October Schedule

This is my tentative schedule for October. Like the other months it will change. If you would like to meet with me or arrange to have me meet with your group please contact Nadine at the Town Office.

Sept 29 – Oct 4 Out of Town

Oct 5 – Children’s Wish Walk

Oct 6 - Fire Chief

Oct 7 – Council Meeting

Oct 7 - Fire Department

Oct 9 – SUMA Regional Meeting

Oct 10 – KDAWN/Oxford House

Oct 11 – Mayor’s Hours

Oct 11 - Budget Meeting

Oct 14 – Thanksgiving

Oct 16 – 17 SEDA Conference

Oct 18 – Mayor’s Hours

Oct 21 – Mayor’s Hours

Oct 22 – Stakeholder Meeting

Oct 22 – Pre-Budget Consultation Meeting (Tentative)

Oct 23 – WCMGC

Oct 23 – Chamber of Commerce Welcome Night

Oct 24 – Museum Dedication

Oct 25 – Mayor’s Hours

Oct 28 – Mayor’s Hours

Oct 28 – Council Meeting

Oct 30 - Phase 2

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October has been officially proclaimed Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is most common form of cancer among women with approximately 5,000 dying of cancer each year. Breast cancer seems to be one of those types of cancer that affects most families.

In my wife's family breast cancer was diagnosed in my wife's grandmother and mother. For us, we treat it as a question of when not if. This past year one of the Town's employees has been diagnosed with breast cancer as well.

Goose Festival and Culture Days

The weather for Goose Festival was great! The sun was shining, the breeze was gentle, the temperature was moderate, and the crowd was friendly. It was a good day.


KCS Marching Band Preparing to Start the Parade, Sept 28, 2013



Lining Up for the Parade on Railway Ave W., Sept 28, 2013

The festivities started off with the parade. I had a lot of fun handing out candy to the young at heart of all ages.

Unfortunately for us we ran out of candy by 4th Ave. Councillor Sackville drove the red sports car loaned to us while my middle son, Councillor Sackville's oldest son, and I gave out candy.

Judging by the candy bag my youngest brought home there will be some parents struggling with children on sugar highs.

As I was handing out candy it was hard to believe all the faces I recognized. The worst part was not having time to chit chat. For example, there was someone with whom I wanted to find out if their plans worked out.

Another thing I did was give away my tickets for tonight's Klippers' game; I purchased season tickets this year. Believe it or not it took me three tries to give them away.  The first try was to some kids but their parents said no. The next was an older couple who are not hockey fans. A younger couple accepted the tickets and I hope they have a good time.






After the parade it was back downtown for some food and visits. The food was good and the conversations were better. Part of the charm of the afternoon was the Bouncy Castles set up by New Life Community Church.

While my youngest spent his energy on the Bouncy Castles I wandered down by the car show and shine. Some nice cars were on display. My favourite was the 1968 Cougar. Don't ask me why but the Mercury Cougars have always been a favourite of mine.

The Amazing Race Kindersley was a success with 20 teams and 90 people dashing around town. They covered a lot of ground starting at the WCEC and then south to the rink at Rosedale, back downtown, on to Norman Ritchie Centre, over to the mall finishing at the KI. Here is a photo as the teams lined up to start the race.

One of the stops for the Amazing Race was at Devon Coles' Garden Gallery. The task the teams had to accomplish was to make a 4" dish out of clay on a spinning table. His gallery was crowded. If you have a chance you should wander in some day. Its a great place to browse.

The KI once again hosted the International Cuisine Dinner. It was delicious but, if you arrived late as I did, then some dishes were empty. Again, it was good catching up with people over food.

I hope you had a good time. If you happened to miss it come out next year.

(The formatting just is not cooperating on this post.)

Provincial Resolutions for Change

SUMA, the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association, is the provincial voice of urban municipal governments representing cities, towns and villages.

Through strength in unity, SUMA advocates, negotiates and initiates improvements in local, provincial and federal legislation, and delivers programs and services to members to enhance the quality of life in Saskatchewan.

