Rural Roundup — Aug. 25, 2022

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/08/2022 (1319 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WESTLAKE-GLADSTONE

The Municipality of Westlake-Gladstone has released an update in regard to the cyber security breach in which nearly $450,000 of taxpayer money was stolen between 2019 and 2020.

During this incident, multiple electronic withdrawals of just under $10,000 were made from the municipality’s account at Stride Credit Union, over the course of late December 2019 and through the Christmas holidays. After the missing funds were discovered, an investigation began and the municipality obtained legal counsel to try to determine where the funds went, how the suspicious activity was not flagged sooner and why their insurance provider would not cover the lost money.

The municipality did not make this information public until Oct. 12, 2020, as they had hoped to learn more about the fraud before sharing it with local taxpayers.

In the latest update from Westlake-Gladstone, the municipality shared some information provided to them by their legal counsel, DD West LLP.

“Litigation processes have been commenced against Stride Credit Union relating to its computer system and the loss of funds, and against Western Financial and Traveller’s Insurance relating to the insurance policies as they related to cyber insurance,” a release from the municipality stated. “These lawsuits are in the document discovery stage and will be proceeding to examinations for discovery once all documents have been exchanged.”

In addition, the municipality stated that they have found no reason to believe that the chief administrative officer was involved in the fraud.

“We can advise the residents and ratepayers of Westlake-Gladstone that there is no evidence the CAO officer took or misappropriated the funds or was involved in any manner whatsoever with respect to the taking of the funds. In addition, given the very short time over which the money was removed from the account the CAO handled the matters appropriately and followed office procedures and proper banking service reviews. We remind all individuals to refrain from any slanderous or libel allegations and request everyone refrain from making unacceptable remarks about or towards the CAO,” the release continued.

Westlake-Gladstone Mayor Scott Kinley noted that he and his council are working with the CAO and the legal team are committed to providing updates when they get them, the press release also stated.

» Neepawa Banner & Press

NEEPAWA

Neepawa’s wastewater system is one of the beneficiaries of a new funding commitment from the federal and provincial governments.

On Aug. 8, Ottawa and the province released a joint statement confirming a $34-million investment into 10 wastewater and waste management projects across Manitoba.

The largest commitment of cash is going to Dauphin. The town will receive a combined contribution of $9.1 million to help expand and upgrade the city’s lagoon system.

Neepawa received a funding boost of $4.2 million to help the town work on the upgrading and expansion to the system.

A large portion of the new investment will assist with the implementation of a Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) system. The MBBR system is a more efficient way of processing wastewater compared to traditional wastewater systems. MBBR technology takes up less space and does not require recycling of sludge. The new technology will reduce the overall footprint of the treatment facility and lower its overall greenhouse gas emissions and power requirements. The funding will also go toward upgrading the treatment building and adding a new lab at the facility.

The Town of Neepawa has been looking into the installation of this type of treatment system for many years, having participated in a pilot project related to it in 2016. The results from that project formed the basis of the full-scale lagoon for Neepawa. Its construction will represent the first installation of its kind in Manitoba and Western Canada.

Although the timing of the announcement places them late into the 2022 construction year, town officials are still hopeful that they can make some progress on the project this year.

» Neepawa Banner & Press

NEEPAWA

Kinsmen Kourts II (KK2) was bustling with activity on the afternoon of Aug. 6. After a long stretch of planning and construction, the assisted living facility was christened with its official ribbon-cutting ceremony that day. Town officials, residents and visitors alike gathered at the location to converse, enjoy the ceremony, take tours and enjoy food prepared by KK2’s kitchen staff.

“This has been a dream of a few years,” said Kinsmen president Grant Lukin. “I really cannot thank everyone enough for their feedback and support.”

The assisted living facility got its start through a needs survey in 2017 to evaluate how much demand there was for an additional building. In June 2020, the ground was broken and construction began, continuing into 2021. By early November, some residents were able to be welcomed into their brand-new home.

Vacancies in the living complex are steadily filling, with application forms available on the Kinsmen Kourts website.

» Neepawa Banner & Press

NEEPAWA

HyLife Ltd. has been named as one of Canada’s best-managed companies. For nearly two decades, HyLife has officially been recognized as an industry leader, a community-minded company and an employer of choice.

Since 2004, HyLife has been named one of Canada’s best managed companies, and proudly shared in May that they once again reached platinum club status for 2022, holding this achievement for more than seven consecutive years.

“HyLife is proud to be among Canada’s best-managed businesses for the past 18 years. We pride ourselves in offering a work culture that empowers employees at all levels to live up to their fullest potential. We are committed to our communities and recognize that taking care of the places where we live and work is a privilege and social responsibility. As a company, we prioritize fostering an environment in which our team is encouraged to give back,” said Grant Lazaruk, president and chief executive officer of HyLife.

The Canada’s Best Managed Companies program aims to inspire, celebrate and build community. A leading business awards program, this designation celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit, determination and innovation of the private business community. To make the cut, each applicant undergoes a multi-step evaluation of its management abilities and practices across four pillars — strategy, culture and commitment, capabilities and innovation and governance and financials.

HyLife believes its ongoing success is thanks to their entire team’s work ethic and dedication. Today, more than 4,500 people are employed with the company.

“The selection committee also HyLife’s unique opportunities to develop and enhance employee skill sets through various programs, which include HyLife U Workshops, HyLife Masters, Performance Coaching, Farms Swine Technician Development, Foods Internship and Kaizen Events,” Stacy Ashley, HyLife’s public relations manager, wrote in a press release.

Over the years, new innovations included the ongoing construction of a brand-new head office in Steinbach.

That’s not to say growth doesn’t bring controversy, as proposals for new barns within select municipalities are known to make headlines. These large-scale operations are the backbone of the company in terms of hog production required to meet market demands. Breeding, farrowing and nursery barns are among the state-of-the-art facilities, but instead of barns they are looked at as farms. No matter the locale, a core value of HyLife is to raise the animals with respect, growing happy pigs.

The Neepawa area has grown immensely since 2008, when HyLife purchased the former Springhill Farms processing plant located east of the community along Highway 16. Processing more than 7,000 pigs per day, HyLife takes extreme pride in the fact that animals can be traced from farm to fork, reaching specialty cut markets not only in Canada but also in Japan, Mexico, the United States, China and Barbados.

» Crossroads This Week

VIRDEN

The Aud Theatre in Virden was filled with hundreds of current and former Virden citizens, friends, family, well-wishers and special guests on July 11 for a special ceremony honouring one of their own. The ceremony marked the induction of entrepreneur and philanthropist Jim Treliving into Canada’s Walk of Fame.

Now 81, Treliving has gained notoriety for both his savvy deal making through 15 seasons of the CBC’s reality show “Dragons’ Den” as well as his philanthropic work. As a Canada Walk of Fame inductee, Treliving received $10,000 to go toward a charity or worthy cause of choice. He chose The Aud Theatre and matched it with his own personal donation.

» Crossroads This Week