Douglas Oliver is seeking a second term as reeve of the Rural Municipality of Woodlands, saying he wants to keep major infrastructure projects moving and help the municipality recover from severe flooding. Oliver is facing Orval Procter in the Oct. 28 municipal election. Oliver said his experience on council and familiarity with the municipality would help him provide continuity as the makeup of council potentially changes. “A lot of the projects that we've got on the go need to keep going,” Oliver said. He added that he hopes to guide council in the right direction and maintain progress on the municipality's priorities. Infrastructure and housing top priorities Oliver highlighted several ongoing initiatives, including a landfill project in partnership with the City of Portage la Prairie, a partnership involving a personal care home project in Stonewall, and a joint water supply program with the Town of Stonewall. The water supply initiative, involving the Manitoba Water Services Board, aims to serve the communities of Warren and Woodlands. Related stories: All-candidates forum introduces Carman council hopefuls More candidates, women enter Manitoba municipal races Listen to this news story on the radio: Country 93 / Mix 96 / CFRY 920 Oliver said access to water is an important part of supporting future housing development in the municipality. “We need housing, and housing needs water, so that's part of that problem,” he said. However, he noted that progress on major projects often depends on securing funding. Oliver said partnerships can strengthen applications for provincial support and improve the chances of projects moving forward. Flood recovery remains a major task The municipality is also facing a significant infrastructure recovery effort following heavy rainfall in June. Oliver said flooding exposed vulnerabilities in local infrastructure, including roads and culverts, while also affecting rural residents. He said the municipality had approximately 190 to 200 sites associated with disaster financial assistance related to flooding. “It's a big task to complete and we're not going to get it all done this year, so that's an ongoing thing to go for next year,” Oliver said. He wants to continue advancing the work during another term, recognizing that the recovery will take time. Lifelong ties to the community Oliver said his decision to seek re-election is rooted in his long-standing connection to the municipality and his desire to see the community remain a good place to live. He has lived in the area his entire life, worked as a cattle farmer and grown crops and hay with his family. He has also served eight terms as a councillor before becoming reeve. In addition, Oliver has worked as a school bus driver for 31 years, giving him regular contact with local families and generations of students. Related stories: RM of Woodlands managing pumps, sandbags, and debris cleanup Emergency response underway across the Interlake region Listen to this news story on the radio: Country 93 / Mix 96 / CFRY 920 He said he wants to help ensure children have access to education and that future housing opportunities allow them to remain in the community as adults. Oliver said his children and grandchildren live in the municipality, making its long-term future especially important to him. “Woodlands is a good place to put down roots,” he said, referring to the community's slogan. Election day Oct. 28 Voters in the RM of Woodlands will head to the polls Wednesday, Oct. 28, with voting stations open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. In addition to the reeve's race, nine candidates are seeking six councillor-at-large positions. Judy Olson, Cal Martin and Diana Friesen have been elected by acclamation to the Local Urban District of Warren Committee. Advance voting took place Monday, Oct. 19, at the municipal office in Woodlands.