There were many events and decisions that positively promoted Moose Jaw in 2019, says the mayor, but he doesn’t want residents to sit back and be satisfied with those successes.
City council and city administration worked diligently to expand business opportunities, such as supporting a new whiskey distillery, being vocal and passionate about attracting the SaskPower’s natural gas-fired power plant, and signing an agreement with Canadian Tire, said Mayor Fraser Tolmie during a year-in-review conversation.
Other successes included the Mac the Moose controversy, which raised the profile of the municipality and brought together the community, and the announcement of more concerts at Mosaic Place.
“We were very happy with that kind of positive outcome,” Tolmie said. “But that does not mean it’s time to sit on our laurels. We’ve seen success with many things and we have to capitalize on that to benefit the citizens of our community. That’s what we’ll be doing in the next coming months.”
One of the bigger issues last year was the deal with Carpere Canada for 312 hectares (780 acres) in the Southeast Industrial Park for more than $7.8 million. However, while it made a down payment, the company has not yet paid the full amount; council gave an extension to this February from last October.
City administration is still communicating with Carpere Canada and believes there are no “significant indications” that Carpere does not intend to proceed with the deal, said Tolmie, adding council would be thrilled to have the company in Moose Jaw.
The construction of the natural gas plant will likely have positive economic effects as well, especially since it will be built within Moose Jaw’s boundaries, said Tolmie.
Besides additional tax revenue for Moose Jaw, more than 700 temporary jobs will be created during the initial construction of the plant. Those temporary workers will need places to sleep, to eat, to buy clothes, to socialize and to participate in recreational opportunities, so the community should benefit from this demand. Moose Jaw businesses will also have the opportunity to bid on parts of the project
Moose Jaw has a fairly stable economy, low unemployment and saw an increase in building permits issued last year, said Tolmie. While the municipality needs to be aware of what is happening beyond its borders, it also needs to be proactive to ensure it is prepared for any major economic uncertainty.
Tolmie drove up Main Street in late 2019 and noticed only four empty storefronts, which was encouraging. He hopes business owners who open a shop have a strong business plan and have products that residents want to purchase.
“We’re saying to a lot of people (who) are looking to invest in our community that there is a lot of opportunity,” he said, “and that we’ll do everything we can to help them establish their business here in the City of Moose Jaw.”
Tolmie is comforted by the fact property owners — especially along High Street West — are looking to fill empty storefronts with new businesses. However, he pointed out digital shopping is affecting the retail world. This is why he believes community businesses need strong business plans to compete.
City council approved the 2020 operating and capital budgets by holding three additional meetings to discuss the documents. However, some councillors were concerned that the decision to approve the budgets was not made in a regular, televised council meeting.
“I am very happy with the budget process. Council worked with administration to streamline the process,” said Tolmie. “It was the first time that councillors, at the end of the budget, were high-fiving each other and high-fiving with administration, and saying, ‘We worked hard … on the budget.’”
While Tolmie intends to give a full state-of-the-city address on Monday, Jan. 13, he provided some comments on the year ahead. He remarked that council would: continue to work hard for residents, continue to act diligently to improve its communications and openness, continue to promote economic growth, work to improve municipal services, and act to raise the community’s profile.
