Hudson Bay council had to make some tough discussions during their most recent bimonthly council meetings.
Council started off their June 9 meeting by discussing the future of their swimming pool for the summer of 2020.
Current government restrictions are keeping the Hudson Bay Aquatic Centre closed but, even if restrictions are lifted before the start of summer, there is much to do before the pool can open for the season, said Teresa Parkman, Hudson Bay’s administrator.
“If they announce it on July 1 that pools can open, we need two or three weeks just to get to that point and then you're already into the middle to towards the end of July and then we typically only stay open until the last week of August.”
Many factors went into this difficult decision, including maintenance, training, and public health inspections, Parkman said, but the council has decided to forgo their license for this summer.
“Everyone very much wants to be able to open but feel like time is running out.”
Highways
With some local highways in rough shape around Hudson Bay, council has agreed to start lobbying Minister of Highways Greg Ottenbreit to come out and see how rough these highways are. Parkman will be working with Mayor Glenn McCaffery on drafting the invitation inviting him out to the area to have a look at current conditions that the ministry have yet to address.
Highway 9 and Highway 3 intersect in Hudson Bay and both are in desperate need of repairs, including south of town towards Yorkton and heading east towards the Manitoba border, Parkman said.
The Town and RM of Hudson Bay and local industry partners, like Weyerhaeuser and the Northeast Transportation Committee, will all be part of the discussion with the minister.
“There's infrastructure funding for highways, and we have a number of highways surrounding us that are in bad shape. (We want) to be able to ask what the options are and to get the Minister here so he can drive on these highways and see for himself.”
Hockey school
As per the discussion at the May 26 council meeting, the 2020 Hudson Bay Hockey School has officially been cancelled. The week-long event would normally take place in June, but with government restrictions on public gatherings still being in place, any changes to the restrictions would not come soon enough for the school to take place, said Jeanine Holowatuik, Hudson Bay’s community development director, during the May 26 council meeting.
The cancellation will not only have an impact on the 110 hockey players that benefit from the event but also the local economy that benefits from the boost the hockey school brings to the town.