For the upcoming 2014 Conference SUMA has requested resolutions for discussion and if passed the resolution would be presented to the provincial government for consideration. There are two resolutions I am considering for Council, the first has been presented by past Councils:

1. That the province grant Towns the power to be able to sub classify properties for fairness for both residents and businesses.
2. That the province and federal government consider other census sources, such as health cards, as means of determining funding levels.
• As an example the federal census, which is voluntary, counts less than 4,700 residents in Kindersley. In contrast Heartland Health Region counts more than 5,300 residents. The difference is 12% and has a direct impact on the amount of revenue the Town receives from the gas tax. With the federal census conducted every four years, and the growth that we and other communities are experiencing, there is a significant possibility that the Town and other communities are going to be chronically underfunded for the next few years.

These are two resolutions we need to consider presenting to SUMA. There is a third resolution I am considering but need to think it through further.

A New Avenue - 13th

13th Ave., September 24, 2013

On September 23rd Council eliminated a lane and created a new avenue. Allow me to introduce you to 13th Ave. 13th Ave is north of the highway and the buildings you can see on it include an oil change business and the large building is a car and truck wash facility.


The avenue is newly paved and looking good.

Saskatchewan is Growing!

According to Census Canada, September 26, 2013 is an historic day for Saskatchewan. I was surprised as well. As of today Saskatchewan is home to more than 1,100,000 people. Since 2007 the population of SK has grown more than 10%. Kindersley is contributing as well: Census Canada put our population at 4,678 and according to Heartland Health Region we are home to 5,330 residents.

We are working hard so more people can move here: partnering with developers, working to build Phase 2, and developing tools to ensure commercial and industrial growth.

Railways and Access to Markets

With the logjam in trying to have pipelines developed a variety of entrepreneurs are developing an alternative method of getting West Central SK's resources to markets in Asia, Eastern Canada, and the US. The alternative method is railway.

Railcar with drilling pipes, September 24, 2013

In less than a decade the shipment of oil has increased exponentially. Another example of this is the development of an inland rail terminal for oil in Kerrobert. This is good news for our region so our products can reach their markets. The one caveat we have is that the province and the Town of Kerrobert work to preserve their respective road infrastructure in West Central SK.

One other point: safety. Train lengths are now up to approximately 180 cars carrying a variety of products that when mixed together can be dangerous. Further, municipalities are not informed by the rail companies of the materials passing through their jurisdiction. This has to change so first responders such as Fire Crews, can respond effectively without injury including death.FCM is continuing to work on this on behalf of communities like Kindersley and Kerrobert. Rail companies prefer that the police reach the site of an incident first so that people won't go into the area where there may be materials mixing together that may cause harm.

During the morning of September 25th 16 rail cars derailed near Landis resulting in oil leaks.

Developments like this makes it imperative that we work together to improve the quality of life for residents of West Central SK.

West Central Municipal Government Committee Update September

The fourth Wednesday of the month, except December, is the meeting date for the municipalities of West Central Saskatchewan. The committee is venue for information to be shared and to effectively lobby higher levels of government for improvements that will enhance the quality of life for residents in our region.

Health

• The flu shot will be available starting October 21st.
• Heartland is working hard to be lean. Lean is the process of weeding out actions that do not add value to the goods or service.
• Heartland is gaining ground in recruitment, with more still needed, but there is no room for complacency.

Education

Sun West School Division

• Kindersley does not have a second representative for the Board.
• Sun West is now handing out their 2014 Calendar. It has descriptions of what they do, pictures of their schools, and significant School Division dates.

Great Plains College

• If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a Continuing Care Assistant, Great Plains College is still accepting applications.
• Spend-A-Day is a program designed for potential students to experience Great Plains College for a day. The Kindersley Campus is hosting their Spend-A-Day October 29th.

Presentation

• Glenda Gies, of Multi-material Stewardship Western made a presentation regarding changes to the collection of Waste Packaging and Paper products. The intent is to have producers of packaging bear some of the cost of recycling waste packaging and paper.
• I will share more about this when I have time.

