Estevan
St. Joseph's Medical Clinic, which was built onto the hospital, has opened. Dr. Sheikh is the first doctor to start his practice in the clinic. The new clinic will accommodate up to eight doctors. (Estevan Mercury, May 7, 2008)

Radville
Renovations and upgrades have been approved by the Board of Directors of the Radville Co-op Grocery store. (Radville Star, May 8, 2008)

Weyburn
The Weyburn Co-operative Association set a new record of sales, $43.4 million, for 2007. This is an increase of $5.9 million over the previous record which was set in 2006. (Weyburn Review, May 7, 2008)

The City of Weyburn in partnership with Tourism Weyburn revealed the City's new slogan, "This is Our Weyburn...Come Discover Yours". The new marketing slogan will be on the Weyburn website and other publications. (Weyburn Review, May 7, 2008)

EnCana's CO2 project in the Weyburn area celebrated their 10th year. The company boasts a stable employee base of 60 with one of the lowest turnover rates in the industry. The company is presently anticipating moving into their newly built 20,000 sq. ft. field office by Goodwater. The oil production is at 28,000 to 30,000 barrels per day instead of 10,000 which is what it would be without the CO2. Over 200 tours of the project have been conducted over the years. Encana has also generously contributed to many area community projects. (Weyburn Review, May 7, 2008)

Assiniboia
Southland Co-op had another successful year, breaking last year's sales record by securing sales in excess of $31,000,000. (Assiniboia Times May 9, 2008)

Paterson Global Foods, the parent company of Paterson Grain Terminals, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. A new terminal is scheduled to open in Assiniboia for the fall harvest. (Assiniboia Times, May 9, 2008)

Moose Jaw
Building permits are on the rise in Moose Jaw. In April, there were 45 project permits issued, valued at $4.9 million. Hudson Construction is building two pairs of residential semi-detached condominium units at a cost of $280,000 each. There was $405,000 in government or institutional alteration, repair, and addition projects approved, as well as numerous smaller projects. (Moose Jaw Times Herald, May 10, 2008)

Sugar Shack Salon and Day Spa is undergoing renovations and has been renamed Cynamyn Salon. (Moose Jaw Times Herald, May 15, 2008)

The average selling price of a home in Moose Jaw has risen to $191,524, an increase of $66,000 since the same time last year. The number of realtors has also increased from 59 in December 2007 to 66. (Moose Jaw REDA, May 2008)

Ogema
The Ogema Trade Show was held recently and deemed a success. The event was full of activities on both April 18th and 19th. Trade show booths and presentations were well attended. (The Deep South Star, May 1, 2008)

Battleford
Battleford Agencies, a part of Innovation Credit Union, held the grand opening of their Battleford location. The business, formerly in the Battleford Post Office, has relocated to a more visible location on the main street. (Online Daily News, May 6, 2008)

Hafford
Shearwater Properties Ltd., owned/operated by Valerie and Peter Kingsmill, was recognized by Saskatchewan Tourism, winning the Gil Carduner Award of Excellence for Tourism Marketing - Business Budget under $20,000 for its marketing campaign "Littlest Showboat in North America". The Kingsmills began their business in 1989 offering boat tours at Redberry Lake Regional Park. They currently operate the South Saskatchewan River Tours in Saskatoon. (Regional Optimist, May 9, 2008)

Meadow Lake
Meadow Green Greenhouse has expanded and phase one of the new retail outlet is now complete. The business opened for the season on May 5th. (Northern Pride, May 6, 2008)

Fire destroyed a furniture storage facility used by Furniture Village. The building is owned by Dave Davidsen. (Northern Pride, May 13, 2008)

North Battleford
Balkan Express will be opening shortly next door to Crandleberry's on 101st Street. The food store will cater to the tastes of Europeans that miss the flavours of their home countries. Owners are Marija and Dajan Minic. (Regional Optimist, May 2, 2008)

Both local school divisions have increased their mill rates by 6.5% for the coming year. (Online Daily News, May 6, 2008)

The 15th Annual Battlefords Business Excellent Awards (BBEX) were held May 6th. Winners are as follows:
Business of the Year: Anderson Pump House Ltd. - Harold and Sharon Kirby
Community Contribution: Scott Campbell Dodge - Scott and Donna Campbell
Customer Service: Anderson Pump House Ltd.
Marketing: Powerflyers of the Battlefords - Angie Friedrich
Heritage Award: Kramer Auction Sales Ltd. - Neil and Monica Kramer
New Business: Gold Eagle Lodge - Battlefords Tribal Council
Export Achievement: Bernier Millwork Ltd. - Marcel Bernier

