Manitoba Chamber of Commerce
Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/755841
13 MBiz | november 2016 full structural support, in large part due to a lack of availability of material. School officials learned that a significant snowfall could have sent the roof crashing in on the young students below. In fact, the worst of the roof covered the kindergarten class. It is a miracle it had not collapsed years before. The roof is now being fixed, and the HVAC replacement is almost complete. It caused numerous disruptions to classes, and in the case of one group of 23 students, it meant using the staff room as a makeshift classroom for three weeks. Despite the disturbing news of the roof's imminent collapse, and to Durocher's credit, her goal was to keep the school running as usual during construction, and to provide the students with as normal an experience as possible. The term resilient came to mind as we saw the amount of work that's been done — and continues to be done — to keep the school year on track. Before leaving Buffalo Narrows, we also had the chance to hear how the community is working to capitalize on its limited assets. The provincial remand centre was recently closed, impacting 10 workers. While this is a blow to the community, the local economic development officer and town council are aggressively working to determine how the facility can be repurposed. One suggestion is to convert the centre into a senior living complex. Another idea gaining traction is to use the remand centre as a corrections training facility. Over the course of the trip, MCC was fortunate to engage in numerous conversations with northern Saskatchewan leaders interested in what is happening in northern Manitoba and what our communities are doing to take advantage of potential opportunities. We also were lucky to talk to several First Nations leaders on how they work with their communities and government to identify opportunities. One such group was with the Fond du Lac First Nation. Fond du Lac's chief and economic development staff are working on an economic plan focused on fisheries development and land assets that could include over $1 billion of investment if completed. While communities like Buffalo Narrows and Fond du Lac First Nation are considered remote, their aggressive plans for growth could soon put them on the map for all to see. Whether it is northern Manitoba or Saskatchewan, there is potential for growth. It will require strong leadership, a strong plan, and influential voices to move the conversation forward. ■