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Author: RM166

Temporary Road Closure

The RM will be replacing the bridge on the Landfill Road with a culvert. The road will be closed starting on Monday, September 25th for the duration.

Hay Salvage/ Ditch Mowing

Hay Salvage

 

Hay is once again available to producers for salvage at no cost in provincial highway ditches during spring and summer months.

 

Before and including July 8, landowners or lessees nearest/adjacent to the ditch have the first option to cut or bale material, but after that day anyone can cut and bale without permission from the adjacent landowner or lessee, as long as no salvage operations have already begun. It is recommended that participants contact their local Ministry of Highways (ministry) Office to provide contact information and limits on where they are salvaging hay to avoid disputes.

 

Hay must be cut at a uniform height in ditches and bales must be placed at least eight metres away from the shoulder of the highway. Farmers may salvage hay anytime during the spring or summer months. Landowners or lessees nearest/adjacent to the highway ditch have the first option to cut or bale this material unless the mowing contractor has begun salvage. Bales must be removed by August 8, otherwise they may be subject to removal and disposal by the ministry. After August 8, bales must be removed immediately following haying operations. The ministry may also remove and dispose of hay bales in locations deemed unsafe for motorists.

 

Ministry staff may either make a courtesy call to participants or place orange flags in bales that have exceeded the specified removal period. Flags will be marked with a removal date, that allow participants one week to remove bales, if public safety is not at risk. Participants not adhering to the requirements may become ineligible to hay on the highway right-of-way.

 

The ministry hires contractors to mow along the highway shoulders. Mowing may also be completed near some highway intersections and interchanges, railway crossings and tourism facilities.

 

The hay salvage and mowing program provides:

  • free hay to farmers
  • a neat appearance
  • improved visibility
  • better control of brush and noxious weed growth
  • adequate snow storage in ditches during the winter months


Ditch Mowing

The ministry is working on its annual early mowing program along high traffic highways, which begins June 7 and will continue until July 15. Contractors cut a four-metre wide swath along shoulders adjacent to Highways 1, 7, 11, 16 and 39, along with portions of Highways 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9,  and 10. During this time, mowing may be completed near some highway intersections and interchanges, railway crossings and tourism facilities.

Regular ditch mowing (full-width) will occur along all four-lane highways between July 15 and the fall months. Heavily travelled two-lane highways will receive a twelve-metre cut. Secondary highways will receive an eight-metre cut. A four-metre-wide strip will be mowed adjacent to the other highways with additional mowing as required to ensure visibility and weed control. Progress is weather dependent.

Key Dates

  • June 7 – July 15: Mowing includes a four-metre shoulder cut adjacent to the road. Highways 1, 7, 11, 16 and 39, along with portions of Highways 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10. Some highway intersections may receive a full ditch cut to ensure good sightlines.
  • July 8: Prior to and including this date, a landowner or lessee nearest to a highway ditch has the first option to cut or bale hay. After this date, anyone may cut and bale hay or grass in a highway ditch without getting the permission of the adjacent landowner.
  • July 15 – Oct. 15: Contractors begin mowing the width of ditches along all four-lane highways. Heavily travelled two-lane highways will receive a twelve-metre cut. Secondary highways will receive an eight-metre cut. All other highways get a four-metre cut adjacent to the highway shoulder.
  • August 8: All hay bales must be removed from ditches or they may be removed and disposed of at the Ministry’s discretion.

If you do not want your ditch mowed in the RM please contact the office at 306-784-3121.

