Energy tours offered throughout the summer season are always one of the most popular Estevan’s attractions. SaskPower, the Westmoreland Coal Company and the City of Estevan put their efforts together to help citizens and people from all over Canada and the world see what makes Estevan the Energy City.
The two-hour tours start at the Estevan Leisure Centre, from where tourists are taken to the mine site, the SaskPower Shand Power Station and the SaskPower Shand Greenhouse.
Rebecca Westling, the destination marketing/communications consultant for the City of Estevan, said these tours attract a lot of attention.
“The tours are very popular, especially with the school groups in May and June. Lots of school groups are learning this information in their science. And it’s also widely in the news right now about learning what clean coal capture is,” said Westling.
Tours allow participants to get hands-on experience with the widely discussed technologies and also to explore the history of Estevan through a different scope.
“It’s really great for kids to learn about that,” added Westling.
Estevan energy sites are among the most popular Saskatchewan’s landmarks and are a must-do thing for those travelling through the province.
“We constantly have people from out of town. Actually people from Europe, Asia, South America (and other places) that are travelling through, that’s one of the stops that they do,” said Westling.
People who take the tour don’t leave disappointed.
“It’s quite something, going right down into the mine pit, it’s just phenomenal. Seeing how big that machinery really is and seeing the scale of how much earth they move. It’s really something else,” said Westling.
The tours are free and are open to anyone seven and older. There are 14 spots on a bus and it’s recommended to book a tour in advance.
In May and June, tours run twice a day starting at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., Monday through Friday. And in July and August, they run Tuesday to Saturday twice a day as well.
Westling noted that there is also a different version of these tours running this week as the mining week special.
“It’s a shortened version that Westmoreland Coal does offer specialty tour for the mining week if you don’t have two hours to do the whole tour. They do mining week celebration.”
To book a tour call the Visitor Information Centre that is open seven days a week in summer and they will schedule you in.