Traffic Lights on Ditson and Hwy #7

This past spring was hard on our traffic lights at the intersection of Ditson Rd and Hwy #7. As a result of a series of incidents over a few weeks the lights have been malfunctioning for unknown reasons. Some of those reasons are due to age. The Town has tried a number of repairs, including replacement of components, without success. The trucking company involved has been billed for the repairs.

Because the repairs have not worked the Town has requested that the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure replace the lights. Agreements are in place between the province and municipalities determining how to share the expense of shared infrastructure. In this case, because Ditson Rd and Hwy #7 is shared infrastructure and we have a population greater than 1,000, the agreement is that the Ministry installs the lights and the municipality, in this case the Town of Kindersley, maintains the lights. The Town feels that we have done all that is reasonably possible to repair the lights. It is the Town's determination that the best option at this point is for the replacement of the lights. It is our understanding that because the lights need replacement it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure under the Agreement.

I very much appreciate your patience as we work to resolve this issue.

STARS: Shock Trauma Air Rescue Saskatchewan

Cindy Seidl, the Base Director STARS Saskatoon, spoke at the August meeting of the West Central Municipal Government Committee meeting in Landis.

STARS is comparatively new in Saskatchewan starting in April 2011. They have a ten year agreement with the province to transport the right patient with the right care at the right time. STARS, a physician driven service, provides medical oversight to two types of patients:

• Red Patients who have a life threatening injury or illness as diagnosed by the host medical facility or the receiving medical facility
• Yellow patients are those patients who are currently stable but could destabilize en route to another medical facility.

The decision process to determine who is transported is very quick and occurs within 1 - 2 minutes. If there is a potential patient in Kindersley a call is placed and with a couple of minutes it will be determined if they are to be flown to Saskatoon. Kindersley will have real time access to readily available resources such as doctors and nurses. Doctors may accompany the patient on the flight depending the patient's condition or the medical personal may stay on line with physicians with remote access.

 

If you are transported by STARS you will land at the airport for transport to St. Pauls or Wilson's Greenhouse for RUH. Usually there is a bill for ambulance service and it is no different for STARS. The Ministry of Health, not STARS, sends a flat rate bill of $350 for transport from anywhere in Saskatchewan. You will also receive a bill for the ambulance ride to the plane or the helicopter and from the plane or helicopter to the other facility. The Saskatoon service is as busy as the services originating out of Calgary and Edmonton.

 

The annual budget for STARS is $21 million and is split 50-50 between STARS and the province. STARS raises there $10.5 million through fundraising.

 

Currently each of Regina and Saskatoon has one helicopter and recently Potash Corp purchased a larger helicopter that has the capacity to reach the northern mines. STARS is also looking at placing fuel caches in outlier communities.

Crime Prevention/Reduction Presentation

The RCMP have organized a Crime Prevention/Reduction Presentation on November 27th at 1:00 at the Elks Hall. The presentation will inform us about crime stats and trends with a discussion to follow about possible program solutions to address the stats and trends. There will also be an opportunity for an open forum to express concerns or ask questions.

RCMP Barracks with trees removed and paved parking; September 24, 2013

One another note: have you noticed all the work being done on the grounds of the barracks? Trees have been removed and additional paved parking has been added.

The Wealth of Kindersley and West Central Saskatchewan

Hi Everyone:

What is the wealth of Kindersley and West Central Saskatchewan and how can we measure it?

One of my favourite books (and authors) is Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations. Smith, an ethicist, ably described a complex system of business arrangements being developed in what is now the United Kingdom and Europe. I think it is reasonable to say that when it came to the creation and understanding of wealth, Smith was trying to understand how everything related as a whole. The result was a comprehensive effort to understand what wealth is and what causes it.

I am not going to pretend to know all the answers but I do think we can come to an understanding of wealth and how to continue accumulating and investing for sustained wealth creation in Kindersley and West Central Saskatchewan.

Our area has three types of wealth:

·         Manufactured Capital - including buildings, machinery, infrastructure, etc.

