Winkler Councillor Marvin Plett continues to advocate for local municipal issues on the federal level through his involvement with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

Plett recently took part in a national FCM conference in Halifax with 2,000 other Canadian leaders representing more than 90 per cent of Canadians. He notes attendance has grown because of the value many see in the event.

"It gives you more clout and we can organize better and have reasonable conversations so we can propose partnership with the federal government on many of their interests and ours."

For the first time, leaders from every major federal political party, including the Prime Minister, were also in attendance, "They recognize we work best as a country when we work together," Plett says.

He notes some of the biggest challenges in Winkler are also national challenges, including infrastructure like waste water management and recreation. Hearing from rural municipal leaders across the country, Plett says access to high speed data is becoming essential. "Internet is not a luxury, for businesses for sure." FCM continues to work with the federal government on strategies to grow municipalities data networks.

With his work on the FCM Board, Plett also had the opportunity to travel the world through FCM's international community partnerships. Last month he travelled to South America to oversee outreach projects in the area. However, Plett says the program isn't to tell international municipal leaders what to do, but rather make connections and share innovations in business and government.

"It's the right thing to do," he says, helping destitute communities find ways to lift themselves out of poverty.

Plett spent time in Ccapacmarca in Peru where he visited a guinea pig farm that was expanding their cuy business. Cuy, or guinea pig, is a delicacy in Peru.