Eastern Manitoba on the Yellowhead Highway?

This past weekend I was honored to attend the Trans Canada Yellowhead Annual General Meeting in Strathcona Count, Alberta. As a member of the La Vérendrye Trail Tourism Association Board of Directors, I was very minimally involved in this groups' continued efforts over the years to have the Yellowhead Highway extended from its current terminus in Winnipeg, up Highway #9 to Lockport and down Highway #44 to West Hawk Lake. This move would extend the Yellowhead to include all of Manitoba and the effort has been alive to accomplish this since 1988.

The eastern region of Manitoba showed an unprecedented unity at this AGM. It has been hard to garner support for an Eastern Manitoba extension when the membership was made up of representatives of western Manitoba, who obviously have their own set of issues regarding the Yellowhead highway than runs through or near their communities. This year, 11 new members from Eastern Manitoba not only joined the association, but saw fit to send representation to the AGM to lobby for this region. We have even more members from the region at this time, as some communities came on board later when they realized the potential for success. The La Vérendrye Trail was pivitol in garnering the support for this project. Director Bill Kozyra directed the Board on this issue, and gathered support and memberships from member communities. The La Vérendrye Board members saw the amazing economic development spinoffs to extending the Yellowhead and budgeted funds for a hospitality room at the AGM and to send members as delegates of unrepresented communities to place their vote in favor of an extension.

Why Lobby for the Yellowhead?

To some, the benefits of having a major highway pass through or near their communities is obvious. To others, it may be an elusive idea. To those communities that have joined and are working diligently to lobby for the extension (and I'd like to mention them here but at this time some memberships have not gone through and omissions are likely) the benefits are many. An extension in any measure, whether it be a scenic route, trunk or full extension, would immediately attract the marketing might of the Trans Canada Yellowhead Highway Association. While this association does operate on a shoestring budget, they do publish a flashy and well-used annual Travel Guide highlighting the Yellowhead route, and our region would benefit from an inclusion in that publication. A map of the Yellowhead is distributed throughout Canada and the US. Currently Eastern Manitoba is included in that map, but not as part of the Yellowhead route. Finally, and maybe most importantly, all four Provincial Highway Ministers saw fit to attend the Trans Canada Yellowhead AGM this year, and having an opportunity to share visions and concerns with this level of government is valuable and important. The tourism benefits are obvious and immediate. Other benefits to any inclusion in the Yellowhead route would be more visionary, but include better road conditions as the Yellowhead is seen more and more as a major trucking route as well as a tourism route.

What did our Eastern Manitoba Delegates Spend the Weekend Doing?

Last weekend 11 representatives from Eastern Manitoba hopped a WestJet flight to Edmonton to attend the Yellowhead AGM and spend some hospitality time with the other delegates from western Canada. The day began with a meeting with all four highway ministers, where they shared their concerns, visions and budgetary woes with the group. A panel discussion with 3 of the 4 ministers followed. The Manitoba minister had to leave to attend another function, unfortunately, so was not available for questions.

The next item on the agenda were the individual provincial caucus meetings. These meetings were held to discuss provincial issues and elect directors and a chairperson. This chairperson would be responsible for attending monthly meetings in Edmonton. A lively discussion ensued regarding an extension of the Yellowhead in Manitoba. Support from the rest of the Province was important to the Eastern Manitoba delegates, and through this and further informal discussions, there appeared to be some amendments to the original resolution that would garner the support of the Province. One of the delegates from Eastern Manitoba, Sylvia Albert of the Beausejour and District Chamber of Commerce was elected as a director and went on to become the Manitoba Chairperson. This ensures adequate representation of our region for the coming year.

Friday night ended for the delegates with a hospitality room at the conference hotel. All delegates from across Western Canada were invited to join our group for some refreshments and snacks before dinner. There was a great turn-out. This was our opportunity to discuss the La Vérendrye Trail Tourism Association and our resolution to be voted on the next day regarding the extension. A refreshingly honest exchange of information occurred. The result of these discussions was an amendment of the original resolution from a full extension of the Yellowhead highway, to a designation of a scenic route though our region, complete with the signage and Yellowhead marketing that would go along with this.

The AGM was held the next day at lunch time. The decision was made to hold off on voting on the resolution at this time and refer the matter to the board. As a group we wanted to insure success of the extension, and issues of signage and marketing were better discussed at this level. We feel confident that the level of encouragement and support we received throughout the weekend, as well as the representation of eastern Manitoba on that Board on a monthly basis will secure the future of the Yellowhead Highway in Eastern Manitoba.

The onus is now on us, as a group dedicated to the future of tourism and economic development in Eastern Manitoba, to keep the momentum going over the next year. We must seek funding to ensure our presence at each and every monthly board meeting, seek to further increase our membership in the Tran Canada Yellowhead Highway Association and finally, travel together next year to the next AGM and put ourselves on the map.

I would like to thank a few people for making it possible for me to be a part of this project. The La Vérendrye Trail Association was responsible for funding my trip to Edmonton and allowing me the opportunity to discuss this project with delegates from across Western Canada at our hospitality room. The town of Lac du Bonnet delegated their vote to me to make sure my trip would not be in vain. Both the LGD of Pinawa and the Pinawa Chamber of Commerce purchased memberships in the Trans Canada Yellowhead Highway Association just before the AGM. This was duly noted as an important show of support from communities along the proposed route.

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