Manufactured Capital, September 24, 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

·         Human Capital - our population and education

Human Capital

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

·         Natural Capital - agriculture, water, oil and gas (wind is not included because it is not consistent enough for power generation.) The pump Jack is a symbol of natural capital and manufactured capital.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of these three types of wealth, I tend to think our most important is human capital – our people. Manufactured capital is renewable and dependent upon the growth and utilization of our human and natural capital. Unfortunately, our natural capital, with the exception of agriculture, is being depleted, though we have no definite time line as to when it will run out.

Here is my question: Can we not treat wealth creation similarly to asset management? As natural resources are extracted, we should be investing in our human capital, including the necessary manufactured capital, equal to the natural capital being depleted or utilized, preferably more. Is this the case for Kindersley and West Central Saskatchewan? For Saskatchewan? For Canada?

Our goal is to increase wealth by investing in human capital so that it increases the wealth of our area. For this to be successful, we need to consider investment in our manufactured capital that enhances our human capital, in conjunction with direct investment in human capital.

Saskatchewan is enjoying a sustained period of economic growth based, primarily, on our natural capital. However, as the province grows, investment into manufactured and human capital needs to be diversified and inclusive so that all of Saskatchewan can see our 'wealth' grow. The return on investment in our natural capital ought to be seen in an increase in our manufactured and human capital.

We must invest wisely, and as we do, we will continue our sustainability but, most importantly, our vibrancy as a community and as a region.

Please write or phone if you would like me to discuss a particular topic. If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line at the town office or email me at mayorenns-wind@kindersley.ca. You can also check out my blog at http://mayorjohn.blogspot.ca/. I appreciate your feedback.

Have a good week!

Its About Relationships

On September 24th I was out and about and learned about a bad neighbour. Its not the first time I have listened to complaints about neighbours, groups, the Town, and other things but this time I was flabbergasted.

Norman Ritchie Centre Recycle Area, September 24, 2013

Here is the incident as described to me. A man in a pickup drove up to the Norman Ritchie Centre to throw his garbage into the Centre's bin; something you are not supposed to do. He picked up his bags and threw them over his truck and missed the bin. People who lived on the street saw him about to leave without picking up his garbage and confronted him to pick it up. He refused and drove away. Someone followed him and challenged him to pick it up. His response? "Its not my job."

Community is about relationships. Community is about beauty. Community is about respect. And community is about working together. It's no one's job to do anything but if we don't do those jobs there is no community.

Thank you to our friends and neighbours on 2nd St for taking the time to periodically clean up the recycle area at the Norman Ritchie Centre.

I have seen the better angel of Kindersley's nature and it is beautiful.

Smooth Driving

5th Ave West of 2nd St, September 24, 2013

Driving around town has become much smoother. The crews are finished over on 5th and the west end and now the patching crew has been busy scurrying around fixing this hole and that.

This past budget year approximately 76% of the capital budget was spent on infrastructure. It has made a noticeable difference.

If memory serves me, the files are at the Town Office, I believe Rutley Crescent is up for repairs next year.

Kudos to Kamruz and his crew for getting everything done during the busy season.

Facilities Update

Here are some updates about some of the Town’s facilities.

Norman Ritchie Centre, September 24, 2013

The Norman Ritchie Centre has had some more challenges recently. At the end of August the sewer backed up resulting in damage. During the week of the 20^th of September the damage was repaired with insurance money and as of September 23^rd the facility is up and running. The only restriction is that the basement is off limits; you will notice a door blocking the way now. The issue with the NRC is how much money do we spend to keep it going until a new theatre facility is built? A new theatre could be here in 3 years it could be 8 years. I dislike spending good money after bad.

The pool needs more maintenance again. Late in the season the drain pump broke down and needs replacement. It doesn’t sound cheap. As well, there seems to be water leaking under the pool causing problems with the potential to do more damage. There are other wear and tear problems which can be expected from a building that is 39 years old. The pool has done well to last this long.

The rink has some changes. We have taken the epoxy off of part of the floor and ground and polished it. The result has been a pleasant change. Though the floor looks great there have been some concerns about slipperiness and staining. Over the winter the floor will be revaluated and we’ll see where it goes. You will notice some new faces around the rink, and some familiar ones resulting in the rink being almost fully staffed for the season. They are still looking for a student to work part-time.

