Coming into Tisdale to attend the grand opening of the new SARCAN depot, all Amy McNeil, the executive director of the organization, knew about the location was to look for the airport.
Yet in the end, finding the building located west of town on Highway #3, wasn’t a problem.
“All of a sudden, we were greeted by the first building into town – and what a beautiful building this is,” she said. “What a welcoming sight for us to drive into Tisdale.”
The new depot has been in operation since April 3, but the grand opening was held June 2. The facility, built by Tisdale-based J.L. Construction, is twice the size of the old one at 4,050 square feet, allowing for more room for crushing equipment, a two-trailer bay and parking. The new building will provide a bigger, brighter area for customers and a more efficient back end.
“It not only increases the flow and effectiveness of the flow, it’s also a safer place to work and we can do more in this space,” McNeil said. “It also allows us to continue to grow.”
Coun. Brendan Samida spoke on behalf of the town at the opening.
“SARCAN has been a part of Tisdale for many years. It provides a valuable service to our town. In addition to keeping recyclables out of our landfill and off our streets, SARCAN provides opportunities for a great work experience and a stable job to members of our community.”
There have been four depots since SARCAN started operating in 1989, run by HandiWorks. The first building was an old Tisdale Recorder office. The depot has had to keep relocating due to the sheer demand for recycling in Tisdale.
“In the last year alone, [the Tisdale] SARCAN depot recycled more than 2.5 million beverage containers,” McNeil said. “If these containers were laid down in tandem, we can follow that path to Prince Albert. Since the depot opened in Tisdale in 1989, if we were to lay down all of those containers and follow the path, we’d be at New York.”
Fred Bradshaw, the MLA for Carrot River, came to speak for the provincial government.
“Coming in here this morning,” he said, “I especially love that door that opens automatically so you don’t have to sit there and fight the door while you try to carry stuff in.”
He reminded citizens that they can now receive a deposit if they recycle milk jugs, and that the amount given back for recycling certain other beverage containers has been increased.
Kimberly Wood is the board president of HandiWorks. Besides providing jobs for her organization’s clients, the new facility has another benefit for HandiWorks.
“People may have noticed an extra office in this building,” she said. “We now have office space and meeting space for our independent living supervisor Monica Harpham. Monica has been working from her home nearly 18 years and so we know how valuable this opportunity is for her.”
McNeil said she also wanted citizens to know about the new Drop n Go on the east side of the building. Those with accounts can drop off containers if they can’t stand in line and then they will be counted by employees in the back of the depot.
