Committed to Yorkton

THE NEWS REVIEW - Thursday, February 26, 2015 - Page 9A

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• From job creation, to community development, the local businesses in these pages are giving back and thinking big in 2015.

Did You Know??? – “Going local does not mean walling off the outside world. It means nurturing locally owned businesses which use local resources, employ local workers at

decent wages and serve primarily local consumers. It means becoming more self-suffi cient and less dependant on imports. Control moves from the boardrooms of distant corporations and back

into the community where it belongs.” – Michael Shuman, author of ‘Going Local.’

THE OFFICIAL SOD TURNING for the Parkland College’s Trades and Technology Center took place in May of 2014. Pictured above are Yorkton MLA Greg Ottenbreit, Finance Minister and Deputy Premier Ken Krawetz, Advanced Education Minister Rob Norris, Yorkton Mayor Bob Maloney, Parkland College President Dr. Fay Myers, Parkland College Board Chairperson Lydia Cyr, and Parkland College Capital Campaign Committee Co-chairs Evan Ortynsky and Linda Turta.

SPECIAL EDITION OF

TTHEHE N NEWS EWS RREVIEWEVIEW

Page 10A - THE NEWS REVIEW - Thursday, February 26, 2015

391 Ball RoadYorkton, SK

306-782-9600 Fax: 306-782-4449

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By DEVIN WILGERN-R Writer

The City of Yorkton is anticipating that 2015 will be another positive year of steady growth for the local business community, says Mayor Bob Maloney.

The trend for the city has been steady growth for the past several years, with increasing number of businesses opening in the city, as evidenced by business licenses increasing year over year.

The entrepreneurs are the base of the area’s economy, Maloney says, and while the city appreci-ates all business and loves to see a big facil-ity open up, those are rare, it’s the new small businesses that are growing the economy on a consistent basis.

“People who open businesses generate a lot of income, and that income is invested back into the commu-nity. Small businesses have a pretty good record when you look at their per-capita income of investing, creating jobs and cre-ating wealth.”

Yorkton is a unique situation because it’s positioned as a service center drawing from a wide range of smaller communities. Maloney says that this makes it an attractive place to take a risk and set up

a business, and that is what keeps the econo-my going strong.

“Those mom and pop stores really do keep your local economy going. They’re renting space in somebody’s building, so if that building is rented out another one gets built. There’s a lot of things that turn your econo-my, and that’s why that entrepreneurial spirit is so important to any community. People who start busi-nesses really fuel that economic engine.”

The city also still

has gaps which only small business can fill. Maloney uses trucking as an example, as there are a large number of trucks moving through the city. More truck-focused industry is something which the city could use, whether it’s for service, repair or fuel.

The Parkland College’s Trades and Technology Centre is going to be something that is a big economic driver for the city, Maloney believes, because it’s going to meet the need of local

business as well as inspire its graduates to start businesses of their own.

“To me that’s the beauty of a Trades and Technology Centre, because people in the trades are more likely to start a business.”

For the city, the goal is to make it possible for people to build their business in the city. That means devel-oping subdivisions such as the new R o u n d h o u s e Subdivision, Maloney explains.

“It takes a big

investment, but if you don’t make that invest-ment they’re not com-ing. You have to lay the groundwork, and I think the city has a pretty good record of doing that. We’re ready for growth and we’re ready for new people, new businesses. It’s an important thing for cities to do, but it’s a difficult one since there are large invest-ments for cities to lay that groundwork.”

While the province overall has been hit with major decreases in oil and gas prices,

Maloney says that Yorkton’s diversity serves it well, with agriculture, potash, manufacturing and retail service all being major parts of the city’s economic layout. Some areas of the economy, such as man-ufacturing and agri-culture, also tend to benefit from lower gas prices.

“While the provin-cial economy might struggle with oil and gas, I think our local economy is a bit more insulated.”

Business is good in the City of Yorkton


PICTURED (L-R) Jason Farrell, David Polachek (Vice President), Gene Krepakvich (President), Roby Sharpe and Dustin Nehring.

Yorkton Co-op is proud to be involved in the communities they serve.

