It may have been pouring rain outside but spirits were not dampened inside the local rink on June 7 when the Home Town Tour stopped in Weyburn.
CTV and STC teamed up to bring CTV Regina newscasters Danelle Boivin, J.C. Garden and Nelson Bird to Weyburn for the day to broadcast the city's many attributes to much of the province.
Jenna Wilchuck, marketing coordinator for the South East Regional Economic Development Authority (SEREDA), acted as the newscasters' tour guide for the day, taking them to see such sites as the Soo Line Historical Museum, Weyburn Inland Terminal, City Hall and the Turner Curling Museum. The tour bus also stopped at Crocus Plains Villa to meet worker Arlene Wheeler, who nominated Weyburn for the Home Town Tour.
During the six o'clock news broadcast from Crescent Point Place, Mayor Debra Button, Wilchuck and citizen Brent Allin were all interviewed live about life in Weyburn. The program also boasted several points about "wonderful Weyburn" during its broadcast, including the Charlie Wilson Silver Collection - the largest private silver collection in the world with over 3,300 pieces; Weyburn Inland Terminal - the largest inland grain gathering point in Canada, with 500,000 tons of grain passing through each year; and birthplace of sports greats Graham DeLaet and Dave "Tiger" Williams.
During her on-air interview with J.C. Garden, Button said the City of Weyburn has been working hard to keep up with the growth in the area. She also talked about her work with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and sharing economic practices with the Ukraine.
After her interview, Button spoke to Weyburn This Week, "I am always so proud of Weyburn and today was just another example of why."
Button said that seeing the city highlighted on the provincial broadcast made her chest swell with pride.
"We know about these things, but it's great for the rest of Saskatchewan to see it," said Button.
Bird mirrored Button's words during an interview between the newscasters and Weyburn This Week.
"I think it's a good opportunity for the people of Saskatchewan, especially in our viewing area in southern Saskatchewan, to learn about Weyburn," said Bird. "Many people have heard about the city but to see what we've done here today and what we've visited gives people a chance to know what they can expect."
The newscasters said they felt fortunate to see the city's many sites during their daylong tour.
"It was very wet but nice to get to see everything that Weyburn has to offer," said Boivin.
The newscasters joked that while the people of Weyburn were very welcoming, many blamed weathercaster Garden for bringing the lousy weather to town with him.
"It's funny because so much of the economy here relies on the weather," said Garden.
Garden said, although much of the agriculture and oil and gas industry in the area is at a standstill due to wetness, Weyburn is a city on the move and "definitely one of the driving forces behind our provincial wealth."
Bird remarked that although he has been to Weyburn on a number of occasions, mostly for work, he has never experienced its many unique sites before. He was especially impressed by the exhibits at the Soo Line Museum.
"I was really taken aback by the eight-legged cow," laughed Bird. "I had to take a picture."
During the live broadcast, Wilchuck acknowledged some of the groups that helped with the event, including Weyburn Rider Nation (WRN), Weyburn Minor Football (WMF), local Relay For Life teams and the City. She also briefly mentioned the new Weyburn Energy and Innovation Centre coming soon to City Hall. The centre will explore CO2 sequestration and enhanced oil recovery in the area.
WMF chair Brent Allin also spoke on-air during the broadcast, calling Weyburn "the best place on earth to live."
After the broadcast, WRN co-chairs Rochelle Wendt and Nicole Wendt presented the newscasters with WRN gear. In turn, the women were presented with the CTV Home Town Hero distinction for their efforts to promote minor football and spread Rider Pride.
Nicole stated that it was quite an honour to have their efforts recognized but didn't want to take all the credit.
"We feel that the success of WRN is because of the whole community coming together, not just Rochelle and I," said Nicole.
The Canadian Cancer Society held a barbecue during the event to raise money for Relay For Life, which will take place at Crescent Point Place June 10 and 11.
