Efforts to promote local government have made the grade according to local councillor Tammy Reiner.
At a recent meeting here, Reiner announced the results promoting Local Government Week in the community.
She and town staff put together a contest for grade 5 students in Palmerston and Minto-Clifford.
Students received a ballot and pictures of the senior management team, Mayor David Anderson and council. Students had to identify who they were.
“It was a very successful contest,” she said.
Reiner said teachers indicated that a number of students went to other students who did know. She quipped that her son was badgered a little bit as he was asked by his friends.
Reiner added that students also went onto the internet to check the town of Minto website. “So it got parents and their kids to actually go to our website.”
Later, draws were held at both schools and four students received T-shirts and a free ticket to the Norgan Theatre.
“They really liked it. I had a little girl come up to me, a really tiny girl, and she asked my first name, and I told her. Then she said, ‘Are you the same one on the picture.’ She finally put it together. She ran away and told all her friends who I was.
“I think it was very successful.”
Organizers also delivered packages to the grade 5 and 10 classes that have parts of their curriculum directly tied to government.
“It was a good response. A lot of kids did participate,” Reiner said.
“During that week, we thought it would be a great idea to set up information sheets on the bulletin boards in the lobbies of the arenas and libraries.”
She said Clerk Barbara Wilson, deputy-clerk Theresa Campbell and herself put together information to show where tax dollars go.
Reiner said the idea was to clear up misconceptions about how the municipality spends it money, and what it spends money on.
“It gave a really good review of how much we have to do in the Town of Minto with only 36 cents for every dollar collected.”
When she was at a local arena this month, she saw a number of people checking the information out and actually reading it. “It was well worthwhile.”
Wilson noted that Campbell had received a call from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs with regard to that poster.
Campbell said they were interested in the activities Minto had taken and requested a copy of the poster.
Councillor Wayne Martin suggested copies also be sent to MP Gary Schellenburger and MPP John Wilkinson.
Anderson quipped that maybe it could be used to convince them to let Minto’s portion of grants be bigger.