Major donations include $50,000 to the Parkland College Trades and Technology Centre, $25,000 to the Kamsack Medical Clinic and most recently, $50,000 to the Yorkton Community Clubhouse. This is over and above the $70,000 in donations yearly to more than 200 groups and organizations. Yorkton Co-op continues to build and upgrade their assets by investing more than $15 million dollars in the past 5 years in capital improvements in the communities they serve including a new food store in Kamsack, a major upgrade to the Yorkton Food Store, a major upgrade to the Yorkton Agro Centre and a new Gas Bar on Palliser Way in Yorkton in 2010. Many of the staff, management and Board members also serve on local committees, service groups and boards. We play where you play, work where you work and live where you live.

Yorkton Co-op – Investing in Communities for 75 Years.

R. Miller’s Plumbing, Heating & Electrical Ltd.Serving Yorkton and Area for 25 Years

225 - 4th Avenue N., Yorkton, SK306-783-4020

Proud to be part of this communityand proud to support these

local organizations:• Brayden Ottenbreit Close Cuts for Cancer• Deer Park Ladies Open Golf Tournament• Sunrise Health Region• Yorkton Fire Fighters Burn Unit Fund• Soup Haven• Prairie Harvest Christian Life Center• 4-H• Local Wildlife Federation Associations• Harvest Showdown• Yorkton R. Miller’s Cardinals Baseball Team• Kinsmen Recycling Program• Royal Canadian Legion• Yorkton Minor Football


The hospitality indus-try is a big part of Yorkton, bringing approximately $38 mil-lion into the community. Randy Goulden, Executive Director of Tourism Yorkton, says that the city is seeing growth in the tourism industry, as more people are viewing the city as a destination.

There has been signif-icant growth in hospital-ity in the last several years, with new hotels being the most visible sign of the city’s increased presence as a destina-tion. Goulden says that this has been reflected in how Yorkton is now able to bid on events that sim-ply wouldn’t have been possible in previous years.

“With the facilities York ton now has for accommodation and event hosting, we’re see-ing more events coming into the city, and the growth in annual events.”

The city hosting the Saskatchewan Country Music Awards is one of those events that the city can now handle thanks to more accommodations and facilities, she notes. Existing events also ben-efit, as the Parkland Outdoor Show and Expo is able to take advantage of the growth in the city and expand, Goulden adds.

“When people come in for events, they see what we have here, and there’s

the potential of them returning and staying longer.”

One event that shows just how tourism is a partnership between dif-ferent groups of people is the upcoming Saskat-chewan Snowmobile Association Provincial Festival. Goulden notes that it’s the volunteers that make the event hap-pen, but it’s also having hotels available for rid-ers, having a place for them to fuel up on the weekend, and having local snowmobile dealers that not only provide ser-vice to people going through town, but also encourage staff to volun-teer with the festival itself.

“We need the small businesses to assist the volunteers in putting on these events, because if we didn’t have those the volunteers wouldn’t be able to do it on their own... We have the vol-unteers that groom the trails with the SnoRiders, but they need good ser-vices, whether it’s fuel, accommodation, food and beverage or servicing for the snowmobiles... They have to come together to provide the good experi-ences... It’s bringing all sectors of the community together, and business plays a very large part of that.”

Snowmobiles in gen-eral have been embraced by the local business community, with awards being won for the servic-es the city provides to riders when they visit town. Goulden says that’s

one thing that’s part of a larger goal, which is to provide a positive experi-ence.

“More and more, peo-ple are looking for expe-riences... That’s what we have in the Yorkton area, whether it’s sports or rec-reation or arts and cul-ture.”

In Yorkton tourism is beyond just what hap-pens within city limits, Goulden emphasizes, noting that many people will stay at provincial parks or take advantage of hunting opportunities, but use the city as a base for supplies and services.

Working together to provide experiences


Committedto Yorkton

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Linden Square MallYorkton, SK

306-782-5300

45 Fifth Ave. N.Yorkton, SK

306-783-7552Proud to be

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Committedto Yorkton

4 Palliser Way, Yorkton, SK

306.783.8567www.fountaintire.com

A BUSY PLACE – The past year has seen a great deal of expansion over the past year and into the future, with the development of the Roundhouse Subdivision, the opening of the Holiday Inn as well as the new Sport Chek and Atmosphere locations. Photos courtesy of the City of Yorkton.


