Business View Magazine - October 2018

210 211 MOOSE JAW, SASKATCHEWAN sustainability initiatives, and the overall positive vibe emanating out of this iconic prairie city. The following is an edited transcript of that conversa- tion. BVM: Mister Mayor, what has been front and center for your administration in the two years that you’ve been in office? Mayor Tolmie: “I was elected in Oct. 2016, and one of the biggest election issues was how to fund our cast iron water line replacement pro- gram– a proposed $117-million, 20-year initia- tive. The previous council had voted for a local improvement program, where a homeowner would pay for their water replacement line, plus a portion of the water line out front of their house. The community felt, and I agreed, that the com- munity portion of the water line infrastructure should be paid for by the community, and the homeowners’ responsibility would only be from the customer shut-off to the stopcock for the city water line. “Further,We started this council with a $400-million infrastructure deficit, or $400 mil- lion in infrastructure that has not been addressed. Last year, we spent ten times what we’d previously spent on upgrades to aging infrastructure, so there’s been a lot of construction going on in this city; which creates a lot of inconvenience for residents navigating the streets and getting to businesses. “In 1905, the city put in cast iron water mains they believed would last for a century. 2005 was that 100-year mark. After World War II, in 1946, the city saw another growth spurt and they installed cast iron water mains to last 50 years. Consider that the time span, and the fact we just started doing water mains replacements three years ago. It’s long overdue in some areas. The challenge we have is replacing the infrastructure and mitigating water line breaks that happen throughout the year. So, we’re focusing on areas that are most likely to have breaks.” BVM: Are you actively courting new businesses and tourism to the City? Mayor Tolmie: “There has been a lot of interest from foreign investors in our 3,600-acre industrial park and we con- tinue to market that area. Moose Jaw has taken a very proactive stance on attracting business.We want to ensure our economic development office is not siloed from the rest of City Hall.We’re trying to create a partnership, so when businesses do come in, they’re talking to the planning department, the en-