Rats, yes it is true that rats have been active in and around town. Apparently the reason for this activity is due to dryness of the ground. With the dry conditions the rats are on the move looking for water. In this regard they are no different from you and I. The Town has stepped up its efforts to control the rats including bringing Poulian in more frequently. You can help by keeping your alley clean, garbage picked up, and dispersing standing water.

Culture Report

Culture Days are fast approaching and some volunteers are still needed. If you are interested in helping out and having fun please call the Town Office. Here are some of the upcoming events:

• Emerging Concert
• the Amazing Race
• K-Town Chow Down

If you are looking further down the calendar for something to do there are many things to do:

• The Gleneath Camera Club has started meeting;
• Whirls and Twirls are starting on September 25th;
• Kindersley Players will be doing Hallelujah Girls;
• The Carol Festival will be held December 1st
• The Music Festival will be held this year from March 16 through March 28, 2014.

Don't forget about the Kindersley and District Arts Council concert series this year either.

There is also the Garden Gallery to consider with Devon's art displays and his recent initiative of pottery.

If I have missed something email me so I share it with others.

There is lots to do and I hope you enjoy at least some of the activities.

Clinic Update

The Clinic now has expanded hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please phone the Clinic to confirm but I believe it is now open till 8:00 PM on those days.

Currently the Clinic has four doctors plus one who has recently moved to town and will start shortly. We are optimistic more doctors will arrive in the coming months but are waiting to ensure everything goes as it should.

The Clinic, September 24, 2013

Just a reminder that Mark Stockford of Kindersley Insurance is now on the Heartland Regional Health Authority.

Traffic Safety

We are eagerly awaiting our transportation study. In anticipation I have been trying to learn as much as I can. Here is something that I think will be helpful.

McKinsey & Company completed an international study, A Cost Curve to Improve Road Safety, evaluating traffic safety measures according to cost effectiveness. The idea is that we invest in those measures that are most effective preventing or minimizing incidents compared with the expense to determine the most cost effective.

For example traffic along McEwen and Thompson can be quick. What is the best way to address the issue? There are four factors to consider:

• Education - driver safety and knowledge of speed limits and the zone;
• Enforcement - radar zones and police presence such as ticket issuance;
• Infrastructure - does the design of the road contribute to speeding;
• Regulation - do the regulations address the use of the roadway?
• Technology - are there tools available to address the issue?

To address the speeding issue here are some options according to cost effectiveness; the most cost effective is at the top:

• Increase in penalties, - enfprcement
• Education in schools, - education
• Law severity, - regulation
• Awareness and education, - education
• Lighting, - technology
• Information, Communication and Control campaign, -
• Updated road signs, - technology
• Pedestrian crossings, - infrastructure
• Raised pedestrian crossings, - infrastructure
• Rumble strips, - infrastructure
• Speed control device, - enforcement, technology
• Increased police patrols, - enforcement

These are some examples for Kindersley but there are many other safety options to consider and I am sure there are more I am not familiar with.

In case you are curious, the most effective measure is an increase in penalties with a saving of about $70 per death but only preventing about 25 deaths per year. The most expensive is the installation of bike lanes with cost of around $550,000 per death. However the number of deaths per year prevented is around 410.

As I indicated earlier we are still awaiting our transportation study and I am looking forward to what they have to say to increase safety and enhance traffic flow in Kindersley. I will provide highlights of the document after reviewing it.

Heartland Health Region: Kindersley Representation

I am very pleased to share with you that Mark Stockford is a new member of Heartland Regional Health Authority.

Mark is the long time owner of Kindersley Insurance. Mark has extensive experience operating his own business and as a Board member in a governance capacity for a number of organizations including president of the Saskatchewan insurance board (sorry but I don't recall its name).

Given Mark's experience and passion for Kindersley and West Central Saskatchewan I am optimistic Mark will be a strong member of the Heartland Regional Health Authority.

