THE GOLD STANDARD BROADWAY PARK REALTY | 306.728.4600 | WWW.CENTURY21YORKTON.CA THE MELVILLE $1.50 PER COPY Friday, GST INCLUDED August 2, 2019 Vol. 93 No. 32 Agreement # 40011922 PROUDLY SERVING MELVILLE AND SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1929 • WWW.GRASSLANDSNEWS.CA • 1-306-728-5448 Provincial Building up for sale By Lin Orosz Grasslands News Melville’s government-owned Provincial Building is on the sales block. The two storey building, covering nearly 19,000 square feet and sitting on .96 acres on Second Avenue West, has been put up for tender with the govern- ment hoping to have a sale finalized by the end of August. And while the building – officially opened in July 1969 – could have new owners, the services currently offered from it won’t be removed from Melville and could, in fact, stay right where they are, says Nancy WADE WALZ | MELVILLE ADVANCE Cherney, assistant deputy minister, property man- Sailing to victory agement division, of the Ministry of Central Services. $PHULFDQ6FRWW*UHHQÁLHVKLVKS&KHY\PHJDWUXFN6$,/WRYLFWRU\LQWKHIUHHVW\OHFRP- Melville Mayor Walter Streelasky says he regrets SHWLWLRQGXULQJWKLVSDVWZHHNHQG·V)5&&HYHQWQHDU:DOGURQ'XULQJKLVYLFWRU\UXQKHMXPSHG the sale because the building represents more than a RYHUDPHJDVWUHWFKOLPRXVLQHRZQHGDQGGULYHQE\3HUU\-HQVHQRI&KXUFKEULGJH)RUPRUHLQIR place where government services are dispensed – it signifies the provincial government has confidence in RQ*UHHQDQGWKHHQWLUH)5&&ZHHNHQGVHHDGGLWLRQDOFRYHUDJHRQ3DJH the city. “I think it’s very important to have that contact with the province; the fact that the province has confidence in our community and saw necessary to have a building such as that in our community,” Streelasky told the Melville Advance. “We are the largest centre in our constituency and I know there are not many tenants there now, Construction activity down but from my perspective, I think it’s a great facility. It was well built; it was very artistic in nature. I By Lin Orosz “It’s telling me that after six months into the year, guess I’d be quite disappointed (to see it sold), as our Grasslands News our building program in Melville is down substan- community members are. There might be future ten- tially,” Mogenson, who also serves as Melville’s fire chief, told the Advance. ants representative of the provincial government…it As is generally reflected in communities across Sas- “Normally, we have a couple of major projects would be nice to have those government services that katchewan, construction activity is down considerably going on, usually a new house or new residences being we had in the past,” Streelasky says. in Melville this year compared to other years. built, as it shows in previous years, but this year we It’s that lack of tenants that’s the motivating factor In a mid-term report presented at a recent council haven’t had any new residences built so far to date,” behind the sale, assistant deputy minister Cherney meeting by City of Melville building Inspector Tyrone Mogenson says. told the Advance. Currently, the building contains Mogenson, the document shows that no building per- So far in 2019, the city has issued 19 building per- offices of Ministry of Environment, Water Security mits have been issued for new residential construc- mits for projects like garages and renovations with Agency, SGI, Good Spirit Housing Authority and tion or commercial construction in the Jan. 1-June 30 a total value $307,700. The city has issued in total 55 Ministry of Justice (Provincial Court). period. development permits which includes the building per- The Provincial Building has seen a marked de- If that trend continues for the remainder of 2019, it mits along with any property improvements such as cline in occupancy since it opened 50 years ago. An would be the first time in more than a decade that no driveways or fences. example is the reduction of staffing over the years new residential projects were undertaken in the city. of the department that’s today called the Ministry of And the slowdown in new residential construction ac- - SEE PROVINCIAL BUILDING SALE, 3 tivity is mirrored in other building sectors. - SEE CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY, 2 • Motor Licence Issuer • Notary Public • Surety • Home/Auto/Farm/Commercial • Blue Cross • GMS • Hagerty Melville - Springside - Ituna OPEN Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Excluding Long Weekends 228 Main St. 306-728-4457 Your Hometown Broker! www.melvilleagencies.com @MA1974LTD The Melville Advance 2 August 2, 2019 www.grasslandsnews.ca Construction activity - continued