So What?

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Published on Thursday, November 5, 2015

By Vern May

Minnedosa & Area Community Development Corporation

Sometimes the complacency I encounter in rural Manitoba drives me nuts! For example, there are those who will say, “So we’re a bedroom community for Brandon, there’s nothing wrong with that. If that’s our identity, so what?”

So what?! Perhaps the challenge of rural development is best illustrated through this dismissive question alone. If we are resigning ourselves to “just” be a place for someone to hang their hat as a primary function, it’s maybe time for a fresh set of eyes on the issue.In some of my previous writing, I have shared my feelings on the advantage of Brandon as a regional hub, and that still holds true. However, if rural centres are putting all their eggs into that single basket of “bedroom community” status, they’re reaching for the low hanging fruit and missing the juiciest harvest that’s harder to reach, but much more nourishing.

Resigning one’s community to this role says we don’t have enough to offer a family on our own. We won’t just see people working outside our community, but we are also setting them up to shop there and focus their recreation time there as well. Another risk that sometimes we fail to consider is reduced engagement in community causes and committees because the free time our residents could have shared with us is now tied up in their daily commute.

Now, I’m not asserting that this happens in every case, as we do have active and engaged residents who are on the road for work and do give freely of their time to support local projects, but the more we attract folks that we know are only here part-time at best, we gamble with our future. This isn’t theoretical – there are towns that are struggling to maintain services after two decades of being marketed in this manner. These places are now trying to develop strategies to retain residents that were drawn to the town for large lots, low taxes and its proximity to the nearby urban centre. Yes, they have seen more houses built, but that hasn’t translated into the emergence of a self-sustaining community.

Instead, let’s recognize our unique appeal to a segment of home buyers as part of our overall strategy, but not make that our primary motivator. Instead, we should first be attracting young families to both live and work here, as well as take full advantage of our services and amenities.  That participation and daily interaction builds relationships within the community which creates life and passion, which is an important catalyst for growth.

To promote ourselves as a bedroom community is as limiting as hanging our hats solely on the 12 weeks of warm weather each year to entice tourists to the community. Tourism is a piece of the puzzle as well, but not the facet that produces the type of visible growth our ratepayers expect to see from us. 

Ask me, “So what?” … I dare ya.

Success starts with an open dialogue and we need to be talking with each other. Let’s continue the conversation and explore the possibilities that exist; email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone 204-867-3885. The best things around that I have ever seen came from small towns and big dream