Jeans N Joggers Clothing has opened Jeans N Joggers Kids next door to their current location. (North Battleford Regional Office, May 6, 2008)

Pearle Vision closed on April 28th. (North Battleford Regional Office)

Cory Kirtzinger will be opening Battlefords Clearance Centre in the former Fabricland Location on Railway Avenue on May 17th. (Regional Optimist, May 9, 2008)

Unity
Jeremy Thompson has started Compact Contracting Ltd. in Unity. (Unity Herald, May 12, 2008)

Wilkie
Town Council passed its 2008 operating budget and the mill rate will rise by 1 mill rate or about 3%. (Wilkie Press, May 5, 2008)

Birch Hills
Iogen Corp. has confirmed it has reduced the list of possible sites for its $250 million cellulosic ethanol plant to Birch Hills. The Ottawa-based biotechnology company isn't ready to give the green light to the proposed plant, which would produce ethanol from wheat straw to other fibrous materials. The reports out of the US last week indicated Iogen has chosen a Saskatchewan site for its first-ever, commercial scale cellulosic ethanol plant, as opposed to a location in southeastern Idaho. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix, May 13, 2008)

Hudson Bay
Goldsource Mines Inc. in the process of exploring for diamond-bearing kimberlite unexpectedly found a potentially large deposit of high-ranked coal. The find is about 50 kilometres east of Hudson Bay, not far from the Manitoba border. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix, May 6, 2008)

Kelvington
Billy Haas of R & B Crushing in Kelvington has donated the material, the labour, and the equipment to build a 360 metre outdoor track at the Kelvington High School. Within the track, a football field is also being constructed by the crew. The cost to the school would have been $40,000 to $50,000. (Northeast Chronicle, April 30, 2008)

Melfort
Angie Bragg, owner of Wright's Greenhouse in Beatty, officially opened their new satellite location in Melfort. They have had one other satellite location in St. Brieux for 18 years. The Beatty location has been in operation since 1978 starting with one greenhouse and now has nine greenhouses. (The Melfort Journal, May 13, 2008)

Prince Albert
Chandeliers Fine Dining, owned by Alex Bocian, opened its doors to the public on May 3rd 1235 Central Avenue. The restaurant can seat 100 patrons and are working to make another 75 settings. They plan on expanding the rest of the building to accommodate a banquet hall around 4,000 - 5,000 sq. ft. (Prince Albert Daily Herald, May 12, 2008).

The campaign for the new soccer fieldhouse project, now named the Alfred Jenkins Fieldhouse has come to a close. As of May 6th the community has raised $5.4 million far exceeding the required $3.6 million. The total project cost is $11.1 million. The province is contributing $3.5 million and the City of Prince Albert $4 million. With the extra dollars contributed a climbing wall will be constructed along with the planned two soccer fields, a walking track, and a fitness centre. The facility is projected to be ready for the 2009 - 10 season. (Prince Albert Daily Herald, April 28 and May 6, 2008)

Marilyn Boyer and family have opened Garden of Dreams Greenhouses on Highway 55 east of Prince Albert airport. A grand opening is planned for May 17th. (Prince Albert Daily Herald, May 5, 2008)

Dumont Technical Institute has partnered with the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure in a pilot program to train heavy duty mechanics. The institute has set up a mobile classroom at the Highways and Infrastructure facility in Prince Albert, where students are given the opportunity to work hands-on with the equipment. The students who finish the program will have completed their first year of training to become apprentice heavy-duty mechanics. Currently there are 11 students enrolled. (Prince Albert Daily Herald, May 3, 2008)

Quarks shoe store opened in Prince Albert at the Gateway Mall. A grand opening was held May 2nd. (Prince Albert Daily Herald, May 2, 2008)

Carmen Street is the new owner of Hairmosa Beauty Salon. The salon has four stylists and a receptionist and has expanded its services. (Prince Albert Daily Herald, April 28, 2008)

