YEAR IN REVIEW — NEEBING
Adding more ‘reason-to-stop’ enterprises on Highway 61 a priority for Neebing mayor
Neebing, Ont. — In 2022, the Municipality of Neebing dealt with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which its mayor said the community handled competently.
“Despite the challenges of (the COVID-19 pandemic) and all its associated problems, as a community we still were able to rally through,” Mark Thibert said.
“I was worried it was going to cause an environment that was already fraught with engagement and communication challenges. I thought it was going to render it more problematic, but actually the community came together and found different ways to participate in things and to engage.”
Thibert said the previous council was able to make inroads for a snowmobile trail running through Neebing to the U.S. border and received grants to work on renovations to infrastructure in the community.
Currently, Thibert said council is working on finalizing their annual municipal budget and just approved their emergency response plan.
Over the duration of this term, Thibert said his council will work towards having small business play a bigger role in the community.
“We’re hoping to expand on small business activities and also to encourage things that will make it easier for the larger businesses and farming industry to do business in a more effective and efficient manner,” Thibert said.
“Encouraging various small commercial activities along Highway 61 so that people, as they come through, will have an actual reason to stop in Neebing and enjoy some of our services. Also work with some of our other recreational partners, be it canoeing and kayaking and cycling and all of those groups, to show them the beauty of Neebing and how we’re so very close and have opportunities for them that may not have been realized up until now.
“We’re working on some various projects with the wetlands people and natural environment people to encourage that Neebing is, at all times, a green community.
“I have some meetings coming up with our neighbours and friends within the Indigenous/First Nations community who we share land with and are very grateful to be sharing their land. We’re looking for opportunities where we can work together.”