Education Representation: Sun West School Division

I learned through our Sun West School Division representative, Ruth Griffith, that during the last call for nominations no names were submitted. As it stands now Kindersley has only one representative while we are allocated two. Should no further people be nominated by November 1, please check the date I may be wrong, then Kindersley will have only 1 representative and we may not have 2 representative positions in the future.

If you are so inclined please consider being a part of the education system as a Kindersley representative. For further information please click here.

Mayoral Report: August - September 2013

Hi: below is my mayoral report for August 22 - Sept 20 inclusive. Not included are meetings with individuals and some groups due to the informal nature of the meetings. If you have any questions, concerns or comments please contact me.

Date	Activity	Purpose/Outcome	Follow Up	Policy Number
Aug 22	Mayors/Reeves Forum	·      Greater regional collaboration	·      Ongoing	·      GP.2.6; GP.4.2.c; GP.6.7
Aug 23	Mayor’s Hours	·      Met with residents	·      Brought concerns to Admin/Council	·      GP.2.1; GP.7
Aug 23	P3 Conference Call	·      Phase 2 funding	·      Continue current process	·      GP.4.2.c
Aug 26	Stakeholder lunch	·      Communication	·      Ongoing	·      GP.0.; GP.2.; GP.4.
Aug 26	Mayor’s Hours	·      Met with residents	·      Brought concerns to Admin/Council	·      GP.2.1; GP.7
Aug 26	Council Meeting	·      Public Meeting	·      Refer to minutes	·      GP.0., GP.1.
Aug 28	WCMGC – Landis	·      Urban Co-Chair	·      Ongoing	·      GP.4.
Aug 30	Mayor’s Hours	·      Met with residents	·      Brought concerns to Admin/Council	·      GP.2.1; GP.7
Sept 3	Kindersley Visually Impaired Group	·      Hear concerns	·      Bring concerns to Admin/Council	·      GP.2.1; GP.7
Sept 3	Org Review Meeting	·      Communication	·      Ongoing	·      GP.4.2.c
Sept 5	SPA – Special Planning Agenda	·      Strategic Planning	·      Ongoing	·      GP.0.; GP.1.; GP.2.
Sept 6	Mayor’s Hours	·      Met with residents	·      Brought concerns to Admin/Council	·      GP.2.1; GP.7
Sept 6	West Central Regional Landfill	·      Hear update and discuss direction	·      Ongoing	·      GP.0.; GP.2.; GP.4.
Sept 9	Mayor’s Hours	·      Met with residents	·      Brought concerns to Admin/Council	·      GP.2.1; GP.7
Sept 9	Council Meeting	·      Public Meeting	·      Refer to minutes	·      GP.0., GP.1.
Sept 11	Strategic Planning Meeting	·      Edit Strategic Plan	·      Continue editing	·      GP.0.; GP.1.; GP.2.
Sept 11	Meet with Chair of HHR	·      Communication	·      Ongoing	·      GP.4.2.c
Sept 12	Professional Development (free)	·      “What is Value of Your Marketing Effort"	·      Ongoing	·      GP.1.4; GP.4
Sept 12	Town Square Meeting	·      Hear community comments; share thoughts	·      Ongoing	·      GP.0.; GP.2.; GP.4.
Sept 12	SPA – Tools for Growth	·      Discuss methods of growth	·      Meet again	·      GP.0.; GP.1.; GP.2.

Sept 18	Kindersley Regional Medical Arts Authority	·      Governance of Clinic	·      Ongoing	·      GP.0.; GP.2.; GP.4.
Sept 19	Professional Development (free)	·      “Improving Your Municipality’s Finances"	·      Ongoing	·      GP.1.4; GP.4
Sept 19	SPA – Tools for Growth	·      Discuss methods of growth	·      Meet again	·      GP.0.; GP.1.; GP.2.
Sept 20	P3 Meeting	·      Update knowledge base – latest trends	·      Ongoing	·      GP.4.2.c
Sept 20	Mayor’s Hours	·      Met with residents	·      Brought concerns to Admin/Council	·      GP.2.1; GP.7
Sept 20	Health Stakeholder Meeting	·      Update on enhancing health care	·      Ongoing	·      GP.0.; GP.2.; GP.4.