MANITOUWADGE --- The year 2024 will be an important one for the township of Manitouwadge.
The township council has agreed to facilitate the formation of a township anniversary committee as a committee of council in anticipation of Manitouwadge celebrating 70 years since the town’s incorporation this coming October.
An informal anniversary committee – comprised of seven local residents – has already come together to begin planning well ahead of October.
While that informal group started out as a separate entity from town council, they realized they needed more support and reached out to other festival organizers in the region to determine the next best steps for Manitouwadge.
At the regular council meeting on Jan. 24, Serafina Orcoyen, current leader and member of the anniversary committee, spoke to challenges faced by the group and revealed their primary obstacle.
“We really did shoot to be independent but it’s a lot harder than what we were thinking we’d be able to do without having a continued budget,” Orcoyen said.
Manitouwadge’s chief administrative officer, Florence MacLean, presented a report to council at the same meeting, formally requesting council’s support to establish the anniversary committee as a committee of council.
“I spoke to the deputy treasurer about a number of different ways we could run it through the township, so we think that the best solution is for council to establish a committee of council. And then, they will have a budget to work with within the corporation,” MacLean said.
She said once it's established the anniversary committee will “remain intact” and plan the town’s anniversary proceedings through to when they’ll be celebrating 75 years incorporated in 2029.
Coun. Coady Keough praised the efforts made by the informal committee so far.
“I just want to thank these individuals for taking it upon themselves to step up to the plate and honour Manitouwadge with a 75th anniversary celebration. That’s a big two thumbs up from me and I’m glad that there’s partnership from the town to make it even more successful,” Keough said.
Mayor Jim Moffat echoed Keough’s sentiments and playfully expressed his hopes that both the upcoming anniversary in October and the next big milestone in 2029 are “as great or greater than the 50th anniversary was.”
Council unanimously approved the recommendations made in MacLean's report.
Now that Manitouwadge council has approved the establishment of this new anniversary committee, municipal staff have been directed to develop terms of reference.
Then, at their regular meeting on Feb. 7, council will approve or make suggestions for the drafted terms of reference, officially vote on which members of council will provide oversight and facilitate the group from a municipal perspective.
Although there are no immediate financial implications in approving the formation of this anniversary committee, MacLean noted in her report that “funds may be allocated in the 2024 operating budget” for celebrations this October – as well as seed money that could be saved and put towards plans for 2029.
However, municipal staff have also been directed to submit an application for funding through the Celebrate Canada program once details for 2029's festivities have been confirmed.