Tisdale
Youth Business Excellence (YBEX) Awards, sponsored and partially hosted by Newsask Community Futures Development Corporation, were handed out May 3rd at Tisdale. The awards are to recognize and encourage the outstanding achievements of young people in Northeast Saskatchewan and encourage Entrepreneurship as a career option. This year there were 29 applications involving 45 youth. The winners in the categories were:
Business Plan Individual: Grades 6-9: Keaton Schmidt, Melfort
Grades 10-12: Leejay Schmidt, Melfort
Business Plan Group: Grades 6-9: Justin Rogalzeck and Riley Scott, Nipawin
Grades 10-12: Rikki Cooper and Megan Nagy, Mistatim and Porcupine Plain
Business Venture Individual: Grades 6-9: Diana Hoppe, Nipawin
Grades 10-12: Samatha Chimko, Porcupine Plain
Business Plan Venture Group: Grades 10-12: Megan Mann and Star Graham, Pleasantdale
Business Plan Out of School Youth: Brittney Althouse, Porcupine.
Business Plan Venture Out of School Youth: Kelsey Thomasgard and Erik Thomasgard, Porcupine Plain
Special Achievement Award: Christine Campeau and Sasha Dzurka, Porcupine Plain
Infosource Award: Rikki Cooper and Megan Nagy, Mistatim and
Porcupine Plain
Agricultural Business Award: Diana Hoppe, Nipawin
Mike Butler Memorial Award: Kaeli Knudsen, Nipawin
(Hudson Bay Post Review, May 14, 2008)

Colonsay
Mosaic Potash is planning to add 162 jobs at its potash mine. (Regina Leader-Post, May 12, 2008)

Dafoe
The 24 Seven Travel Centre is undergoing a major expansion which will allow the business to sell a variety of products and operate a fast-food franchise. (The Advance Gazette, May 12, 2008)

Lanigan
Sereda's Pharmacy is celebrating their 10th anniversary and grand re-opening. (Lanigan Advisor, May 5, 2008)

Regina
Tammy Leipert de Montas and Julio Montas Castillo have purchased Casa Italia restaurant, which recently closed when the owners retired. The restaurant is currently undergoing renovations and will reopen under the name Casa Latina later in May. (Regina Leader-Post, May 3, 2008)

The City of Regina building permit report for the month of April indicates 245 permits for construction valued at $19.2 million were issued, which was up from April of 2007 when 133 permits for construction valued at $14.7 million were issued. (Regina Leader-Post, May 3, 2008)

Regina-based jewellery designer and entrepreneur, Rachel Mielke of Hillberg & Berk, will face the Dragon's on CBC's "Dragon's Den." Mielke, will be traveling to Toronto later this month along with one of her local models to tape the episode that she will appear in. (Hillberg & Berk News Release, May 9, 2008)

Argue and Associates Management Consultants Inc. is celebrating their 4th anniversary. (Chamber Link, May 2008 edition)

Auto Electric Service is celebrating 65 years in business. (Chamber Link, May 2008 edition)

Bath Goddess is celebrating their 1st anniversary. (Chamber Link, May 2008 edition)

Victoria Jewellers is celebrating their 3rd anniversary. (Chamber Link, May 2008 edition)

The Women Entrepreneurs business symposium began on May 10th in Regina. (Regina Leader-Post, May 10, 2008)

The new Saskatchewan Disease Control Laboratory on the University of Regina campus is in progress and rapidly taking shape. The general contractor is Dominion Construction. (Regina Leader-Post, May 13, 2008)

CAA has moved into its new office at 200 Albert Street and is celebrating their grand opening the week of May 12th - 17th. (Regina Leader-Post, May 14, 2008)

On May 14th, more than 200 aboriginal high school students from across Canada gathered at the University of Regina to display what they hope will be successful business ideas. The gathering was part of the Business Development Bank of Canada's annual E-Spirit National Aboriginal Youth Business Plan competition. (Regina Leader-Post, May 15, 2008)

Wadena
The final stages of a two phase upgrade to the North East Terminal are underway. (Wadena News, May 7, 2008)

Martensville
Martensville town council has ordered the demolition of the golf course to prepare the land for residential use. The course will be transformed into a pocket neighbourhood with 54 lots. Profits from the land sale will pay for a $2 million outdoor swimming pool. The facility features a round wading pool attached to a junior Olympic size pool with water slides. The pool will be built immediately north of the community centre. (Country Press, May 7, 2008)

