Stonewall's town Council is preparing to take on a major project. At a recent meeting they heard from the Manitoba Water Services Board, and engineers with Tetratech, who discussed a major expansion of the community's lagoon. Mayor Lockie McLean says their intention is to expand the lagoon in such a way that it could carry the town's wastewater for the next 40 years, making for a massive project. 

Mayor Lockie McLean

"It's huge. It's almost a quarter-section of land that we had purchased several years ago. When you look at almost a quarter section of land, and the town is only about one mile by one mile itself, it's a huge expansion."

While the recent presentation outlined the logistics of the project, McLean says a cost estimate has yet to be determined. He says the cost of the project is guaranteed to be split between the provincial government and the town, but hopes promises from the federal level may also be able to play a role.

"We're going to do this lagoon expansion. If it's not done this year, it'll be done the year after. The reassurance is that with the federal government coming out with infrastructure spending, we may have the ability to tap into that. At minimum, the province could go 50-50 with the town of Stonewall."

McLean notes the project's necessary, given the ongoing growth seen in the community. He says once the engineers come back with a final report and a cost estimate, they'll hold a public hearing to allow the citizens to view the plans, ask questions, or voice their concerns on the matter.