Melville Is on Short List for New Industry Straw Pulp Plant Would Bring 110 Direct and 175 Indirect Jobs
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Your community... your newspaper! Call 1-844-GNG-NEWS to renew subscribePSBEWFSUJTF today. THE MELVILLE $1.50 PER COPY Friday, GST INCLUDED October 9, 2020 Vol. 94 No. 38 Agreement # 40011922 PROUDLY SERVING MELVILLE AND SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1929 • WWW.GRASSLANDSNEWS.CA • 1-306-728-5448 Melville is on short list for new industry Straw pulp plant would bring 110 direct and 175 indirect jobs By Chris Ashfield Grasslands News A large scale value added agriculture industry is eyeing Melville as a possible location for construct- ing what would be a first of its kind facility in Can- ada, potentially bringing more than 100 direct jobs and close to 200 indirect jobs to the city. City council has agreed to spend up to $175,000 on planning and engineering for an 80-acre industrial development parcel in the southwest section of the city in hopes of attracting the new multi-million dol- lar industry. The funds, which will be allocated from the land development reserve and borrowing, was ap- proved for use after six months of discussion between the city and the unnamed ag-based company. “We have to make the investment to make any- thing happen. It doesn’t mean we got it, but we “We have to make the in- do need to be prepared to move forward quickly if vestment to make anything it does because they are happen – we do need to be proposing an aggressive Massive moose ALVIN NIXON | GRASSLANDS NEWS prepared to more forward.” timeline,” said city man- ager Ron McCullough. A large bull moose stands on the edge of a pasture as he feeds on the nearby brush and trees. - Ron McCullough, city manager The project would see With mating season running through September and October, there has been increased sightings the construction of a non- of moose in the area. wood fibre pulp plant that would convert waste wheat straw into dried pulp and a blended lignin and car- bohydrate. The pulp would then be sold for use in a imately 40 trucks of straw a day would be needed to need to be expanded with additional reverse osmosis variety of paper products including paper towels, tis- feed the plant, which would produce 124,000 tonnes (RO) membranes installed to accommodate the addi- sue, molded fibre and packaging products while the of pulp and 126,000 tonnes of lignin per year. The tional 1.3 million metric metres of water needed each lignin would be sold for use in biofuels, animal feed, annual revenue of the facility would be $250 million year. The city’s new water treatment plant, just com- as a soil additive, for dust abatement and for other and it would create approximately 110 direct jobs and pleted this year, has capacity for four RO skids with industrial applications. more than 175 indirect jobs through things such as two skids installed and operational. Each RO skid Due to the density of wheat, straw left in the field maintenance and trucking. has a capacity of approximately 800,000 cubic metres typically poses a challenge for farmers. Traditionally Talks between the company and the city began water production so the city already has the ability the options have been either burning the field or cul- in mid-April and Grasslands News was told that to produce 1.6 million cubic metres current water, tivation, neither of which is considered sustainable representatives from the company visited Melville although current production is approximately 500,000 long term. The environment cannot handle the thou- in June. The proposed site was described as being cubic metres. A third skid would need to be added to sands of tons of greenhouse gases emitted by burning “rough” and needing lots of work but the location of meet the additional demand of 1.3 million cubic me- and the environmental concerns with erosion from the site to highways and the rail line was a positive tres per year. An alternative under consideration is excessive tillage is also becoming a worldwide prob- for the city. the supply of raw water rather than RO water. lem. Building a fibre pulp plant would provide a solu- If Melville is selected as the site, the city would The $175,000 is needed for planning, surveying, tion for those problems giving farmers an additional likely need to invest $5 to $6 million in infrastructure geo-technical engineering and general engineering, revenue stream. upgrades for things such as water, sewer and roads. but doesn’t include any shaping of the land. Numbers obtained by Grasslands News show that McCullough says that