Construction vehicles have grown bigger during the past 40 years, so to ensure it can store all its equipment indoors, the Rural Municipality of Moose Jaw has constructed two new public works building.
To celebrate these structures — located in Boharm west of Moose Jaw — the organization held a grand opening on July 11 that saw in attendance several area residents, city and provincial dignitaries, and RM council members and employees.
In particular, MLA Greg Lawrence brought greetings on behalf of the province, and Ray Orb spoke as president of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM). Afterward, the reeve and councillors cut a ribbon to open the site officially.
The RM constructed its first shop — 4,000 square feet in size — on Norwood Avenue in Moose Jaw in 1986, explained administrator Mike Wirges. The organization grew over the next four decades and added more employees — from three to six — and equipment, which prompted the RM in 2019 to review its space needs since it was storing valuable equipment outside.
It considered purchasing land in or near Moose Jaw, but costs were expensive, so it looked further away and found four hectares (10 acres) in Boharm on the former one-room school site, he continued. This was suitable since it allowed the RM to continue expanding.
Sitting on five acres is the main, 9,600-square-foot propane-heated building and an adjacent smaller 3,200-square-foot unheated storage building that can hold equipment the RM uses at certain times of the year.
The entire project cost about $1.4 million.
The public works building can store the two graders, a wheel loader, a bobcat and smaller vehicles. It has a giant wash bay on one side, while all the doors fold open in accordion style.
“It’s quite unique to this area … ,” said Wirges, noting it would have taken six months to bring in regular overhead doors, so the organization selected the agricultural-focused FINDOOR product.
“In general, we’re quite satisfied with the buildings. They give us the opportunity to expand and grow. The location is well worth it. It’s better than elsewhere.”
Wirges added that there are still some upgrades to finish, including hooking up a natural gas line and installing cement columns to protect the outdoor propane tank.
Attending the grand opening was Cyril McIntyre — a grader operator with the RM from 1970 to 1980 — and his wife, Maria.
“It’s exciting. This stuff makes me excited,” McIntyre said about the event and surrounding equipment.
The couple lived in Boharm for 54 years, even when McIntyre worked for the RM, where he worked shift work the first couple of years until the organization hired a second grader operator. He drove into Moose Jaw daily for a decade because the organization stored its equipment at two locations along Highway 1.
The rural municipality had no shop then, so McIntyre and fellow grader operator Richard (Dick) Stewart serviced their machines outside year-round. With a chuckle, he noted that the graders were good then but not as fancy as today.
“They’re quite the machine now,” McIntyre added. “I probably would now (have trouble operating one).”
During the grand opening, the RM honoured employee Todd McLaren, who retired after 35 years. The reeve and a councillor presented him with a metal silhouette featuring the symbol of his property, Golden Grain Farm.
“This is awesome. These 35 years have gone by pretty fast,” said McLaren, 53, who started as a summer student at age 16 before becoming full-time at 18.
Compared to the previous smaller public works shed, the new building is a great state-of-the-art venue that can store everything inside, he remarked. However, he never worked in the new building because he retired in March, although he did help paint and install shelves.
In retirement, McLaren plans to continue farming north of Moose Jaw.
