City of Steinbach chosen for true leadership, environmental responsibility
The City of Steinbach’s Class 1 Waste Disposal Ground was this year’s recipient of the annual Municipal Excellence Award.
Doug Dobrowolski, President of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM), presented the 8th Annual Municipal Excellence Award this morning at the Municipal Officials Seminar at Brandon’s Keystone Centre.
A panel consisting of three AMM directors judged the submissions using criteria including creativity, cost-effectiveness, sustainability, and overall benefit to the municipality.
According to Dobrowolski, “This facility is much more than a waste disposal ground, it’s a state-of-the-art operation that provides the community with a place to dispose of their waste materials in an environmentally responsible manner.”
An even greater accomplishment is that the site is being managed to such high environmental standards that, once full, it will be suitable for recreation purposes, which will blend in with nearby residential development.
Mayor Chris Goertzen was on hand to receive the award. “This project has given us another 22 years of life in our landfill, not just for our municipality but for a number of others who use this facility,” he said. “We do want to build a city of excellence and this project is an incredibly important piece of the puzzle.”
The community has embraced the City’s mandate to encourage waste reduction, along with its message of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Refuse”. As a result, even though Steinbach and area is one of the fastest growing areas in Manitoba, there continues to be a drop in tonnage entering the facility five years in a row.
“Statistics show Steinbach and area to consistently be one of the best recycling areas in Manitoba,” says Dobrowolski. “Although operating to such a high standard has an impact on the cost of its operation, it has also extended the life of the landfill, which will save money down the road.”
“This is a municipality that is working hard to achieve environmental sustainability over the long-term, which has a very direct benefit on the people who live there. That is true leadership,” says Dobrowolski.
More information about the Municipal Excellence Award can be found at www.amm.mb.ca/res_award.html.
