KAMSACK — Chairs and tables set out for the open house and barbecue were filled Oct. 22 when guests were welcomed to the “long overdue” new, 6,000-square-foot Cote RM municipal shop at Kamsack.
Shortly after the beginning of the year, RM employees had begun to move from their old shop on Nykolaishen Drive into the space on Highway No. 8 north where the municipality had acquired eight lots that had been consolidated into one property, explained Sherry Guenther, RM administrator. Countryside Construction of Stenen had begun work on the three-bay shop in the fall of 2023.
Costing a total of nearly $600,000, the building was completed and paid for without the aid of loans because the RM council had begun putting money aside for the new shop about 15 years ago, she said.
Beginning his remarks in front of a crowd of about 115 people, Reeve Ralph Hilderman evoked the memory of long-time Cote Reeve Alex Leis, saying that when Leis would begin a talk, he would usually start with a joke.
“That’s his legacy. I have nothing,” Hilderman said, as the crowd laughed in response.
Welcoming everyone to the grand opening barbecue reception, Hilderman made special mention of guests from the neighbouring rural municipalities of Sliding Hills and St. Philips and from the Municipality of Roblin, Man.
“We have a lot of people to thank,” he said, adding that planning for the shop began when the “old council got the ball rolling.”
He thanked the former council “for getting the job done after having talked about it for many years.” He acknowledged former Reeve Kim Pennell for his “countless hours of extra work.” He thanked employees Russell Rauckman and Madison Slyziuk for helping to transition from the old shop to the new, and Sherry Guenther for “dealing with all the rules and regulations.”
“Most of all, we thank the ratepayers,” he said. “We hope you like it and are proud of it. Enjoy it.”
Carlotta Schwartz, widow of long-time councillor the late Dale Schwartz, who served on council from 1979 to 2024, accepted the honour of cutting a ribbon held by Reeve Hilderman and former Reeve Kim Pennell.
A lunch featuring barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs was cooked by Councillor Tanner Chutskoff on a wood-fired barbecue which he had constructed.
The meats were served in buns with baked beans, potato salad, coffee and juice. Desserts were provided by women of the Clarion Colony. Also served were pieces of an “open house” cake decorated by Liz Pollon that included a depiction of the new municipal shop, along with the yellow grader that is seen on the shop’s new sign.
