WEYBURN & ESTEVAN – The cities of Estevan and Weyburn are polishing their streets and rallying residents in preparation to battle for civic bragging rights in the Golden Garbage Can, happening June 9.
A five-judge panel will tour both communities, scoring them based on a shared rubric that highlights cleanliness, visual appeal and civic pride. The winner earns the coveted Golden Garbage Can trophy – and the unofficial title of southeastern Saskatchewan’s best-kept city.
This isn’t the first time these two prairie cities have gone head-to-head. The Golden Garbage Can competition began in 1956 as a friendly rivalry between Weyburn and Estevan, promoting community-wide cleanup efforts. Over the decades, it became a cherished tradition, with Weyburn securing more victories than Estevan. The last contest was held in 2010, where Weyburn narrowly edged out Estevan by a 31-29 margin.
After a 15-year hiatus, the competition is making a return, reigniting the spirit of community pride and friendly rivalry.
“There’s nothing like a little friendly competition to spark civic pride,” said Coun. Kellie Sidloski, who will be one of the 2025 judges. “Our residents have stepped up in big ways with community cleanups last month and we can’t wait to showoff that effort to the judges.”
The judging criteria include everything from downtown presentation and school properties to parks, gateways and residential streets. Bonus points are awarded for community creativity, such as murals, flower beds and citizen-led cleanup efforts.
Judges will score each community out of a possible 55 points, with categories ranging from public facilities and commercial areas to potential hazards and overall visual impact.
While the competition is light-hearted, the underlying mission is a serious one: celebrating civic care, collaboration and cleanliness.
Estevan City Coun. Kirsten Walliser, emphasized the regional importance of the friendly competition saying, "Not only can we love local and support our own community, but The Golden Garbage Can Competition also showcases all the amenities available in both Estevan and Weyburn. By celebrating our sister community and spending our tourism dollars there – and their reciprocation in Estevan – all of southeast Saskatchewan is strengthened."
The winner will be announced later that week and receive the Golden Garbage Can trophy.