infrastructure investment McCullough said the company is hoping to make a proposed facility of this type would utilize approx- would be financed and recovered through a combina- an announcement in the spring of 2021 as to the loca- imately 260,000 tonnes of waste straw, all sourced tion of land sales and servicing agreements with pro- tion of a plant in Saskatchewan. It would like to have from farmers within a 100 kilometre radius. Approx- spective developers. The new water plant may also it operational by late 2023. Trust us with what matters most. HOME – AUTO 215 - 3rd Ave. W., Melville, SK FARM – BUSINESS www.trustmarkinsurance.ca P: 306.728.2165 2 October 9, 2020 0HOYLOOH$GYDQFH:KLWHZRRG*UHQIHOO+HUDOG6XQ)RUW4X·$SSHOOH7LPHV Grasslands News Real estate sales increase during pandemic By Elaine Ashfield areas are maintaining the job numbers gion rose from $54.6M to $70.0M in 2020 2.5 per cent, going from 120 to 123 (0.5 Grasslands News in industry and health care so people (an increase of 28.3). The number of new per cent below the 5-year average and are not affected as badly in these occu- listings in southeast Saskatchewan rose 0.3 per cent above the 10-year average). pations.” Although the province continued to Wassill predicts that real estate will see a small uptick in COVID cases in continue to be stable through next year September, this hasn’t deterred people and says it is not just in this area; it from buying and selling real estate. has been pretty strong across the coun- “While it’s been suggested that the mar- try since around May 1st but he also ket would suffer due to COVID,” said added, “I’ve seen it before – real estate Saskatchewan Realtors Association can change on a dime!” CEO Jason Yochim, “this really hasn’t An agent in the area from RE/MAX happened in Saskatchewan.” Blue Chip Realty, Lisa Kirkwood, stated Len Wassill of Century 21 Able Re- that sales have seen an increase com- ality in Melville told Grasslands News pared to the same time last year. that with the affects of COVID-19 on so There is no real trend appearing many people, he is actually quite sur- regarding prices, Kirkwood added, as prised to see the increase they are expe- there is a variety of homes being listed riencing in real estate. and sold in all price ranges. “The increase in sales is undoubtedly When asked what properties are due to the cost of borrowing being so showing the most interest, Kirkwood re- cheap at this time. 2007 - 2008 was the sponded, “There has been an increase in last time it was like this that I can re- recreational properties selling this year. member,” Wassill stated. “Housing costs Also, I have had a few more clients look- in this part of the country are fairly ing for rural properties, acreages in par- modest and people have to live some- ticular.” where so I can see why the listings in Kirkwood doesn’t feel she can make our areas are attractive to people.” a prediction on the next six months As far as prices increasing or de- to a year as she says, “There can be a creasing, Wassill says some are staying lot contributing factors in the market priced at the same level, some areas such as mortgage rate increases and of have leveled off; some are down. It all course the continuing concerns around depends on the market demands. COVID-19.” Train vs car ELAINE ASHFIELD | GRASSLANDS NEWS “Recreational properties are stron- Saskatchewan Realtors Association The driver of this car escaped injury when he collided with a train on a grid ger than average due to people staying report that sales in southeast Saskatch- closer to home and I can see where there ewan were up 124.0 per cent, going from road west of Whitewood. The accident was one of three calls that Whitewood may be a shortage in listings down the 25 in September 2019 to 56 in September Fire Department responded to on Oct. 6 in a two and a half hour period. road in this area.” 2020, up 47.4 per cent from the 5-year Residential and rural sales are strong average (and 3.1 per cent above the 10- whereas commercial sales are being af- year average). Year-to-Date (YTD) sales fected. in the overall region were up 34.7 per Accident, alarm and fire call “I can see this, with businesses cent over last year, going from 25 to 56. struggling due to COVID-19 restrictions Sales volume in the region rose 132.5 and new businesses not being anxious per cent, going from $4.7M to $10.9M in for property until the future becomes 2020 (41.2 per cent above the 5-year aver- make for busy day for WFD clearer. The food and service industries age, and 16.1 per cent below the 10-year are seeing real challenges whereas our average).