Saskatoon
The new mental health centre currently being constructed in Saskatoon received a $1.1 million donation from businessperson Merlis Belsher. The $20.5 million Irene and Leslie Dubé Centre for Mental Health is expected to open in 2010. Belsher's donation brings The Future in Mind Campaign within $500,000 of its $7.5 million fundraising goal. The provincial government has contributed $13 million. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix, May 2, 2008)

The University of Saskatchewan is considering construction of a 200-room hotel within a student housing development after a hotel marketing consultant gave the idea a favourable review. Vancouver-based PKF Consulting reported to the university that a hotel would work better in a residential development near Griffiths Stadium than on sites near Preston Crossing or Innovation Place. The first priority is student housing and the university hopes to start building 200 townhouses for students in the College Quarter development near College Drive and Cumberland Avenue within a year. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix, May 6, 2008)

First Growth Exploration and Development Service Corp., a Vancouver company that has helped several junior exploration companies in northern Saskatchewan use high technology to determine where to drill for uranium, is opening an office in Saskatoon. According to the company, the office will likely have three employees analyzing the large amounts of digital data the company produces for clients using 3-D seismic imaging of underground deposits. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix, May 6, 2008)

The Maple Leaf distribution centre began operating out of its new 163,000 sq. ft., $33 million facility on 64th Avenue on April 28th. The facility will slowly expanding its staff of 54 to 110 warehouse and office workers by July. Approximately 45 of the centre's current employees came from Mitchell's Gourmet Foods on 11th Street, which is set to close by the end of the year. Once operations begin to increase and the distribution centre starts to accept shipments from Schneider's plants in June and Maple Leaf plants by August, most of the warehouse's 17,500 pallets will be filled with boxes full of product from across Canada. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix, May 7, 2008)

The provincial government has donated $1 million toward the initial development of a transportation research and training hub at the University of Saskatchewan. The government and the university have partnered to develop the Saskatchewan Centre of Excellence for Transportation and Infrastructure, which will be housed on campus within the college of engineering. The centre will focus on infrastructure management and design as well as materials testing. Part of the mandate of the new hub will be to develop environmentally sustainable technologies. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix, May 10, 2008)

For the 11th consecutive month, Saskatoon has led the nation in new housing price growth, rising 46% from last year, Statistics Canada says. The figure, which measured price increases over a one-year period from March 2007 to March 2008, is slightly lower than the year-to-year growth recorded in February at 58.3%, according to the federal agency's new housing price index report. Still, Saskatoon housing prices rose 2.1% - the highest increase in the country - from February to March this year. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix, May 13, 2008)

On May 10th, Pronto Airways LP, a Saskatoon-based company, began weekly flights to Rankin Inlet and Baker Lake, Nunavut, in response to demand from mining and exploration companies. One-way tickets for the flight cost $1,200, plus fees and taxes. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix, May 13, 2008)

The provincial government has committed $8.3 million for the construction of a new St. Mary Community School, daycare and wellness centre. An additional $8 million is earmarked for the development of affordable housing in co-operation with local community groups. The City of Saskatoon is contributing $500,000 on top of the provincial funding to build a community centre within the new St. Mary School. It is expected that construction will begin on the new school within 12 - 18 months. The new school will be located directly across the street from the current one. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix, May 13, 2008)

Rosewood, Saskatoon's newest neighbourhood, will come with three interchanges, five access points and its own 65 acre walkable wetlands. The future neighbourhood will be almost the size of North Battleford and will be located on the southeastern corner of Saskatoon bounded by Taylor Street, Boychuk Drive and Highway 16. Rosewood will be home to 10,700 residents on 724 acres and is expected to take 15 - 18 years to complete. Boychuk Homes hopes to sell 150 single-family lots this summer. The development will also see three interchanges built on Highway 16, at Boychuk Drive and two locations farther east, as well as a village square with shops. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix, May 14, 2008)

WestJet announced plans to increase capacity in Saskatoon by 50% by 2013. The Calgary-based airline has 45 planes on order which will increase WestJet's fleet to 119 within five to six years. The fleet expansion will likely equate to 13 daily flights in Saskatoon, up from the nine that will service the city when WestJet's direct flight to Toronto begins Sunday. Vice-President of Marketing, Bob Cummings, believes Saskatoon is becoming an increasingly important hub in the airline's network. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix, May 16, 2008)

