The RM of St. François Xavier is advancing measures to improve safety around schools and major routes through the community, with council recently completing the second and third readings of its updated speed zone bylaw. Reeve Delmer Nott says the changes balance the needs of residents, commuters, and students while ensuring safety remains the priority. New speed zones near schools Nott notes that the main highway through the municipality was reduced to 50 kilometres an hour earlier this year following provincial approval. With that in place, council reviewed the school zone speeds. “The school zone area will be 30 kilometres an hour, but it will be during the periods from 7:00 a.m.till 6:00 p.m., and it will run from September to June,” says Nott. “That should help the residents and the commuters before and after those times and also on weekends.” He adds that while feedback from the public has been wide-ranging, many residents supported the decision, and council’s priority remained clear. “We appreciate the community’s patience, but again, it was still council’s point that we consider the safety of our residents as being paramount,” notes Nott. “It’ll provide a safer speed through the village itself, and then during the school bus times and the after-school pickups, it’ll provide a safer speed at which to exit and enter the highway.” Broader community initiatives Signs marking the new school zones are awaiting provincial preparation and installation. “We’re hoping that won’t take long to prepare those signs and get them up,” says Nott. “We’re very happy that we could provide the 50 for the rest of the highway as well.” Beyond traffic safety, Nott highlights that council has also approved the purchase of a new fire truck, meeting modern standards and ensuring long-term protection for the community. “We’ve designed, or our fire department has designed, a truck that’ll meet our needs,” continues Nott. “That’s really important for the safety of our residents to ensure that they have a fire protection group within our village.” Related stories: St. François Xavier lowers village speed limits RM looks to future with strategic plan and infrastructure goals Looking ahead Nott says the municipality is also participating in the federal Two Billion Tree Program through the Redboine Watershed District, with the goal of both environmental improvement and beautification. “Council’s being pretty proactive as far as setting up a future that the residents will feel is beneficial,” Nott explains. “It helps for beautification and helps our environment.” He emphasizes that all of these efforts reflect a wider focus on community well-being and collaboration. “All these programs take a lot of communication and collaboration between different levels of government and service people within our area,” adds Nott. “We appreciate everybody’s input and the help to make this all come together at the end.” STREAM US LIVE! Mix 96.5 FM (CJPG-FM) Country 93.1 FM (CHPO-FM) CFRY 920 AM