Yorkton Yorkton Lions ClubLions Club

Lions give strong leadership and support to worthy community projects in Yorkton and area.

We invite all service motivated persons to join Lions so that you too can

Make A Make A Difference.Difference.

You will be rewarded with the fellowship of like minded men and

women and a sense of achievement as you give back and Pay it Forward,

both at the same time.Lions are community minded men and women who donate their time

and talent to make the world a Better Place to Live

We ServeCONTACT INFORMATION:

[email protected]

or 306-783-4543

As you can see…We are committed to YorktonWe are committed to Yorkton

Yorkton Business Yorkton Business Improvement Improvement

District District

P.O. Box 20030, YorktonPhone: 306-783-9243Cellular 306-621-3227

Email: [email protected]: www.yorktonbid.com

The Yorkton Business The Yorkton Business Improvement District Improvement District

contributes to areas of the district which in our boards view enhance the appearance as well as ease of our members clients.

To this date we continue to provide fl ower pots throughout the district as well as trash cans and park bench seating.

Very soon the YBID will have paid the city over a million dollars towards the street lighting which was installed ten years ago.

Now as we forge ahead the Broadway Renovation Project which the city has to do, we will see some additional changes to the way Broadway looks in our cities future. The YBID Board accepts this challenge to plan ahead. We have held the fi rst of what will be several public planning meetings allowing our members the opportunity to come forward with new and exciting ideas .

Annually we place over $150,000.00 into our local economy in a variety of projects and costs relating to our operation.

YBID is proud to be a part of our small business sector and continue to work with our partners making Yorkton even better as we grow!

FROMM MANOR – An offi-cial ground breaking cere-mony for Fromm Manor was held in December, 2014. In response to a needs assessment survey two years ago, this new rental housing project con-tains 11 bachelor-style units for singles with low to moderate income who are unable to find or maintain housing without support services. Located on Tupper Avenue, the apart-ments are being built near the downtown area for easy access to city amenities. On hand for the sod turn-ing were (from left to right) Mayor Bob Maloney, Chair of Yorkton Housing Corporation, City Councillour, Les Arnelien, MLA Greg Ottenbreit, MP

Garry Breitkreuz and the two daughters of Brian Fromm.The total cost of the project is approximately $1.6 mil-lion. The Government of Canada, through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the Province of Saskatchewan, through Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC), con-tributed a combined total of $1.14 million through the Investment in Affordable Housing (2011-2014) Agreement. The City of Yorkton donated the land ($116,000) and provided $365,000 in mortgage financing. The Yorkton Housing Corporation con-tributed the funding bal-ance of about $7,800.

EIGHT YEARS IN THE MAKING, Sunrise Health Region’s Health and Wellness Centre officially opened for business in November of 2014. Touted as an “innovation centre,” the concept is of collaborative delivery of primary health care by professionals of various disciplines. Dr. Philip Fourie, Sunrise senior medical officer (SMO), told gathered dignitaries, staff and guests that the facility was an important mile-stone, but not the goal of the project. “This is only the beginning of a journey,” he explained. “What I meant was that this is a huge milestone that we achieved by getting multiple providers into one space, but this is not where it ends. What we need to do now is we need to continuously improve the delivery model that we have for our patients. Left to right: Dr. Phillip Fourie, Sunrise senior medical officer, TeriLynn Vanparys, Health and Wellness Centre project man-ager, Dustin Duncan, minister of health, Greg Ottenbreit, minister responsible for rural and remote health and Suann Laurent, Sunrise CEO, examine a model of the centre during the grand opening


A heartfelt thank you to all who have supported me over the past 22 years as

Member of Parliament for Yorkton-Melville. I am forever grateful for the trust you have

placed in me to represent you in Ottawa. It has truly been an honour to serve you.

A heartfelt thank you to all who have supported me over the past 22 years as

Member of Parliament for Yorkton-Melville. I am forever grateful for the trust you have

placed in me to represent you in Ottawa. It has truly been an honour to serve you.