from front During the past six months, there ha- of activity with bigger projects like the ven’t been any building permits issued Agri-Stability addition to Crop Insur- for commercial projects, Mogenson says. ance, Tim Hortons, Canadian Tire and In 2018, there 37 building permits is- renovations at the mall. sued for residential projects of which Back then, the local economy as well six were new homes while four permits as the economy throughout Saskatche- were issued for commercial project. The wan was in a relative boom cycle. Mel- total construction value was $3,113,704: ville benefited from the presence of BHP “Compared to last year, we’re down Billiton which was exploring the possi- about $2.8 million,” Mogenson says. bility of opening a potash mine in the Figures indicate that of the last five area, Mogenson says, adding that pres- years, 2017 was far ahead of any other ence sparked a flood of optimism within year with 37 building permits issued for a total value of $21,154,749. That year, the community and area. four new homes were built with 36 other However, a few years later, with pot- permits were issued for garages, renova- ash prices dropping, BHP shelved plans tions and so on. to open a new mine and instead concen- 2017 was a banner year for commer- trated on its Jansen mine project. About cial building permits with 13 issued. that time, in 2014-15, oil prices dropped “The anomaly in 2017 was the fact which affected the Saskatchewan econ- there was a water treatment plant omy and across Western Canada, says (building permit) taken out that fall Mogenson. to start construction over the winter And that, of course, had repercus- and into the spring. That project itself sions on Melville’s building activity. was worth $17.8 million. If you take the “It’s slow right across the province. anomaly out of there, our total construc- We’re not just a one-of here, everybody’s tion for that year was $3.2 million which slow. It’s completely due to the econ- kind of fits in with the rest of the years.” omy, With what’s going on with oil and Mogenson says since coming to Mel- gas and what not, things have slowed ville in 2006, he’s seen about 200 new down. And not just us.” residences built in the city, including In reviewing the period from 2006 residences contained in Caleb Village. to today, Mogenson says the city’s con- In 2008, there were 26 new homes built struction record could be described as while there were 16 in 2009, a further 32 in 2010, an additional 14 in 2011 and 11 an “ebb and flow.” There are highs and in 2012. lows but overall generally not a great The construction value of the com- deal of variation, unlike some other cen- mercial projects also soared. In 2010, tres which experience dramatic spikes nine commercial building permits were and drops. LIN OROSZ | MELVILLE ADVANCE issued for a total value of $33,232,629. In “We haven’t been a crash and burn. Renovation project 2011, six commercial permits for proj- We’ve had ebbs and flows all along. Melville building inspector Tyrone Mogenson, left, and Randy Ostlund discuss ects totaling $15,649,500 were issued. We’ve been consistent. We’ve been very 2VWOXQG·VUHQRYDWLRQSURMHFWRQDUHVLGHQFHDW6L[WK$YHQXH:HVWDQG6DV- That general time frame saw a flurry fortunate,” Mogenson concludes. NDWFKHZDQ6WUHHW 19081PS0 19081PS1 Pancake breakfast donation SUBMITTED | MELVILLE ADVANCE Annually, Horizon Credit Union and Prairie Co-op in Melville join together DQGKROGDSDQFDNHEUHDNIDVW7KH\VSOLWWKHFRVWVRXWRIWKHLU RZQSRFNHWVDQGSHUFHQWRIWKHSURFHHGVDUHGRQDWHGWRDZRUWK\ RUJDQL]DWLRQRUJURXSZLWKLQWKHFRPPXQLW\7KLV\HDUDWRWDORI was raised which they were proud to present to Kidsville Indoor Play- JURXQGRQEHKDOIRIWKHUHVLGHQWVRI0HOYLOOHDQGDUHD3LFWXUHG/5 /DUU\<HDGRQRI+RUL]RQ&8.LP:LKDNRI3UDLULH&RRSDQG7LQD&ODUN RI.LGVYLOOH,QGRRU3OD\JURXQGZLWKKHUVRQV$XVWLQDQG/RJDQ Share your NEWS TIPS with us Find out more by calling 1-844-GNG-NEWS or emailing [email protected] The Melville Advance @grasslands_news August 2, 2019 3 1. SPEAK TO YOUR AUDIENCE AND NO ONE ELSE. ħ'16ধ2+;3$322'$;>-;,'='8@32'>-££32£@ >'!0'2;,'1'99!+'@3<Z8';8@-2+;3$32='@W 2. 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LIMIT YOUR OFFERS TO TWO.'99-9138' gional office, it at one we need for those require- government regarding time saw more than 20 ments. the relocation of the Au- >,'2-;$31'9;3!&='8ধ9-2+W 2$£<&-2+;331<$, full-time staff employed “We still haven’t nailed rora Ross Medical Clinic -2(381!ধ32>-££32£@$32(<9'@3<8!<&-'2$'W in Melville including con- anything down at this mo- to the Provincial Build- servation officers, fish ment but that would be ing.