It was a full agenda for the Village of North Portal's latest council meeting, as they discussed a variety of items that they have been focusing on.

"We had the RCMP sergeant and IBET sergeant come out and kind of touch base with the council to build a good relationship with the law enforcement and community. That was pretty interesting, getting to learn what IBET does," said Mayor Kaylah Turner.

IBET stands for Integrated Border Enforcement Team, and is basically an example of close cooperation between the U.S and Canada when it comes to enforcing the mutual borders. RCMP and CBSA officers team up with the U.S Coast Guard and Immigration and Customs Enforcement and American customs officers to patrol those boundaries, share information and work together against smuggling, unguarded crossings and more.

"Because we are really the only town in Saskatchewan that actually had a border running right through it, it is very important for us to have a close relationship with everybody who's working to keep our borders safe."

That said, she noted that their area hasn't been a hot spot for the influx of crossings seen throughout Canada in recent months.

Turner added that the job of mayor for a town in such a location certainly has it's unique traits.

"You'd think it'd be a little more interesting than it is. We still typically deal with small town issues, but I definitely have had a few things happen where I thought, 'this wouldn't never be happening if I wasn't living in a border town, that's for sure.'"

Other items were highlighted on the meeting's agenda as well.

"The lagoon just had it's inspection done by the Water Security Agency, and it passed with flying colors. That's slightly less exciting," she joked.

"This year we got a grant for a new play structure at our playpark, and we actually came in under budget, so we were able to purchase one more little piece of equipment to add on, some monkey bars. We also entered a contest with the Sask Parks and Rec. Association, and won a little spring rider like a little motorcycle for our park."

Turner also mentioned a few other events that went on over the past few weeks, including the performance of a singer from Ottawa.