50 Broadway Street West Yorkton, SK

306-782-2638 [email protected]

KM Auto Care is a full service motor vehicle repair shop. We aim to makeyour visit as convenient as possible and keep your vehicle in great shape

- so its safe and dependable as possible.24 YEARS IN BUSINESS

We have 3 certifi ed auto technicians • 1 apprentice auto technicanOUR SERVICES:

SGI Vehicle Safety InspectionsAir ConditioningBatteriesBelts & HosesBrakesEnginesTransmissionsAuthorized Dealer for TransTech

Lift and Leveling KitsFluids and FiltersFlushes: Transmission, Radiator,Power Steering, Brake, Heater CoreHeating and CoolingStarting and ChargingSteering, Suspension and AlignmentsTune Ups & Auto Maintenance

Parkland College is a catalyst; changing lives, communities and industry – one learner at a time. That mission statement represents the College’s commit-ment to Yorkton and the entire Parkland region.

For over four decades, Parkland College has evolved as its serves the needs of adult learners and industry partners in East Central Saskat-chewan. The College is committed to creating and delivering an inno-vative continuum of learning to stimulate individual, community and economic growth, and to providing and celebrating quality learning and service to students.

Later this year, Parkland College will reach a major milestone that’s been on the hori-zon for several years. The Trades and Technology Centre, currently under con-struction in Yorkton, will open for classes this September. The new facility greatly expands the College’s ability to deliver more high-demand pro-grams.

It’s hard to miss the Trades and Technology Centre as you drive through Yorkton on Highway 9. Since the first steel beams sprung up last August, the facility has quickly taken shape in antici-pation of opening for classes in the next school year. At 29,000 square feet – roughly half the size of an American football field – the building stands out from the surround-ing 20-acre plot donat-ed by the City of Yorkton. A huge 10,000-square-foot multi-pur-pose trades shop anchors the northern end of the building. With rafters towering 40 feet above the con-crete floor, the shop is the most recognizable feature of the new building.

A state-of-the-art power engineering lab is the main feature at the southern end. Until now, the College’s power engineering stu-dents have had to trav-el out of the region for

three weeks of hands-on lab training. The inclusion of this high-tech lab will allow these students to take the program from start to finish in Yorkton.

In between the trades shop and the power engineering lab, the Trades and Technology Centre houses a welding and fabrication shop, a sci-ence and technology lab, six flexible class-rooms, study/meeting rooms, and an adminis-tration area. The addi-tion of this dedicated training space will allow more students to enroll in high-demand programs, while reduc-ing wait lists, keeping students close to home, and providing the best hands-on learning experience possible. Plus, the College’s con-nections and partner-ships with business and industry make the transition from school to employment easier.

Parkland College is committed to deliver-ing the programs and training local business-es require and students demand. The College is committed to bringing innovative and diverse training to prepare the Parkland region for continued growth and the jobs of the future. Students will have more access than ever before to quality post-secondary education in the Parkland region as the doors of the Trades and Technology Centre open this fall. It marks an incredible milestone for the College, the community, and the province as a whole, and a great opportunity for youth to succeed without leaving home.

The centre will pro-vide a range of full-time SaskPolytech programs including Agriculture Machinery Technician, Heavy Equipment, Truck and Transport Techni cian, Multi-Mechanical Trades, Power Engineer ing, and Welding. Once at full capacity, this expansion will help produce an additional 350 full-time graduates per year while upgrad-ing the skills of 2,000 workers annually.

The courses offered at the Trades and

Parkland


464 Broadway St. E., Yorkton, Sask.

306-783-8392 306-783-8392 [email protected]

Serving Our Community for over 40 Years!

Wagner’s Flooring’s sense of service extends far into the community in which we live and work. We believe each of us as employees and collectively as a company should reinvest a portion of the benefi ts we personally receive from living our lives here.

The list of community causes in which we invest our money and time is a long one, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Children’s Wish Foundation, Boys & Girls Club, Canadian Mental Health, Terry Fox Run, Braden Ottenbreit’s Close Cuts

for Cancer, Soup Haven, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, Lions Club, Knights of Columbus, volunteering at the hospital, and numerous youth and sports sponsorships.

