Fall and winter are on the minds of those that make up the Southeast Transportation Planning Committee, as the temperatures begin to cool and leaves prepare to fall.

They held their latest meeting in Carlyle this week, and according to Chairman Dennis Moore, seasonal upgrades such as paving and ditch cleaning are among the focuses, as well as an unexpected discovery.

"Right now we are paving Highways 13 and 8 south of Redvers. In that particular area we are clearing the ditches, and we came across an area where wild parsnip has been discovered, south of Redvers and also near Kipling. This is a very toxic and dangerous plant, it has yellow blossoms rather than white, and anybody that notices this particular plant should be getting a hold of SARM right away. They have a crew that will come down and dispose of it. But, whatever anybody does, stay away from it as it can cause serious rash." he said.

He added that wild parsnip is a new dilemma for the southeast, and it's a learning curve for those trying to deal with it. 

When it comes to winter, the committee is sending crews out to take care of any projects or issues reported by the public. This includes trimming the ditches so one can see the wildlife, and looking after the highways and RMs.

They've also talked with the new Minister of Highways, Lori Carr, though a chance for a sit down meeting hasn't yet occurred.

"We're still on the department of Highways and the railroad company to get Bienfait looked after, and I think we might be getting closer to it. I noticed they've just done a really good job in Lampman on their railroad crossings, as you go down 361. I'm thinking we've got to be on that list, getting closer to having it done than we were this time last year. We bring that up every meeting," added Moore.