Right in the Centre Ken Waddell

I am sure you would be interested in knowing that the map shows that just within the Town of Neepawa there are Provincial Trunk Highways

(PTH) Declared, Provincial Roads

(PR) Declared, Provincial Trunk Highways (PTH) Designated, Provincial Roads(PR) Designated and Grant-In-Aid Streets. Here is how the authority is spread out.

MTI responsibilities are shown as Provincial Trunk Highway (PTH)

“Declared” or Provincial Road (PR) “Declared,” and includes Hurrell Road/Rosedale Avenue Access Road at the north edge of the Town of Neepawa (the Town), PTH 5 north and south of PTH 16, and the road segment in question, PTH 16 east of the south junction of PTH 5 (as well as PTH 16 west of the Town Limits).

The Town of Neepawa is the traffic authority and can set speed limits on municipal roads and some PTH and PR roads within their jurisdiction. The Town of Neepawa is the traffic authority on PTHs and PRs that are “Designated”. On these “Designated” roads, the Town of Neepawa has the authority to set the speed limit(s) including on the portion of PTH 16 that is shown as “Designated” on the attached map.

The legal declaration for PTHs and PRs can be found in the regulations under the Transportation Infrastructure Act available online at https://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/

That link to the regulations leads one to a 78 page document. Really, 78 pages just to define what a road is basically. Certainly glad that’s all cleared up.

I am certain there are times when a 78 page document, and God only knows how many other pages of rules and regulations along with it, may be necessary. But it’s not as if the Town of Neepawa council (and its citizens) are asking for a four lane overpass or even a set of traffic control lights. All that is being asked is that about four traffic speed limit signs be moved a few hundred yards down the road.

Since this column was first drafted, another accident has happened at the junction of Hwy. 5 and 1 near Carberry. Premier Stefanson said after the earlier multi fatality accident that a study would be done as per policy. What the premier and the minister should have said is that while the study was being done, the speed limits would immediately lowered to 80 km/hr. The same statement should be made for Neepawa. The bureaucrats would likely object but I ask, who is in charge anyway, the bureaucrats or the premier? It’s certainly not the citizens and their safety.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are the writer’s personal views and are not to be taken as being the view of the Banner & Press staff.

Throughout the years I lived in my parent’s home, there were carefully observed customs. One of them was a two-part custom, deep cleaning the house, spring and fall. I’m talking Mennonite clean! The shelves in the cupboards and closets emptied, washed and goods selectively replaced; the bottoms of the chairs and the backs of the dressers scrubbed and dried; windows– inside and out and screens in season; oven and tub cleaned to the nth degree. In fall it included the airing of the hand crafted woollen comforters and feather pillows. In spring it included sprucing up the front steps. It seemed like a big to-do about nothing. For the years I raised families, I followed many of these customs by rout. Then I allowed them to lapse. Really, how dirty can a home with a couple of seniors, and no dogs, get? I have found out, sadly, that the answer is ‘quite’. The spring cleaning frees one to spend all the time one wants out of doors, gardening, playing and sometimes, sitting! There are no niggling thoughts of what should/could be done in the house– other than the never-ending three meals a day and laundry! The fall cleaning makes up for that time away from home maintenance and prepares one to set aside time for crafting, reading and watching television with a clear conscience. It takes several days to satisfactorily achieve a deep clean, but its worth it. It took a while, but I finally get it.

Ed was a stickler for a tidy, and clean, vehicle. That’s not to say that on a perfect harvest day he didn’t get impatient when our son spent considerable time deep cleaning the combine before heading to the field! And if one was planning to attend a family gathering or a church service, the vehicle was as clean as driving on country roads allowed. In the years of raising families, I gave up on a clean car. Kids in the car meant stuff, on the floor, in the pockets, on the back window ledge. Things that kept them quiet, entertained and educated while we travelled. And yes, there were spills and stains. Gordon also appreciates a clean and tidy vehicle. I try to take out whatever I bring in, give the dust on the dash a swipe when I see, head through the car wash regularily and , in general, treat a vehicle with respect. It took a while, but I finally got it.

There are other aspects of daily living where I am recognising that my way may not always be the best way. Filed in my memory bank are examples of better ways. Better ways of dealing with people, better ways of gardening, better ways of performing mundane, repetitious tasks. I smile at this, for I am very familiar with the expression ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.’ Well, hallelujah I am not an old dog! I am still learning new things, about myself, and my world. And I do wonder how much more I can learn… and then I will say again, it took a while, but I finally got it!