College committed to the community

Technology Centre are in addition to established programs at Parkland College’s East Central Saskatchewan cam-puses in Yorkton, Melville, Esterhazy, Fort Qu’Appelle, and Canora. Students can choose from a broad range of programs including complete four-year bachelor’s degrees in Nursing (Uni versity of Saskatchewan), Social Work (University of Regina), and Education (First

Nations University of Canada). There is also the popular two-year Practical Nursing diplo-ma and numerous one-year certificates from SaskPolytech. Regular adult basic education classes can help stu-dents upgrade and take that next step toward the career of their dreams. With all these programs close to home, you don’t have to worry about transfer credits – and the cost of living and relocation savings can be a smart finan-cial investment too.

On top of that, Parkland College offers a very generous schol-arship program. Over $180,000 will be award-ed to students in the 2014-15 academic year. Students entering their first year of full-time post-secondary studies at Parkland College in the fall of 2015 are invited to apply for Entrance Scholarships from this March to mid-May. Once enrolled, students can access even more financial support in the Internal Scholarships over the

winter months. More information is available on campus or at schol-arships.parklandcol-lege.sk.ca.

Parkland College’s mission is to change lives, communities and industry – one learner at a time. That goes hand-in-hand with its vision: to create pros-perous individuals, enterprises and econo-mies through excel-lence. For over 40 years, the College has been committed to Yorkton and the region. As the doors open on the

Trades and TechnologyCentre later this yearthat commitment willonly continue.

Find out howParkland College canserve you, whetheryou’re a student want-ing to make a smartinvestment in yourfuture or a businesslooking for the nextcrop of great employ-ees. Visit www.park-landcollege.sk.ca, calltoll-free 1-866-783-6766, or follow ParklandCollege on Facebookand Twitter.


Committedto Yorkton

39 Smith St. W., Yorkton, Sask.

306-782-6050

Proud to be part of this community

HEARN’S WESTVIEWPHARMACY

265 Bradbrooke Dr.(across from the hospital)

Yorkton, Sask.

Ph: 306-783-4331 or 306-783-3988® Registered trade-marks of Bank of Montreal.

From all of us:Thank you!

We’re proud to be part of the Yorkton community and look forward tocontinuing to serve your fi nancial needs.

From the staff at Yorkton Branch15 Broadway Street East

SOLIDWASTEDISPOSAL

Locally Owned & Operated

Since 1963

[email protected]

306-783-6995306-783-6995


It’s an optimistic busi-ness community in Yorkton, says Juanita Polegi of the Yorkton Chamber of Commerce. Businesses numbers remain steady, and the advantages of doing busi-ness in Yorkton make it an attractive place to set up shop.

The trading area is the big advantage that Yorkton has, Polegi says. Drawing from an area

with 200,000 people, the city also has plenty of rea-sons for people to visit it overall, whether it’s for recreation, medical facili-ties or to take advantage of other services.

“It’s just a city with a lot going for it.”

Having a city with many advantages is shown in growth in the city itself, and Polegi says the confidence in the Yorkton area can be seen in the level of expansion that the city has wit-nessed.

“When new businesses establish or existing busi-nesses expand, it shows there is success and opti-mism. People like to go where good things are happening, and certainly for the last eight or ten years there has been lots of construction and new business growth in Yorkton.”

The next year looks like a good one for busi-ness in the city, Polegi says, with new businesses looking to expand or set up shop in the city, they

expect it to be a positive year for the city’s busi-ness community.

Polegi says that for their part, this is what the Chamber of Commerce wants to see in the city, and they work to be as active as they possibly can in order to advocate for local business and their concerns. As busi-ness owners go through the effort to set up in the

city, the chamber is able to do what they don’t have the time or resources to examine.

“A Chamber can do what an individual busi-ness may not be able to do. We have the time and resources to examine the issues, to do the research, look into what other com-munities are doing and make comparisons. We have the time and resourc-

es to be able to advocate for businesses when they encounter a difficulty.”

