Privatize, privatize, privatize! That’s the mantra of many who believe government does too much in our lives and in our communities. In Minot, this call has most recently been heard as a part of the City’s landfill and sanitation operations. The suggestion is that the private sector can do both better. But is that the
Read & Share sourced from: CityLab
Among the most contentious issues in North Dakota’s recently completed legislative session were proposed changes to land-posting, trespass, and hunting access laws. In Saskatchewan, they’ve been wrestling with the exact same issue, and the genesis of their discussion is worth noting — when the relationship between landowners and hunters becomes adversarial, the environment for tragedy
Read & Share sourced from: Estevan Mercury
How long into the future should we be planning? In Canada, the look forward is at least 20 years. Our neighbors to the North recently adopted a recreation plan that identifies the need for an outdoor aquatic center and more athletic fields. These themes are familiar. Minot’s Park District has been in a similar —
Read & Share sourced from: Brandon Sun
Small towns across the region are tapping local artists to add atmosphere and vibrancy to their communities. Here’s a confirmation story from North of the border. Art is among the keys to making our place in Minot unique, but clearly, we’re not the only place striving to create a unique identity. But the real question
Read & Share sourced from: Brandon Sun
Have you noticed the global economy reorganizing in relation to all these trade conversations? Ask a soybean farmer if trade and tariff posturing and global politics matter in North Dakota; if they’re paying attention, they’ll tell you international politics matter on small North Dakota farms. And we’re not alone; our neighbors to the North are
Read & Share sourced from: Regina Leader PostSubscribe to Today in Minot!
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How do you build community? In Regina, street painting is one activity that’s showing promise. How do you discourage street painting? By charging a large administration free. The City’s administration was proposing just such a fee, but the City Council said otherwise. To them, the benefit was worth more than the cost of the not-inconsequential
Read & Share sourced from: Regina Leader Post
Have you heard talk of ‘infill development’ lately? If you’ve followed the local news, probably; it has been a common talking point over the past few years in Minot. It’s also a core principle of Governor Burgum’s Main Street Initiative. In concept, the idea is simple. Focus development towards the urban core of a city
Read & Share sourced from: Winnipeg Free Press
The City of Estevan is taking a closer look at its economic development incentives and moving toward some revisions. And what outcomes are they hoping to achieve? Providing better support for small businesses and making sure their incentives are aligned with the City’s larger goals and vision. If this sounds familiar, much of Minot’s work
Read & Share sourced from: Estevan Mercury
Zebra mussels wreak havoc. On boats, on water systems, on environments that they’re new to. And they’re coming. The North Dakota took steps this session to act more aggressively in coming years, here’s yet another sign that their action was prudent.
Read & Share sourced from: Winnipeg Free Press
Did you know it’s possible to kill a lake? It is; it happened to Lake Erie. And a scientist who studied that catastrophe sees a similar pattern repeating with Lake Winnipeg. Why does it matter in Minot? The culprit is nutrient loading — particularly phosphorous. If you’ve noticed algae blooms in Minot’s river, you know
Read & Share sourced from: Winnipeg Free Press
Wherever you go, government is at odds with itself. In North Dakota we reference state’s rights or local control — it depends who is pushing who around. In Canada, it’s Province versus City. And if you’re looking for a bit of political intrigue, this story out of Winnipeg has that, too.
Read & Share sourced from: Winnipeg Free PressSubscribe to Today in Minot!
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A couple days ago, we called out an article from the Winnipeg Free Press noting a soon-to-be void in their transportation network because of the discontinuation of several Greyhound bus routes across the prairie. A few days before that, there was an article on how creating a void in a system fuels innovation. This article
Read & Share sourced from: Winnipeg Free Press
Migration patterns of people and methods of transportation are in a state of disruption, and for the Canadian branch of Greyhound, those changes mean they can’t continue to support routes in Western Canada. Greyhound made the announcement citing a 41% decline in ridership over the past 10-years.
Read & Share sourced from: Winnipeg Free PressIcelandic tradition runs strong on the shores of Lake Winnipeg. Gimli, Manitoba has been celebrating their Icelandic heritage with Islendingadagurinn for more than 85 years, but it’s only more recently that mythical creatures from Icelandic folklore have been given homes in a City park. Viking Park in Gimli has embraced the old stories by creating homes
Read & Share sourced from: Destinations, Detours & Dreams
In ‘socialized’ Canada, we see an unexpected example of business-focused privatization. Here in North Dakota’s larger cities, municipal trash pick up is the exclusive territory of government. In Winnipeg, the model is the opposite. Trash pick-up is served by private contractors who provide services based on contracts let by the City. It’s a worthwhile perspective
Read & Share sourced from: Winnipeg Free Press
The thing about losing a species — no matter how seemingly small and insignificant — is it’s a signal that something in the system is going awry. And when one of those species plays the role of a pollinator, the cascade effect becomes harder to quantify. The northern prairies are home to several endangered butterflies;
Read & Share sourced from: Winnipeg Free Press