Council History

ADMINISTRATORS:

James Vant                 1910 – Dec 1912

A.A. Butler                  Jan 1913 – Dec 1913

Jacob J.Sawatzky       Jan 1914 – Nov 1917

C.L.Harrison               Dec 1917 – Dec 1929

Doug Campbell           Jan 1930 – Dec 1957

Charles Lee                  Jan 1958 – May 1959

Burton Allen                Jun 1959 – July 1963

Maurice Lemieux        Aug 1963 – Apr 1972

Ernest Karlson             May 1972 – Aug 1973

Ben Ehnis                      Sep 1973 – July 1976

Janice Heffley(Acting)Aug 1976 – Jan 1977

Craig Westman            Feb 1977 – Nov 1978

Joan Meyer (Acting)   Dec 1978 – Jan 1979

John Pass                      Feb 1979 – May 1979

Kenneth Merells          Jun 1979 – Feb 1989

Christina Patoine        Mar 1989 – Aug 2014

Dianne Hahn               Sept 2014 –

 

REEVES:

Klaas Peters                  1910 – 1913

Peter M.Friesen           1914 – 1915

John K.Buttery            1916 – 1918

Peter M.Friesen           1919

John K.Austring          1920 – 1921

Heseltine Wilson         1922 – 1928, 1930 – 1948

Cornelius H.Funk       1929

Charles Lee                   1949 – 1957

Peter H. Block             1957 – 1960

Robert Wallace           1961 – 1972

Henry Siemens            1973 – 1982

L.Duane Olson            1983 – 1996

Donald Meyer             1997 – 2000

Bruno Miller                2001 – 2004

Harold Martens          2005 – Oct 2022

Harvey Schultz           2023 –

 

COUNCILLORS:

Division 1:

Owen McCann            1910 – 1911, 1913, 1919 – 1922

John K.Buttery           1912

Rudolph Pede             1914 – 1917

Charles B.Smith          1918

Martin Zacharias         1923 – 1932, 1945 – 1948, 1950, 1957 – 1958

B.Doek                          1932 – 1934

G.Berkey                       1935 – 1941

Gus A.Jahnke              1941 – 1945

John Wiense                1949

J.J.Kehler                      1951 – 1954

Paul Doell                     1955 – 1956, 1959 – 1960

Henry Siemens            1961 – 1972

Harry Prang                1973 – 1974

Bruno Miller                1975 – 1982

Joe Klassen                  1983 – 1992, 1997

Ron Mathies                1993 – 1996

Charles Donnelly        1997 – 2020

Shane Castle                2020 –

 

 Division 2:

Elijah McMaster         1910

George Howlett          1911 – 1913

J.W.Wiense                  1914

J.A.Agar                       1915 – 1916

John G.Wall                 1917

William Wallace         1918 – 1920, 1930 – 1932, 1936-1946

Cornelius Siemens      1921

J.R.McCann                  1922 – 1924

J.Wall                            1924 – 1926

W.Gillespie                   1926 – 1927

John A.George             1928 – 1929

P.Robertson                 1932

O.Mason                       1932 – 1935

Nick Baba                     1946 – 1952

F.A.Beisel                     1953 – 1955

Oliver Beisel                1956 – 1957

Robert Wallace           1958 – 1961

Charlie Shaheen          1961 – 1979

Harold Ring                 1980 – 1991

John W.Unger             1992 – 2003

Stuart Wall                  2004 – 2009

Darren Steinley          2009 –

 

Division 3:

Thomas Grieves           1910 – 1912

George Leoppky          1913

Andrew Klemke           1914, 1925 – 1926

Heseltine Wilson         1915 – 1920

Jack M.Ross                 1921 – 1924

Ralph C.James            1927 – 1932

Thomas Forney           1932 – 1936

Jacob Veer                   1937 – 1946, 1951 – 1965

Charles Lee                  1947 – 1948

Philip Lindquist          1949 – 1950

Otto Pelzer                   1966 – 1968

Vern Reimer                1968 – 1988

Clifford Veer               1989 – 1998

Harold Martens          1999 – 2004

Robert Dyck               2005 – 2006

Reg Parsons                2006 – 2016

Danny Spenst             2016 –

 

Division 4:

