Stonewall's been growing over the last few years, with a current population of 4809, which is up by 273 from five years ago. Mayor Lockie McLean says the statistics were predictable.

"Stonewall's a growing community for sure. Winnipeg's still our city, but Stonewall's got pretty much everything you want in terms of tying to raise a family. When I look at the growth numbers I see right now, they're about six percent in the recent census over the last five years, it's kind of what we expected."

He notes current projects underway form the groundwork for a continued increase in numbers over the next 15 years. They include a new 71-suite Lions manor senior housing project and a huge Ventura development of several residential and multi-family projects.

The previous census saw the town grow by 3.7 percent, noting it's a healthy rise. Many communities in the province shrink, and others grow more rapidly than Stonewall, but McLean says Stonewall's a healthy community. He notes they're in no race to become a city, so obtaining the title of the fastest growing community is not altogether something they're striving for. However, steady growth is required to pay the bills, and assist in keeping the business community vibrant.

McLean says some challenges they do face due to increasing populations are highlighted by rising costs for police services and the fire department, as well as wear and tear on infrastructure, even though salaries rise due to inflation. Every years there's a lot of demand compared to the year before that's required to operate the town. He says he's not sure the six percent increase is an even trade-off with expenses that rise each year. But it does mean that today's council has to be very conscious of ensuring they are keeping their eyes on their spending, and not spending in a non-valued manner. He adds if this isn't done, the cost of growth will be more detrimental than beneficial.