Meridian Developments Inc. has announced it will build a 24-unit condominium development at Broadway Avenue and Ninth Street. The units will range in price from $450,000 to $1.3 million, the latter being the penthouse suites with 2,400 sq. ft. of living space. The street level of the building will house a new Broadway branch of the Affinity Credit Union. It will be twice as large as the existing branch just down the block and will offer more services. Ian Bank, facilities manager for Affinity says they will likely find a buyer interested in redeveloping the existing branch building. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix, May 16, 2008)

In a speech at the annual shareholders meeting, Cameco president and CEO, Jerry Grandey said the company has not ruled out a downtown office tower that would bring all of its employees under one roof. Cameco currently employs 700 people but has plans to hire up to 400 new employees. Grandey also said it is estimated that uranium consumption should rise to 236 million pounds from the present consumption of 174 million pounds. Last year, Cameco spent $46 million on exploration and plans to spend another $50 to $55 million in 2008, which includes funding for 90 geologists. Cameco's revenue was up 26% to $2.3 billion in 2007. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix, May 16, 2008)

CMHC released an updated housing market forecast that predicts 1,650 single-family houses will be built in Saskatoon and area this year, an 11% rise from last year. Strong demand in Saskatoon for existing homes could result in 5,000 houses changing hands this year, making it the busiest year for resale sales ever. New listings are expected to get up to 5,900 units and stay at that level in 2009. The average MLS price is expected to be $275,000 this year which is an 18.2% rise in price for the year. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix, May 16, 2008)

New Businesses: Edgewater Spa, Owners: Melissa Hampson and John Somers; Aaron's Furniture, Owner: John Courtney; Ahmad's Grocery, Owners: Sofia and Qazi Hassan; Corby's Cards, Owners: Ryan Bradshaw; and Head Office Hair Design, New Owner: Kim McEwan. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix, May 3 & 10, 2008

Eastend
The T-rex Discovery Centre at Eastend has partnered with the Royal Saskatchewan Museum and its Fossil Research Station to create a display highlighting six celebrated scientists who have, over the past 125 years, uncovered Saskatchewan's ancient past. (Maple Creek News-Times, May 5, 2008)

Kindersley
Scott's Jewellers in the Kindersley Mall is celebrating their 3rd anniversary from May 8th - 10th. (Westcentral Crossroads, May 5, 2008)

Kindersley Chamber of Commerce will be hosting their annual trade show on June 12th promoting everything from agriculture to home-based businesses. (West Central Crossroads, May 5, 2008)

Leader
Busy Bee Greenhouse in Leader is celebrating 20 years in business on June 10th.

Rosetown
Lesley Scorgie of Calgary continued her mission to improve financial literacy during the Youth Entrepreneurial Conference staged by Community Futures Meridian in Rosetown on May 7th. The message Scorgie brought to about 100 youth was that young people can save money to accomplish their major goals by cutting back on a lot of unnecessary spending. (The Rosetown Eagle, May 12, 2008)

Shaunavon
Penn West is one of several companies that are taking advantage of the changes in technology to expand their presence in the Southwest. The company plans to invest tens of millions of dollars in the Shaunavon region over the next few years. A number of Penn West leaders and officials were in town last week for an open house at Christ the King Church Hall. (The Shaunavon Standard, May 13, 2008)

Swift Current
The Mennonite Central Committee recently celebrated their grand opening for their new store with an opening ceremony where the ribbon was cut with the help of Deputy Mayor John Wall. (The Southwest Booster, May 8, 2008)

Cypress Hills College was one of the recipients of the Saskatchewan Work and Family Balance Awards. It is the first time Cypress Hills College has won the award, which was in the category for medium workplaces with between 50 and 250 employees. (www.swiftcurrentonline.com, May 12, 2008)

A national magazine survey of the most desirable places to live has launched Swift Current up from last year's 61st position to 22nd. Determining factors in ranking included prosperity, affordable housing, weather and air quality, as well as lifestyle. (The Southwest Booster, May 8, 2008)

Work is continuing on developing new industrial lots within the City of Swift Current. The City has expanded the Monroe Industrial Park on the south side for industrial land. Director of Business Development, Marty Salberg, says there has been plenty of interest in industrial land over the past few months, namely from the energy sector. (www.swiftcurrentonline.com, May 13, 2008)

With a sold out market for residential lots, the City of Swift Current is hoping to have some new properties available sometime in the coming weeks. The city has recently been busy working on servicing 36 new lots in the Highland sub-division, with a lottery draw for those possible by next month. (www.swiftcurrentonline.com, May 13, 2008)

