West St. Paul should actively pursue businesses that provide services that residents leave the community to access, create employment, and strengthen our commercial tax base. Families leave West St Paul to shop, dine and access services in Winnipeg. A stronger commercial tax base can help offset the tax burden on residential properties. Commercial development must be planned carefully. We need to consider traffic, road capacity, drainage, infrastructure, neighbouring homes and community character. Council should work with businesses and developers to identify appropriate locations and ensure infrastructure requirements are addressed before development proceeds. The goal is not simply to attract any business. It is to build a diverse commercial base that provides services, such as a DynaCare, restaurants, and retail that keep people in our community.

West St. Paul should use its proximity to the Perimeter Highway and CentrePort to attract businesses that provide local jobs and broaden the tax base. The RM’s fire suppression capacity is an advantage for light industrial buildings and should be promoted to businesses that may have difficulty finding suitable sites elsewhere. Council should also designate an appropriate area for trucking and rail-related businesses, with good transportation access, sound barriers, and adequate separation from homes. Heavy truck traffic should not be routed through residential streets, and rural areas should retain their character. Infrastructure costs must be addressed before development proceeds. My goal is a stronger local economy that gives more residents the opportunity to live and work in West St. Paul.

I would encourage and prefer businesses that create local jobs and provide services that residents travel elsewhere for. By strengthening our commercial tax base, we could include retail, restaurants, professional services, light industrial, healthcare and other businesses that may be beneficial for West St. Paul. This type of development will be planned and not just simply approved wherever land is available. Factors such as traffic flow, road capacity, drainage and infrastructure impacts need to be considered as well.

As I have done in the past, I will advocate that commercial developments are in areas that are in keeping with the character of the community.