This week we conclude our look back at the biggest local stories from throughout 2017 in Yorkton This Week.
5 – DRACUP
What had begun to seem like the ‘never-ending project’ finally saw completion in 2017.
During the 2016 Capital Budget deliberations the project to replace the underground utilities from Broadway Street to York Road, construct a roundabout intersection at Darlington and Dracup and to re-construct the roadway from Broadway Street to York Road was approved by City Council. The total cost of this project was estimated at $11,340,000. Of this $509,580 was being funded through the land fund, $257,500 from reserves and $4,394,925 from the water and sewer utility. The remainder of the project was to be funded through a long term loan of approximately $6,200,000.
Work continued into the current year and saw Council unanimously support a request for financing proposals to borrow $6,200,000 over 10 years to fund the final phase of the re-construction and underground utility replacement.
The project took added time largely because the City decided to go with concrete over asphalt.
“We want to be sure we do projects right, especially big multi-million dollar projects, projects that will last for a generation,” explained Bob Maloney, Yorkton mayor. “Combining new underground infrastructure with road surfaces capable of lasting up to 50 years just makes sense.”
Experience in other jurisdictions has shown that concrete is indeed the superior surface lasting two to three times the 15- to 20-year life expectancy of asphalt. And not only does it last longer and accommodate heavier traffic, it costs less to maintain, meaning over the long-term, it is cheaper, the mayor claimed.
4 – HOLIDAY TRAIN
For the first time, the CP Holiday Train made a stop in Yorkton to spread early Christmas cheer.
The Holiday Train, which raises funds for food banks across America and Canada, started its cross-country trip on Nov. 25, arriving in Yorkton Monday, Dec. 4, stopping on the tracks near Livingstone Street, behind the City Centre Park.
When the doors of the stage came down, Colin James and Emma-Lee entertained the crowd, warming the audience who came out in the cold with a free concert.
Hot dogs and hot chocolate were available at the train in exchange for donations to the local food bank.
Other events held throughout the city in conjunction with the train’s arrival included a Lego installation at the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery and a railroad display at the public library.
The tour goes to a wide range of communities, with the first stop on Monday being in Bredenbury, before the train continued to Yorkton, followed by Foam Lake, Wynyard and finally Saskatoon
3 – RHYTHM & RIBS
The weekend in July saw a major new weekend event attraction launch in the city.
The inaugural Rhythm ‘n Ribs Festival in Yorkton drew large crowds over the weekend – an estimated 15,000.
The attractions included, world class barbecue, ribs, and pulled pork, from a quintet of specialized rib trucks.
The line-up included Gator BBQ which was formed in 1983 by a gentleman from Naples, Florida by the name of Don Brown (a.k.a. the King of Ribs).
Boss Hog’s is a London-based company that provides comprehensive food services for those that enjoy the best in authentic barbeque.
Jared Ruf from In Good Taste Foods topped a competition pitting local barbecue enthusiasts in a rib cook-off.
It was a great way to spend a mid-summer weekend with music, great food and a few cold ones, all in support of the work of The Health Foundation of East Central Saskatchewan.
2 – PATTISON
Save-On-Foods celebrated the grand opening of its Yorkton store in June.
The Yorkton store is B.C. based Save-On-Foods’ second location in the province of Saskatchewan since it opened the Save-On-Foods in Regina in April of 2016.
Complete with an in-store pharmacy, the store contains a Save-On-Foods Kitchen, where customers can find ready-to-eat, made-in-store items such as sushi, pizza, sandwiches, soups and salads, among others.
The store, owned by the Vancouver-based Jim Pattison Group, is located at the Parkland Mall in the city.
Under the same ownership umbrella Pattison Agriculture opened its new location in Yorkton. The new facility celebrated its official grand opening the day before the company’s first anniversary.
Arthur Ward, President of Pattison Agriculture, said the new facility was something they needed in Yorkton, as they were bursting at the seams at the former location on the opposite end of town.
“Based on the size of equipment and demands of producers today, we were just not able to properly service our customers and represent John Deere out of the facilities that we had,” he said.
The new facility also represents Pattison’s commitment to the region, Ward says.
“When you build a facility like this, at the cost of construction today, it isn’t a short term play. We’re not going anywhere, there will always be a John Deere dealer here in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. I can’t imagine a time in the future when it isn’t Pattison Agriculture. So when you build a facility like this you have to try to look forward and build it not just for today but for tomorrow as well. So that’s why when you see certain things, people may wonder why you did things a certain way, but it’s our best guess of what we’re going to need in the future.”
1 – BUDGET OFFLOAD
Yorkton saw taxation revenue increases of 9.46 per cent in 2017, with 6.25 per cent of the increase deemed necessary to make up for provincial cuts to the city of some $901,000, noted Council.
Three per cent of the increase was earmarked to continue funding capital improvements throughout the City with only a .21 percent increase in operating expenses.
Council passed the budget unanimously at their regular meeting April 24. Normally budgets are passed in January, but Council decided to wait until implications of the provincial budget were known.
“Council struggled to find options in an effort to maintain services and continue to fund necessary improvements to streets, underground infrastructure and drainage, said Mayor Bob Maloney in a release at the time. “Everything was on the table, and we want to make it clear that two thirds of the tax increase this year is due to provincial downloading.”