Swift Current Business Excellence Award Recipients for 2008:
Business Hall of Fame Award: Swift Current Machine & Welding Ltd. and
TNT Family Restaurant
Business of the Year: Best Western Inn & Suites
Community Involvement: Boston Pizza
Customer Service: Swift Current Funeral Home
Export/Import Achievement: Grassland Memorials
Growth and Expansion: Stark & Marsh Chartered Accountants
New Business: Urban Ground Coffeehouse
Southwest: Olynick Agro Supply Ltd.
Young Entrepreneur: Satya Yoga
(Swift Current & District Chamber of Commerce, May 14, 2008)

The City of Swift Current is looking to pass a bylaw which will allow them to borrow money to help fund infrastructure projects. Director of Finance Tim Marcus says the amount the city looks to borrow is $10.7 million. $1.5 million will be funded by operating and the rest will be funded through property sales. Marcus adds $1.5 million of that funding will go towards completing the Civic Centre/Credit Union iplex expansion project, while $9.2 million will go towards infrastructure in Highland, Saskatchewan Valley, and industrial areas. (www.swiftcurrentonline.com, May 15, 2008)

Nearly $1.6 billion in tourism money was spent last year throughout the province. Of that total, nearly $109 million was generated from the southwest in total, $24 million which came from Swift Current alone. That's a number Lee Friesen of Tourism Swift Current says he expects to double by the end of this year. With such a dramatic increase, Friesen says it's important for the city and its businesses to be market ready. To aid businesses in providing that exceptional customer service, Tourism Swift Current, in partnership with the Entrepreneurial Centre, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Cypress Hills Provincial Park is offering free of charge to employers a chance to train their employees as ambassadors to the southwest during one of their three Ambassador Workshops. (Prairie Post, May 16, 2008)

West Central
A New Zealand man is spending four hours with community representatives this month to help them take advantage of the thriving economy. Community Futures Meridian Region and West Central REDA are inviting Peter Kenyon to share his vision on community expansion to get residents from communities across the region brainstorming ways to ride the wave of the province's economic boom on May 30th at the Kindersley Inn. According to West Central REDA general manager, Brenda Burton, Kenyon has been involved in community revitalization strategies with over 1,000 communities around the world and has 25 years of experience working in the field of community change and renewal. (West Central Crossroads, May 12, 2008)

Fleming
The Fleming elevator has been declared a national historic site by the Government of Canada. The designation was made on the recommendation of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. Built in 1895, the Fleming Lake of the Woods Grain Elevator is one of the oldest standing grain elevators in Western Canada. (The Whitewood Herald, May 5, 2008)

Kamsack
A plumbing course currently underway at the Keeseekoose First Nation Reserve brings together several agencies and groups, including Parkland College, Key, Cote, and Keeseekoose First Nations, SIAST, Saskatchewan Indian Institution of Technology, The Aboriginal Initiative of the Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission, and the Yorkton Tribal Council Labour Force Development Program. The intent is that training First Nations people will lead to some of them working on reserve to fill local needs as well as the current job market in Saskatchewan. (The Kamsack Times, May 14, 2008)

Mary Rupcich, her partner Ken Tory, and her mother Marilyn Mann, have purchased the Madge Lake Riding Stables. (The Kamsack Times, May 15, 2008)

Kipling
An Immigration information meeting, presented by Janice Henry of Service Canada and Tracy Davies, an immigration officer with the Saskatchewan government, was held on April 22nd. Loretta Demyen, the Economic Officer for Kipling, organized the session because of the need for more skilled workers in the area. (The Kipling Citizen, May 2, 2008)

Maryfield
Tim and Penny Dlouhy have purchased Chilly's Pub and Grill from Brian and Heather Hill. They have changed the name to The Arlington Hotel, the original name. They are planning a few upgrades to the property, improve the hotel rooms and lobby, and add more staff. (The World-Spectator, Moosomin, May 5, 2008)

Moosomin
Jaime Light has purchased McPhail Travel from Linda McAuley, who will stay on to help the new owner learn the business. (The World Spectator, Moosomin, May 5, 2008)

Chris and Anthony Leeds, owners of Twin Automotive and Ag Supply, are relocating and expanding their automotive and agricultural parts wholesale and retail business. The new building is twice as large as the old location. (The World-Spectator, Moosomin, May 12, 2008)

