings.
“Starting a business is hard when you don’t have someone to knock ideas out with,” Wiebe says.
“The priorities for the years ahead, in my opinion, is to strive for balance,” says Dueck. “Niverville has, over the last decade, had the privilege of seeing massive population growth. However, our priorities over the next decade no doubt have to pertain to growth of industry and commercial development for local jobs. Long-term health projects are currently high on this council’s agenda, and [it] will need to be even higher as our population grows and evolves.”
Finally, Dueck says that the town’s ever-increasing demand for public safety services, including fire and policing, will need to addressed in the coming years.
