2022 was a good year for the Rural Municipality of Piney council.  

Speaking for Reeve Wayne Anderson (who was not available at the time of the interview), Martin Van Osch, C.A.O. for the RM says, “After the October elections, we ended up with a number of councilors, that were in by acclamation and we've got one new counselor, which is exciting. He brings new ideas to the table and a new vision. We're very excited to have Mark Bernard on our Council for the next four years for sure.” 

Van Osch says one of the biggest highlights of 2022 was being able to secure funding to be able to continue with the Southeast Regional Transit Plan. “With this funding, we’ll be working with 12 municipalities within the southeast corner and a First Nation community.”  

He says it's been quite some time since they’ve had some options for residents regarding transit since Grey Goose Bus lines closed their services to the region nearly 10 years ago. “So as the cost of transportation increases more and more people are looking for transit options and so we are starting with this planning document and working in a regional capacity. We are looking at different options in order to determine what is the most feasible.” 

Alongside the transit project, they were able to secure capital funding from the federal government by working with Buffalo Point First Nation for the purchase of a vehicle. Van Osch notes, “This is a long-term project, and the capital funding will help pay for a vehicle which will allow us to start with some pilot projects out here and provide more options for our residents. “  

Van Osch notes another highlight in 2022 was the completion of the RM of Piney trail plans. “That's a project that was carried over from 2021. We have funding available for local communities that are looking to construct, establish, or plan for trails within their communities. The community of South Junction has already applied for funding and they are hoping to get that set up for new trails here within the Municipality of Piney.”  

He notes council has also been able to do a complete review of their Zoning Bylaw, which was 10 years out of date. “After public meetings and a lot of community consultation, we've been able to establish areas for rural and seasonal growth.”  

Meanwhile, Monique Chenier, Economic Development and Tourism Manager with Sunrise Corner says they have also been working on creating a Community Profile for Sunrise Corner, based on the 2021 census details. “It's a beautiful document that outlines all the reasons why Sunrise Corner is an incredible place to live, work, play, visit, invest in and explore. It talks about all the statistics for the region and why it's a good place for developers and investors to look at, for residents to move to and for tourists to come visit. So, it was a large project that was accomplished in the past year, and we’ve just started distribution on that.”

Chenier notes that residents of Sunrise Corner can now access a free online tool to help connect people of all ages to the opportunities they are seeking. "Whether you're looking for a volunteer position, a full-time paid job or contract work, our Sunrise Corner WorkFinder will be the place to look. Likewise, employers, non-profits, and community clubs are invited to post job openings and volunteer positions on WorkFinder as well. 

When it comes to the challenging weather for most of the southeast in 2022, Van Osch says it’s been a challenging two years. “If you recall in 2021, we were in a severe drought, but who would think that 365 days later we would be dealing with flooding, but we were in 2022. Now the RM of Piney is fortunate in that we are at the top of the watershed, so, although our challenges aren't as significant as other municipalities and the flooding they faced, we had flooding as well.” 

Van Osch says inspectors have already been out to the region and made their assessments and believes that expenses required from damage to their public infrastructure will be recovered. 

He says that “Piney is very fortunate in that fact that, we've got a strong financial base to weather these types of storms. That said, we certainly look forward to some more stable weather patterns in the future where we're not going from a drought to flooding conditions. I think both our farmers and our residents would enjoy a few years of stability in our weather patterns out here.” 

As for their wish list for the new year, besides accessible transportation, health care, and better cell service, Chenier says, “At the end of the day, we all feel so very fortunate to live in a really safe and beautiful area of our province and we look forward 2023 and all the continued beauty and safety we experience in Sunrise Corner. I mean, we should all feel so blessed for what we have out here.” 

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