Helping
members help themselves
The central theme of the Association
of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) is service to its members.
Aside from the usual administrative membership support of
most umbrella organizations, AMM operates a trading company
and lobbies governments on behalf of its members on important
issues such as water infrastructure and resources.
In many rural and smaller communities,
water supply of adequate quantity and quality is a major concern
to local residents. Adequate sewage and wastewater treatment
is also a growing concern in Manitoba as municipal, industrial
and agricultural development stress the limits of many existing
systems. The AMM makes sure that its members can access information
on such things as the Provincial government’s ‘Strategic
Water Plan’, environmental sustainability, water treatment,
wastewater management and climate change.
The AMM also helps members conserve
water and operate treatment plants efficiently. The AMM has
developed a series of water efficiency booklets for small
and medium-sized communities, hotels, schools, hospitals and
others. The booklet provides practical advice for people who
have to ensure a reliable and safe supply of water on a day-to-day
basis.
Complex issues
A reliable supply of water is only
part of the solution. The challenge facing municipalities,
following the Walkerton and North Battleford water contamination
incidents, is providing high quality water at affordable prices.
Water from deep wells is usually
free of contaminants but may have to be demineralized. Conversely
surface water or water from shallow wells can become easily
contaminated. There is also the matter of price. Small communities
may not be able to afford conventional water purification
and sewage treatment facilities.
For communities with declining
population and many farms, there may not be any practical
cost-effective solutions. So the next time you dream about
moving to the country to get away from it all, check out the
water first.
Vision and perseverance
John D. McArthur built more railroad
in western Canada than anyone else. It was his toughness and
vision of a paper industry in Canada's fledgling west which
eventually resulted in the Pine Falls pulp and paper mill.
After securing pulpwood permits, he explored the Winnipeg
River where he came upon a deep bay with a rock island, the
future site of the mill. After several setbacks, the first
paper rolled out of this plant in 1927. The plant is now owned
and operated by Tembec.
McArthur's pioneering spirit built
the Pine Falls mill. Tembec is now pioneering environmental
sustainability at the plant and surrounding area. In 1995,
Tembec constructed a $29 million wastewater treatment plant
reducing discharges into the Winnipeg River by up to 99 percent.
Tembec also plans to reduce water use in the mill by more
than 50 percent. With these environmental improvements, the
plant will achieve 'Impact Zero'. Other improvements include
reductions of greenhouse gas emissions, increased energy efficiency,
improved effluent quality and waste reduction. It can and
is being done. |