The combined experi-ence and varied fields of expertise of the Board of Directors is another asset that the chamber has, Polegi says, making it possible to respond to the needs of the local business community as well as be an active part in improv-ing the city overall.

Optimism defines the Chamber of Commerce

NEWLY ELECTED – Members of the 2015 Yorkton Chamber of Commerce attend a swearing in ceremony with Mayor Bob Maloney.

The Yorkton Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that nomi-nations are now open for two Employee of the Year Awards. One award will be presented in each of two categories - the Front Line Employee Award and the Support Employee Award.

Carol Yaholnitsky, Co-Chair of the Events committee, indicated this is the second time that the ERE will have two Award categories. “We implemented the two cat-egories in 2013 and found it was a popular decision with employees and employers alike,” she said. “The Front Line employees are often the first point of contact between the public and the business; while the b e h i n d - t h e - s c e n e s employees keep the busi-ness running”.

Employers and mem-bers of the public are welcome to submit nomi-nations for the Front Line Employee Award. Nominators are expected to explain why the nomi-nees deserve such recog-nition.

Employers /Super -visors only will be able to submit nominations for the Support Employee Award. Nominators will also be asked to describe why the nominees should be considered for the award.

The Awards are not just for employees of Chamber members. “Employees in all busi-nesses in Yorkton and the immediate area are eligible for nomination”, said Stephanie Buckle, Co-Chair of the Events committee. “The only cri-terion is that the employ-ee must have been

employed by the business for 2 or more years”.

The Employee of the Year Awards will be pre-sented at the 2015 Employee Recognition Event Wednesday March 25 at St. Mary’s Ukrainian Cultural Centre.

Nomination forms may be obtained from the Chamber office or from the Chamber website (www.yorktonchamber.com/events). Nomina-tions close at 5:00 pm Monday March 9.

Photos and biogra-phies of the nominees will be posted on the Chamber website for one week following the close of nominations. Each Chamber member will then have the opportuni-ty to cast one vote for the nominee considered most deserving for each of the Awards.

Employee nominations

RED TAPE The endless rules that governments impose on Canadians and small busi-nesses alike cost billions of hidden tax dollars annually. Now in its sixth year, Canada’s Red Tape Awareness Week™ aims to demonstrate how real the red tape burden is for businesses. Canadians are encouraged to show their support by signing the on-line peti-tion (www.cfib.ca/rtaw).


EMW Industrial can design, fabricate, install and maintain equipment safely for industrial and

agribusiness clients. Our company employs 240 people. EMW plays an important role in

supporting the communities where we live and work. Our employees are vital to the economic survival of small communities. We contribute time, materials and expertise by helping with

projects in our city and communities.

THE YORKTON FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRE officially opened, appropriately, on Family Day, February 17, 2014. The centre is intended to promote “healthy families rooted in strong community support and collaboration.” The provincially-funded pilot project brings together numerous organizations to help families find the support services they need under one roof in a welcoming environment. Open to all families, recognizing that all families deserve support. There guiding principles include: Work in partnership with families and the community to meet their expressed needs. Work to increase opportunities and strengthen individu-als, families, and the community. Promote relationships based on equality and respect for diversity. Affirm parenting to be a life-long learning process. Compliment existing services and build networks and linkages, and advocate for policies, services and systems that support families abilities to raise healthy children. It is located in the SIGN building at 345 Broadway Street West.


The downtown is the center of a community. Phil DeVos, Executive Director of the Yorkton Business Improvement District, says that the downtown is where a community begins and where it lives, and that’s why it’s important to have a strong downtown core.

“A vibrant downtown is the heartbeat of what people see as a commu-nity. That is why we like to look at our down-town, encourage devel-opment and new things.”

YBID has been dedi-cated to creating an environment where people want to establish their business, where people want to go shop-ping and possibly even make their homes. To that end they have worked with different partners, including the City of Yorkton, the Yorkton Film Festival and Yorkton Exhibition, in order to accomplish projects and attract events downtown. DeVos notes that they have been a big part of

beautifying the down-town, whether that means installing flower pots to brighten up the summer, installing benches to give people a place to rest and trash cans to keep garbage off the streets, as well as beginning a pilot proj-ect beginning this sum-mer to make it possible to bike downtown. Their goal is to make a place where people want to gather.

