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.
Author: RM166
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.