G.Jahnke                      1910

Elias Kolb                     1911 – 1912

Henry D.Ewert            1913 – 1914, 1916 – 1917

J.H.Dueck                    1915

George Unger              1918 – 1921

J.Wiebe                         1922 – 1923

G.F.Sawatzky               1924 – 1927

G.Unger                         1928 – 1931

G.Driedger                    1932

H.Goertzen                   1933

Peter S.Martens           1934 – 1943

Gerhard Unger             1944 – 1945

Peter H.Block               1946 – 1949, 1952 – 1957

Peter F.Harder             1950 – 1951

Peter K.Sawatzky         1951 – 1965

Clarence Hiedebrecht 1966 – 1974

Les Heffley                    1975 – 1983

Jacob Block                  1984 – 1997

Harvey Schulz              1998 – 2022

Jordan Miller               2022 –

 

Division 5:

Cornelius Jahnke           1910, 1912 – 1916

C.B.Wohlgemuth           1911

A.C.Meyer                       1917 – 1918

John Jahnke                   1919 – 1922

George Steinley              1923 – 1924

Edward Eichorst            1925 – 1930, 1932 – 1934

J.Jahnke                          1931 – 1932

Cornelius Heidebrecht 1935 – 1942

Fredrick Eichorst           1943 – 1944

Henry G.Meyer               1945 – 1950, 1953 – 1963

Andrew A.Beisel             1951 – 1952

Edward Meyer                1963 – 1971

Elmer Steinley                1972 – 1982

Donald Meyer                 1983 – 1986, 1989 – 1994

Orville Beisel                  1987 – 1988

Cathy George                  1995 – 2000

Ian George                       2000 – 2008

Don Mathies                    2009 –

 

Division 6:

Klaas Friesen                1910 – 1913

Herman F.Harder       1914 – 1916

Cornelius H.Funk        1917 – 1921

W.Armstrong               1922 – 1923

Cornelius H.Funk       1924 – 1927, 1932 – 1937, 1942 – 1943

J.Schmidt                     1928 – 1931

Reinhardt D.Feil         1938 – 1941, 1944 – 1947

Gus Eichorst                1948 – 1955

Joe Hovdestad            1956 – 1963

Otto Fellinger              1964 – 1977, 1983 – 1991, 1994 – 1995

L.Duane Olson            1978 – 1982

Richard Feil                 1992 – 1993

Eugene Mau                1996 – 2000

Sharon Martens          2000 – 2009

Bruce Pate                   2009 – 2022

Jim Feil                        2022 –

Gopher Poison

The RM of Excelsior has Burrow Oat Bait and Rodent Bait to be used on gophers which we sell to RM ratepayers for use in the RM of Excelsior only.  The bait is a pasteurized oat bait and is treated with zinc phosphide which means it will not germinate. It was found to be as effective as strychnine and less expensive. It is also less prone to leaving dangerous residue in dead gophers. The cost is subsidized 50% by the RM and is sold in 20 kg bags.  Please contact the RM Office for further information if required.

Train Blocking Crossing?

Is a train blocking a crossing for more than five minutes? Call the CP number found on the yellow sticker on the warning system.  You should also send a note to PNRWebRPN@tc.gc.ca which is Transport Canada. Information that is important is the date, time, rail car number, locomotive number. Video evidence is also a good thing. Trains must be fully stopped for five minutes or more before you report it.

Recycling of pesticide & fertilizer containers

Farmers can start recycling empty pesticide and fertilizer containers on May 2.

In addition to empty small plastic containers for pesticides and fertilizers, Cleanfarms’ programs include:

  • A nation-wide recycling program for large non-deposit plastic totes and drums for pesticides and fertilizers,
  • Recycling programs for grain bags and baler twine,
  • A nation-wide collection and proper disposal program for unwanted pesticides and old, obsolete livestock and equine medications, and
  • A disposal program for see and pesticide bags in Quebec.

 

Visit www.cleanfarms.ca for location collections.

Dust Control

Ratepayers are reminded that putting their own dust suppressant on RM roads is not permitted.  Please contact the RM Office for further information regarding the cost sharing program for dust control.