“It’s a necessity to have gathering points. Not just one, when I look at the downtown area, we have at least three different areas where people will gath-er, and that’s not even counting the far west end of our district with the Gallagher Centre. There’s places that you want people to gather, where they can hold specific events, where they can create a kind of synergy where their event is starting other activities to take place... It’s about making things happen.”

YBID encompasses all sizes of business, from large employers to small businesses which employ one or two peo-

ple, and DeVos says that they’re all impor-tant for the downtown.

There are about 400 businesses in the dis-trict, and DeVos says that they’re there to support them.

He also says that those small businesses are what keep a com-munity growing. Most people who start their first business will begin with a small location, and as they grow they move to bigger locations

or expand their current one, keeping the devel-opment of the down-town active and improv-ing the state of the loca-tions where they oper-ate.

“We want our busi-nesses to grow, we want to see a business that has two people working at it increase to three or four or more, because that just generates more

dollars that go into our own economy, which makes Yorkton a really great place to do busi-ness.”

DeVos says that YBID always welcomes comments about what they’re doing in the community and the events they’re part of. People who want to get in touch can email [email protected].

YBID dedicated to a vibrant downtown


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18 First Avenue North, Yorkton

306-783-7355 www.yorktonnews.com

THE NEWS REVIEWIn Print, Online & Mobile


www.christiesfuneralhome.comwww.christiesfuneralhome.com121 Palliser Way

Yorkton, SK • Phone: (306) 782-2312

Christie’s Funeral Home & CrematoriumA Tradition of Trust Since 1893

________________________ ~~ _______________________

As Yorkton’s oldest continuous business, our promise to our community is to provide caring, experienced service at reasonable prices.

We’ll work with you and your budget to ensure your loved one’s memory lives on. We are always available to answer your questions and explain

options that suit your needs.We continue to expand with the needs of families and truly care for the well being of each family we serve and with a strong commitment to

community, with annual donations exceeding $12,000.00. We currently employ four full-time staff and a host of part time staff who hold the same caring, compassionate ideals. Christie’s Funeral Home has been deemed the

oldest continuing business in Yorkton and we celebrate and continue that long standing commitment to our community.

Vern, Kathy and their staff are honoured to serve Yorkton and area and are extremely proud of our heritage as Christie’s Funeral Home & Crematorium.

________________________ ~~ _______________________

Proud to be a part of the Community

Gross Construction Ltd.182-7th Ave. N.

Yorkton, SK S3N 3Z2

306-786-7192 - Shop

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Concrete Pumping

Are you considering starting up or work-ing for a small busi-ness? If so, you will be making a strong posi-tive contribution to the Canadian econo-my. In recent years, small businesses across the country have played a crucial role in stabilizing the often volatile economy in Canada, and there are a variety of rea-sons why.

Small businesses are job creators. They have helped to create thousands of new jobs in Canada. According to statistics published by Statistics Canada in July 2008, small businesses alone have accounted for 37 per-cent of new jobs in the private sector between 1997 and 2007. Since 2008, these figures have shown a steady increase.

As of July 2011, 98 percent of all busi-nesses in Canada are now considered as a small business, with 48 percent of the work force being employed by them. According to the July report, there are currently more than 2.4 million small businesses across Canada, a number which will surely increase over the next few years.

Employees of small businesses currently account for more than two thirds of the employment in five major industries:

• Non-institutional health care (89 per-cent);

• construction (76

percent); • other varied ser-

vices (73 percent); • food and accom-

modations (67 per-cent),

• and forestry (67 percent).

These statistics are more than likely to increase, especially if the state of the Canadian economy improves. In addition to contributing to the increase of the coun-try’s employment rates, small business-es are also an integral part of the GDP. Some statistics to consider - in 2006, small busi-nesses made up rough-ly 23 percent of Canada’s GDP. This figure varied from one province to another, and it peaked at 27 percent in both British Columbia and Prince Edward Island.

