Battleford Mayor Derek Mahon speaks to a full house in the Chapel Gallery during the State of the Town, State of the City Address Thursday in the Chapel Gallery. Battlefords Daily News photo by Doug Collie
By Doug Collie, Editor
A new truck business coming in to the Battleford Industrial Park is just one of the many changes and/or improvements the Town of Battleford expects in 2014, according to Mayor Derek Mahon.
Mahon made that announcement during the annual State of the Town State of the City luncheon, held Thursday at the Chapel Gallery and organized by the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce.
Mahon told the crowd that two of the three town-owned lots Battleford Industrial Park have been sold to trucking companies. One building is under construction and the second trucking company is expected to be announced during this Tuesday’s town council meeting.
He also noted that Leading Manufacturing Group is working on constructing a $6.7 million oil tank manufacturing facility there.
“We thank all these firms for their investment in Battleford and we’re glad to have all of them join us,” Mahon said.
Other plans include improving the sound and other aspects of the Battleford Room in Fort Battleford. Mahon said Fort Battleford staff are also undertaking some enhancements to the Fort, including setting up disc golf (a.k.a. Frisbee golf) and upgrading the patio area.
As reported earlier by the Daily News, the Town has contracted Associated Engineering to do detailed design of a new washroom/shower facility in the Kramer Campground. Design is expected to be completed by the end of the camping season. Construction is not officially scheduled.
The town has 32 R1 lots for sale in three cul de sacs in its Battle Springs Subdivision. All the services are installed in these lots and paving is expected to take place this fall.
The conceptual plan has been done for later phases of Battle Springs. Advancement of these plans based on sale of the three cul de sacs mentioned above. Until now development has mostly been toward Highway 4. Future development will be toward Fort Battleford and the Kramer Campground.
Construction of a new well, (Well Number 7) and related buildings and a back-up generator near the old bridges has been completed. The Town now has capacity to produce water for up to 6,000 residents. Currently there are 4,065 residents in the town.
A Highway 16 west study is in the final draft phase. This study looks at the existing Kramer Crossing interchange and future interchanges to the west within the town boundaries plus future interchanges outside the boundaries in the RM of Battle River.
Several homes are being built in the 15th St. residential extension.
A Seniors’ complex is proposed for the Battle West Properties residential area on the west side of Highway 4, north of Highway 40. Homes continue to be built there.
Next to the Battle West properties area, Mahon said discussions are underway to develop a hotel in the Battle West Properties/Old Town Square Battlefords Crossing Commercial area at 29th St. and Highway 4. Battlefords and District Co-op has bought property to the southwest of Tim Hortons there. Construction of a Co-op gas bar on that site is tentatively scheduled for this fall.
The Kramer Ltd. dealership along Highway 16 West has been completed and is open for business.
The Town plans to do another local improvement this year to fix up streets in the Riverbend area this year. One was done last year. Under a local improvement, the Town and residents share the cost for the work. The Town will be making use of federal gas tax money for its share.
Mahon said building permits to date are $9,161,100. In 2013 at this point, they totalled $6,193,945.
A project to repair the front steps of Town Hall will be going out for tender soon. It will involve removing the tyndal stone steps and re-establishing a base there. Once the base is established, the tyndal stones will be rotated and replaced.
Work will continue on raising funds to revamp Town Hall and the Opera House on the second floor of the Town Hall.
Mahon noted the BATC Community Development Corporation allocated funds in the neighbourhood of $750,000 for phase I of the project, which included roof replacement, upper window replacement and design work.
He said the Town is looking into conceptual planning and preliminary planning for possible expansion of the Battleford Arena.
As reported by the Daily News earlier, the Town is also looking at upgrading a sewage pumping station near Tim Hortons. The station was built in 1979 or 80.
“It hasn’t pumped a lot of sewage over the years,” Mahon said. “Depending on the growth in that area that project may be moved forward a lot sooner than we think.”
The Town is also looking at creating an off-leash dog park, an idea that’s been kicked around for several years. The location has yet to be determined.
Mahon noted the Town’s taxation rates this year are the same as last year.
Work will be completed on restoration of the old bridges with funding from the Town of Battleford and the River Valley Committee.
Mahon said the Town has not yet heard back from the province on its application for funding under the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program (PDAP) to fix land slumping problems in the northwest corner of the Battleford Cemetery.
Mahon said this year is the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame, which is located in Battleford.
He noted plans call for a giant bat to be located on SBHF property as part of the 30th anniversary celebrations.
He also noted that this year, Western Canadian Fastball Championships for boys and girls will be hosted at the Battleford Flats during the August long weekend.
“I think they’re expecting 24 teams from all over Western Canada, so that’ll be a big event,” Mahon said.
“The Town of Battleford will be 110 years old this year and we look forward to many more successful years,” he concluded.