An exciting time to be in Estevan
By David Willberg

A new strip mall in northeast Estevan is one of several construction projects underway in the city. Additional projects have started in the RM of Estevan.

New businesses opening, new home construction, a booming oil patch, a growing population and tax base - it's an exciting time to be in Estevan, and southeast Saskatchewan.
It's not likely going to slow down soon, either.
Estevan Mayor Gary St. Onge said the residential and commercial sectors are booming. And he believes the best is yet to come in residential building. He pointed to a new subdivision for the former Hillside School property that will add condominiums and 15 new homes.
"Although we have a couple of subdivisions (being developed), those are for homes that are quite pricey," said St. Onge. "The proposed development in the Hillside area will try to address some of the more affordable homes. And there are other developments that are happening that we will try to address as well."
A lack of manpower and housing are challenges. Estevan has a lot of job openings, he said, but the city lacks the rental properties and housing for workers who move to the city.
He believes one of the best examples of the growth is longer line-ups for traffic lights, stop signs and even lunch at restaurants.
The clean coal retrofit of Unit 4 at the Boundary Dam Power Station, announced earlier this year, has brought stability to the future of Estevan' power generation, St. Onge said.
RM of Estevan administrator Greg Hoffort has been employed by the RM for 12 years. He said that 2007 was the busiest year during his tenure, and 2008 has been even more active.
"Whether it's the mining industry, the oil industry or the power generation, everything seems to be going at a good clip right now," said Hoffort. "There are a lot of new businesses moving to town, new people moving to town, and all those things combined have generated a lot of growth in the RM."
The hot spots are commercial developments along Highway 39. In the east of the RM, several buildings are being constructed at the intersection of Highway 39 and the Shand Access Road. To the west, new businesses are opening along Malmgren Drive.
The biggest challenge facing the RM, Hoffort said, is providing a quick response to businesses that want to be in the RM.
"We do the best we can to make sure things go as smoothly and as quickly as we can put them through, while making sure everything is done properly," said Hoffort.
Lynn Chipley, the president of the Estevan and District Tourism, Trade and Commerce, believes that the growth will not only benefit Estevan, but the entire southeast corner.
"Some of it will be in the RM, some of it will be in Oxbow, some of it will be in Carnduff, some of it will be in Weyburn," said Chipley. "I think it will encompass the whole region, so everybody will be impacted, and I think that will help the pressure for growth."
Businesses that move into Estevan view the city as a "sure thing," Chipley said.
Tourism has the potential for growth, she said. Chipley believes that people sometimes underestimate all that Estevan has to offer for culture, sports, mine and power plant tours, and events.
"We're going to work very, very hard at creating a destination package to sell to Western Canada, and North and South Dakota, and our neighbours close by, and telling them why they should come here," said Chipley.
Carl Henneberg, the president of the Small Explorers and Producers Association of Canada, said the oil patch is even busier than it was at this time last year.
"The number of rigs is up," said Henneberg. "Judging by the activity, and the prices paid at land sales the last couple of months, it looks like we'll be in for a very busy summer."
Oil prices have been a driving force behind patch activity in the last couple of years. But the new top contributor is the Bakken oil play - the massive formation that covers southeast Saskatchewan and neighbouring states and provinces.
"Exactly what areas would be economic, and could produce oil to justify drilling, is something that will be discovered over the next couple years, as people start out and drill in the Benson-Stoughton area, which is sort of the hot spot at this point in time," said Henneberg.
Henneberg said the Bakken play could run for several years, depending on how much of the oil can be tapped.

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