2025 a big year for Moosomin, says Gray
January 5, 2026, 9:02 am
Nicole Taylor, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Moosomin mayor Murray Gray talked about what kind of year it has been for the town of Moosomin in 2025, and what he things 2026 holds.
What were some of the main projects the municipality worked on or got done this past year?
The big one was the water treatment plant start up and water meter replacement. We also completed four more blocks of new water line on Albernie St. In rec with the help of many volunteers and sponsors there was a pickle ball court added at Bradley Park as well as an outdoor basketball court at the swimming pool.
What were some of the big challenges in 2025?
Probably the biggest challenges came from the new water treatment plant coming online as we had a lot of water breaks that the crew needed to repair over the first few weeks of operations. It caused a great deal of stress for the crew as they were unable to get all the projects completed that were scheduled to do as the water breaks have to take priority over all the other work. The staff in the new plant worked extremely hard all summer learning the operation of the new system and their efforts certainly need to be acknowledged as well.
The new water meters will work awesome in time but the installation being mid billing cycle made for some extra work for our office staff over the summer as the meters came online. We also had some software issues that caused some incorrect billing which added to the frustration that residents had over the increased water bills. At the end of the day it is our staff that have to deal with the upset residents when things don’t go as planned and I am so thankful for all of the dedication and patience that they showed this year. We got through one of the most chaotic periods the town of Moosomin has ever had. For someone not privy to the inner workings of our water system it is easy to just think that I turn the tap and the water comes out. Once every three months I get a bill for the water used but behind the scenes all of our staff went way above what is expected of them to ensure that the new and improved water is there for everyone’s use every day. I really can’t thank them enough for all they did and continue to do.
Another challenge we faced this year was losing a great deal of our urban forest to dutch elm disease. We took some trees down ourselves but also contracted out a large number of removals. We have to replant a large number of trees over the next few years as we know the trees are an important part of our community.
What were you most proud of?
First and foremost I am most proud of the staff for all that they do each and every day to make the town operate smoothly. I am also very proud of the council as with so many new members of council the learning curve has been very steep, I think we all learned a great deal in the first year of council together. We haven’t always agreed on everything, but when a decision has been made the group always gets behind it regardless of whether they were in favor or not. Everyone on council is there to make the community a better place to live and that has been very evident in the discussions and decisions we made over the last year for sure.
I am also very proud of the people of Moosomin. This community is second to none when it comes to donating to a project or volunteering to get something completed; the people always do what it takes to make things happen. Now with our economic development beginning to be a little more regional, I think that attitude can begin to make the region even better rather than just the town.
What are some of the most common things you hear from your ratepayers?
Ratepayers are definitely feeling the effects of inflation. They are looking to us to be fiscally responsible and to not increase taxes or utilities too much as there isn’t a great excess of money around in households these days. Generally speaking resident feedback is that they are happy we are a progressive community that has aspirations to grow over the coming years.
What do you want to work on in 2026?
We have some paving budget we carried over this year, so we are looking forward to getting some streets paved. We hope to continue with our water pipe replacement program. As well we have a large looping project that needs to be completed north of Highway 1. There is not going to be any shortage of work for our public works department, that is for sure.
Another project we will be working on is transitioning our garbage dump to a transfer station. This hopefully will free up some of our public works staff for some other projects as covering the dump is a very time consuming and expensive endeavor
What do you find most challenging about being a mayor?
I think being on more committees and having to know what is going on in all the committees. I always try to be well informed when I am asked by a resident about something. When we have so much going on, it is easy to fall behind in some departments, so keeping in the loop on what is going on is challenge at times for sure.
What do you find most rewarding about being a mayor?
When other communities from across the province recognize the growth and progress we have made here. As well just to see the population growth we have experienced over the last few years. For towns to survive the test of time, we need to continue to grow and add services and knowing that we are on the right path with this is very rewarding for sure. I didn’t run for mayor to be rewarded personally, so all community wins are also wins for the job.
What are the long-term goals of the town?
Steady and sustainable population growth. As well, continuing to add to and supporting our existing business community. We are a regional health care hub and continuing to work towards adding more services right here in our community so that the residents of the area do not have to go to the city to receive the care they need. This is a big goal for not only Moosomin but our region.
What do you personally want to see accomplished by the next municipal election?
I am unable to accomplish anything on my own. I want to work together with council, our staff and the people of the area to do all the things we need to do to make the community the best it can be every day. Collaboration and co-operation can not be done personally as it needs to be done as a community, therefore the people will dictate the direction we take the next three years of this term.
