Transport effort moving forward

For the second time in three months the Yorkton Chamber of Commerce was given a brief presentation on the ‘Transportation and Growth Opportunities for the Yorkton Region’ by John Law.

Law spoke to the Chamber in late November on the local initiative, and last Thursday updated the business group on some of the early recommendations for action arising from the work.

As the centre of a large economic region, Yorkton needs to have a consolidated approach to transportation issues, or at least that is the thrust of a new strategic sector study currently being finalized.

Law said the idea of the study was initially an initiative of a group of business people in the community looking to develop a better understanding of transportation issues so as to create opportunities to improve the future of the community.

From there the City’s Economic Development Committee came on board, and the work of creating a strategy started in earnest.

“Things are continuing to evolve out of the process,” La told the Chamber luncheon.

Law said transportation is critical for development as it is required to move anything made locally to markets outside Saskatchewan and other places around the country, and the world.

Law said a first step in the process was to get a better understanding of what was already happening in the business community, and then building on that with an eye to the future.

“We’re trying to understand what we can do in transpiration and logistics services … to make Yorkton a more competitive place to do business,” he said.

Law said an important first step in that process was realizing that Yorkton remains a hub to a much larger region. He said everyone recognizes the city’s history shows it as important to a larger area, but the question “are we still a regional centre?” had to be asked.

And not surprisingly Yorkton not only serves as a regional centre, but to an ever expanding one.

“That role today is more important than it has ever been,” said Law.

Yorkton might only be 20,000 people, the catchment area in terms of business is estimated at 230,000.

“It might sound like a blinding flash of the obvious … but it’s all about the region,” said Law.

Law added later the initiative is about creating “a 21st century version of Yorkton as a hub.”

Law said with the existing economic activity, and the expectations for growth there are new opportunities where businesses had common interests.

From that has come a list of recommendations, some broad in their scope such as upgrading existing infrastructure and creating new infrastructure and services.

As an example, Law said they have found the need for a spur line to better facilitate rail usage.

While the project is beyond a single business user, it could be built if partnerships were forged whereby businesses with similar needs worked together.

“New things will be done here with some intelligence sharing,” said Law. “… What businesses are doing collectively change the numbers.”

Projects will also be more likely to move forward if partnerships are created, said Law, noting the neighbouring rural municipalities of Orkney and Wallace both had representative at the luncheon. He said local governments as well as the provincial and federal governments all have roles to play in terms of transportation.

In terms of government, Law said the City of Yorkton is forward looking in terms of transportation needs.

“They have a long term plan,” he said.

Those plans include seeking funding for work on Grain Millers Road and on Broadway Street through the Building Canada Fund.