On behalf of Council I would like to welcome you to our website. Communication with the public is of great importance to us and this is one of many steps being taken to provide valuable and timely information.

In 2016 we celebrated a 100-year anniversary as an incorporated municipality; one of many milestones for our Municipality as we were incorporated November 8, 1916. As we look to the next 100 years, I am especially proud of the steps being taken to provide the services within the region. With a partnership with the Town of Spirit River and the Village of Rycroft we have recently formed the Central Peace Fire and Rescue Commission that celebrated its first-year anniversary July 2017. The commission has a great group of volunteers working to continue the good works began by the MD Fire Department. The merger of the three departments into a well-run family of volunteers is wonderful to see.

I believe that we are a community no matter where our boundaries may end. I find it quite promising that we and our four closest neighbors; Birch Hills County, Saddle Hills County, the Town of Spirit River, and the Village of Rycroft are continuing to work together in areas of mutual concern. We are joint owners and under construction of the Central Peace Health Center, with the services of our local Doctors and Dentists to be housed under one roof. We had a great time recognizing this achievement August 12, 2017 with you our neighbors and friends when the building was dedicated in conjunction with Spirit River’s Chepi Sepe Days. We are also undergoing a number of studies to determine what we may be able to share to pass any savings onto the communities we live in. This could lead to other shared services and operational efficiencies which will benefit all of us.

We as Council are given the responsibility to hire a CAO which will hire staff and manage the day to day operations using an approved budget. As Councilors we are challenged with setting a vision for the future of our Municipality, but we cannot do this in absence of the people we serve. As I stated, communication is very important. I would encourage everyone to think about what is important to you. Is it hard services such as gravel, snow removal etc., or soft services such as Family Community Support Services? I believe it needs to be balanced and the cost must be bearable. As with any community we need to support ventures and activities that will attract people to live fulfilled lives and stay in our communities. Our MD has continued to support recreation facilities, economic development and even cemeteries but we recognize that roads, bridges, and other infrastructure are your primary concern. We have heard such things but please continue to voice your thoughts. I would encourage anyone interested in municipal service, such as committee or board membership, to please come forward to help set the vision of our municipality.
It is our Council’s goal to serve you as best we can.

Tony Van Rootselaar,

Reeve