August/September Business View Magazine

208 209 the City of Swift Current is the predominant land developer. “We always strive to keep three years of inventory available,” says Perrault. “And that’s where we’re at.We have an exciting higher-end development attached to the golf course that the city is working on now. And we’re starting to see out-of-town developers investing in Swift. We have a very strong downtown, mainly retail and services.We’ve seen real development there in the last 10 years. There’s no bad side of town. We have great schools spread out across the city, beautiful parks and walking trails, and it’s a very safe community. That’s something we’re very proud of. It’s a big, small town with a very strong arts and culture sector, and great recreational facilities such as pools and golf courses.” The city is also developing a new industrial park right on Highway 4, and that land will be available for sale, soon. Swift Current has the lowest city taxes in the province and offers some of the most aggressive and unique incentives in Saskatchewan to encourage new businesses to choose Swift Current. Perrault says, “We have completed a lot of the hard infrastructure includ- ing a wastewater treatment facility, an expanded water treatment facility, and many other projects are in the works as part of our sector plans to prepare for growth.We invest a lot, every year, in infrastructure –we’re not waiting for things to fail, we’re proactive. This year, we’ll be working on a robust road maintenance program throughout the summer.” Sask Power generates power for the province –Swift Current purchases it wholesale through SWIFT CURRENT, SASKATCHEWAN DENIS PERRAULT MAYOR its own Light and Power utility and sells to cus- tomers at retail. Not only does the city-owned utility offer a dividend to the community, it is also a good employer. Perrault says, “We also have a strong working relationship with the rural mu- nicipalities and small towns around us. They’re true partners, as is Sask Power. They’ve chosen to invest in a new power plant just to the northwest of our community.” The province has also invest- ed substantial funds for two new schools, a new long-term care facility, and a new hospital. The Southwest Newcomer Welcome Centre is a special space in downtown Swift Current. A federal government initiative, the centre provides programming and resources for newcomers to Southwest Saskatchewan–welcoming immi- grants and refugees and supporting their transi- tion to Canada with services and activities that promote diversity, participation, and integration, as well as help with things we take for granted, like getting a driver’s license or learning English, which is offered to one and all. The ultimate goal is for immigrants to become economically pro- ductive and help welcome other newcomers to the city. In its 80th year, Frontier Days is a huge tourism