Whitewood
White's Ag Sales & Service has begun a major expansion of its facilities with the construction of a new building. Construction is scheduled to be completed in June 2008. (The Whitewood Herald, May 5, 2008)

Whitewood's Annual Trade Fair took place on May 3rd with 68 booths participating. (The Whitewood Herald, May 12, 2008)

The Town of Whitewood has clarified a recent report that Town Council terminated the Mainline REDA Economic Development Officer position. Mainline REDA continues to employ an EDO and he will remain located in the Whitewood office. Previously this position was shared with the Town and the REDA, but will now report strictly to the REDA, although the EDO will continue to represent Whitewood as a member of the REDA. (The Whitewood Herald, May 5, 2008)

Yorkton
Yorkton was host to the Yellowhead Highway Association's Annual Conference from April 25th - 27th. The conference brought together mayors, councillors, and reeves from across the four Prairie Provinces. (The News Review, May 1, 2008)

The Yorkton Chamber of Commerce, Good Spirit REDA, and Yorkton This Week hosted a seminar on "Doing Business with the Government of Canada". The Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Western Region delivered the introductory seminar on how to access federal government business on May 16th. (Yorkton This Week, May 7, 2008)

Garth and Tracy Malayney have opened Saddles and Steel Music Productions. The professional DJ business has been operational for a number of years, but has now moved into a retail location selling guitars, amps, microphones, drums, keyboards, rock T-Shirts, karaoke machines and music, plus all the accessories. A grand opening was held on May 8th. (Yorkton This Week, May 14, 2008)

A Municipal Cultural Planning Project, volunteer based and community-driven, is a pilot project funded by SaskCulture Inc. Yorkton is one of four communities in Saskatchewan participating in this pilot project. The Municipal Cultural Planning Steering Committee consists of a cross section of Yorkton's business and cultural sectors, under the leadership of the City of Yorkton's Leisure Services Department. The object of a Municipal Cultural Planning process is to ensure the cultural assets in a community are recognized and understood as resources for human and community development, opening the door to attracting new employers and residents, increasing tourism and trade, as well as building social capital and overall community well-being. (Yorkton This Week, May 14, 2008)

Jon Greba and Alicia Simoneau have opened Pumphouse Supplements Ltd., specializing in weight building products. A grand opening will be held on May 24th. (This Week Marketplace, Yorkton, May 16, 2008)

Yorkton's 61st Annual Short Film Video Festival will be held from May 22nd - 25th. (Yorkton This Week, May 14, 2008)

Statistics Canada reported Saskatchewan, Quebec, and Ontario bucked a national trend toward declining building permit values in March. In Saskatchewan, the rising numbers were bolstered mainly by residential construction, an area where March's permit total of $94.7 million for housing was just 1.1% below the provincial record of $96 million in permit value that was taken out in December. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix, May 7, 2008)

Agrium is examining a new development in Saskatchewan as it proceeds with expansion of its current potash mine in the province. Agrium, the smallest of three producers in Canada's potash belt, mines 2.05 million tonnes of the mineral from a Saskatchewan operation and has said it is considering expanding capacity there by a total of 800,000 tonnes. That will likely cost $500 million, with one stage starting up in 2012 and a second a year later. According to Agrium, a new mine producing two million tonnes could cost $2.5 billion. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix, May 8, 2008)

Dale Lemke, one of Saskatchewan's pioneering entrepreneurs in the IT industry, is the new president of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce. He takes over from Dave Dutchak of Saskatoon, the president of MD Ambulance. Lemke has been responsible, in whole or in partnership, for the creation of two software companies that have made successful export sales across North America. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix, May 9, 2008)

Export Development Canada (EDC) has high hopes for Saskatchewan's cross-border trade in 2008, forecasting that the province will lead the nation in export growth this year at a rate of 13%. According to the EDC forecast, fertilizer exports are expected to grow by 32% this year. Exports of industrial goods are set to grow by 18% in 2008, oil exports should rise by 13% and the agri-food sector should see its exports increase by 11%. (The Saskatoon Star Phoenix, May 10, 2008)

Saskatchewan had a 36.3% increase in exports in March 2008 over March 2007, compared with a 6.4% decline in Canadian exports during the same period. With exports totalling $2.2 billion in March, the province saw the highest percentage increase in export trade in Canada. (Regina Leader-Post, May 14, 2008)