(Liam Richards/The Canadian Press).

By Aaron Schulze

Humboldt 2019

Humboldt remembers and moves forward in 2019

Dec 27, 2019 | 9:03 AM

The City of Humboldt welcomed in business, started and completed projects, and said goodbye one more time in 2019.

April 6 marked the first anniversary of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash that killed 16 people and injured 13 in 2018. A memorial service was held at Elgar Petersen Arena, the home of the Broncos.

Mayor Rob Muench said it was important for the community to be involved with family members and others who experienced loss from the tragedy.

“We appreciated that some of the family members that spoke afterwards,” Muench told northeastNOW. “I think gave the community and others permission to move forward and remember those that were lost yet keep moving forward.

“We always talked about the light at the end of the tunnel, and we are moving forward now and are doing things that are getting the community back together and doing things we did before.”

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The Humboldt Strong Foundation presented the city with a $802,500 donation before dissolving in June. Muench said the city, through its permanent memorial committee, is communicating with family members regarding what kinds of memorials in honour of the 2018 Broncos will be put in place.

“There will be one put in place at the crash site and we’re doing something in Humboldt as well,” he said. “We’re just exploring ideas right now to see what that’s going to look like… there was a request opposed to just doing a memorial, and to try to incorporate the memorial of the team into a more of a permanent facility that the community as a whole can use. They want something that they will be remembered by that the community can all participate in and use together.”

Some of the notable expenses for the city in 2019 include over $1.6 million spent on a new water lift station and other work to prevent odors from the lagoon, over $1.1 million on road preservation, concrete, and pavement, $395,000 on fleet replacements – including a new Zamboni and street sweeper, and over $300,000 on water main replacements. Humboldt’s most expensive project in 2020 is expected to be the $1.8 million put towards completing the renovations of Centennial Park.

The city brought in nearly $2.6 million in residential and building permits. Humboldt welcomed new businesses such as Peavey Mart and Pet Valu, and saw the Horizon School Division move into its new office.

On what he’s excited to see in 2020, Muench mentioned residential lots being built near a park in Humboldt’s north end. However, a late contender emerged within the last month of 2019.

“PHB, with the Jansen Mining Project, has announced in early 2021 they’re going to be seeking board sanctions to carry that project forward,” he said. “If the board approves it, that project will be taking the next steps and hopefully within five years they’ll be starting production.”

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aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow