Of course, free time is at a premium when you're busy running one of Manitoba's fastest-growing cities.
The biggest project on the docket is a new active-living centre, which will feature a 96-suite seniors' apartment complex. The province is on board with the $24 million project, which is expected to open in 2015, having agreed to $2.9 million in conditional support.
"We are in the middle of fundraising. We intend to raise $3 million from the community and the balance will be raised through financing and other programs," Harder said.
One thing he won't be doing is hiking taxes or providing overly generous incentive programs. Winkler already has the second-lowest mill rate in the province (trailing only Steinbach).
Last year the city imposed a 1 per cent increase on residential taxes and council is expected to follow up with a further 1.5 per cent hike in January. According to Harder, "We believe we can market our community best by the services being provided. We believe we have a very fair tax system."
Housing
Dave Burgess, city manager, proudly points out that Winkler has seen 270 housing units built in the past year, double the record of 135 set back in 2001.
"It's like adding a small town all in one year. We estimate we've had a 5 per cent growth in our population," he said.
The federal census pegged Winkler at 10,670 inhabitants last year, but Burgess said the city is now "well over" 11,000.
Burgess knows a thing or two about economic development, having spent eight years as the mayor of Brandon, Manitoba's second-largest city, before relocating two years ago.
One project where the city does plan to hit up lenders is an addition to its recreation facility. Currently it has a hockey rink and a small hall but the goal is to add a "very large" community hall, a running track, trade-show capacity, an indoor pool and an indoor soccer field.
Hiring
Further boosting confidence in Winkler is the performance of so many of its local companies. Load King, a producer of trailers for semi-trailer trucks, is in the process of building a 60,000-square-foot addition to its existing facility and adding to its staff.
Meridian Manufacturing Group, North America's largest producer of grain bins and fertilizer containers, and Grandeur Housing, a producer of mobile-housing units, are also adding space and employees.
"We have so many industries expanding at the same time. It's very healthy," Burgess said.
"That's one thing that impressed me when I moved here. For a smaller-sized city it has at least 10 companies with more than 100 employees. It's not a one-industry type of situation."
The population growth also spells good news for the real estate industry.
A typical 1,100-square-foot detached house in Winkler will set you back between $180,000 and $190,000, according to Don Friesen, owner of Choice Realty. That's up 3 or 4 per cent from a year ago, he said.
And would you like to hear about confidence? How about developers building $200,000 homes on spec?
"I've been doing this for 23 years and I've never seen as many people getting into investment properties as I have this year," Friesen said. "They think it's got a great future."
from Western Investor February 2013