Two years later, Saskatchewan’s small businesses accounted for 35 percent of the GDP, while BC placed second with 32 per-cent. Not far behind in third place was Quebec, with a 30 per-cent contribution. One of the main reasons why Quebec’s small businesses have made such a significant con-tribution to the GDP can be attributed to the fact that more than 56 percent of Canada’s small busi-nesses are located in Quebec.

Although small businesses in Canada are important, there is quite a bit of work left to do to make it easy for businesses to

succeed. The Canadian Federat ion o f I n d e p e n d e n t Businesses (CFIB) has released its new report which high-lighted four key areas:

• better labor laws, • reduced taxes to

help businesses grow, • a reduction of red

tape, • and better spend-

ing on services for small businesses

Their conclusion is that the government needs to be more involved in order to make it a balanced economic environment for entrepreneurs. With the chaos in financial markets, the strong hand of the government is required to provide a stable platform so that many businesses can succeed. A pri-vate/public partner-ship is required in order to address each of these issues, one that benefits both owners and employ-ees.

Small businesses are currently on the rise, and it is expected that many more will be established across the country in the coming years . Consequently, the more small businesses that exist, the great their contributions to the GDP as a whole will be. So, if you con-sidering starting a small business of your own, there is no better time to do so than now.

www.CorporationCentre.ca

Why small business really does matter

The Government of Saskatchewan has partnered with the Government of Canada to introduce the C a n a d a -Saskatchewan Job Grant to help employ-ers train workers to meet their specific workforce needs.

The Canada-Saskatchewan Job Grant will put skills training decisions in the hands of S a s k a t c h e w a n employers and help workers get the train-ing they need for available jobs. Through this program, employers and gov-ernment will partner to fund training for unemployed or under-employed individuals leading to a new or better full-time job.

The core principles of the new program are that the:

1. Employer selects the candidates for training and decides what training is required;

2. Employer has a job available for the candidate at the end

of the training period;3. Employer finan-

cially contributes to the training; and

4. Training must be provided by an eligible third-party training institution.

To access a Job Grant, an employer is required to contribute at least one third of the training costs, with the remaining two thirds, up to $10,000, coming from the Job Grant. Eligible training costs include tuition fees charged by the training pro-vider, other mandato-ry student fees, text-book and other learn-ing materials fees, and examination fees.

Small employers (employers with up to 50 employees) may be able to apply trainee wages towards a por-tion of their contribu-tion. Govern ment will contribute two-thirds of the cost to maxi-mum of $10,000 per trainee.

Employers interest-ed in applying for the C a n a d a -Saskatchewan Job

Grant can complete the online checklist to determine eligibility. If you meet the requirements list, send the checklist to your local Labour Market Services office. Their staff are avail-able to assist you and will contact you to start the application process.

For more informa-tion on the program please visit the Government of Saskatchewan web-site, or view the FAQ’s.

Still confused? Our Business Counsellors are available to help all CFIB members at 1-888-234-2232 or by email [email protected].

Job grants good for the community

Yorkton - put your heart into it!

Volunteer now!1-888-473-4636


306-782-4588306-782-4588

www.yorktonplumbingandheating.com

359 6th Ave. N., Yorkton, SK Phone 306-782-4588

Owner, Justin Yawney and many of his employees grew up in the city of Yorkton or surrounding communities. Many were able

to enjoy the lifestyle afforded by the smaller community, and therefore, took advantage of the opportunity to play numerous community sports as children. Yorkton Plumbing and Heating

recognizes the importance of giving back to our communities to ensure others can benefi t from and take pleasure in similar op-portunities. Yorkton Plumbing and Heating is proud to have do-

nated, sponsored or raised over $100,000 since 2007towards your community and your children. Some of the

benefi ciaries are: Yorkton Minor Football, Hockey, Baseball.Yorkton Blitz Volleyball, Yorkton Terriers, Parkland College,

Yorkton Regional Health Centre, Yorkton Outdoor Show and Expo, Chase Kraynick—Canora Splash Park, Health Foundation,

Telemiracle, Tee Off on Cancer, Habitat for Humanityas well as numerous other clubs and teams.

Documents

Committed to Yorkton