Released on September 27, 2016
Two communities have now been accepted to the Accredited level and three new communities have been accepted to the Affiliate level of the Main Street Saskatchewan Program. The towns of Nipawin and Watrous advance to Main Street Saskatchewan’s Accredited level. The City of Yorkton and the towns of Wadena and Unity enter the program at the Affiliate level.“Our government is proud to announce the newest members of our Main Street Saskatchewan program,” Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Ken Cheveldayoff said. “Traditional downtowns serve as the hearts of our communities that, with a bit of investment in the organizations and buildings, can continue to meet the needs of the community and our growing province. That’s where the Main Street program comes in and that’s why it’s such a great program to implement across the province.”
“We are very appreciative to the Province of Saskatchewan in awarding us accreditation in the Main Street Program,” Nipawin Mayor David Trann said. “Through the dedication of the volunteer Business Improvement District Board, we have moved closer in our 2020 strategic plan for economic growth by revitalizing the downtown. The Main Street program partnership will help us to develop a new look to encourage more visitors to stop and experience our historical attractions while also shopping along side our long-time locals for great deals in the Main Street corridor of Nipawin.”
“To be Accredited in the Main Street Program means so much to the long term economic viability of our community,” Watrous Community Development Officer Brendan Manz said. “Together with Manitou Beach, we welcome more than 150,000 visitors annually to our community. This is a chance to revitalize our Main Street and for it to become a destination of its own for locals and visitors alike. With this announcement, our Main Street businesses, town council, and local residents are eager to get to work in developing our future vision, street scape designs, and beautification plans for Main Street Watrous.”
The Main Street Saskatchewan Program aims to revitalize historic commercial downtowns by supporting downtown development, heritage conservation, and economic growth. Communities may enter the program in one of two tiers. The competitive Accredited tier requires communities to commit to meeting the highest performance standards in order to receive the full package of program services and benefits. The Affiliate tier is open to those communities who are interested in the Main Street approach but are not ready to commit to all the Accredited standards. This tier receives a reduced level of service.
In addition to providing training and technical support, Main Street Saskatchewan distributes more than $300,000 per year in matching grant funds to participating communities.
Since being introduced in 2011, 21 communities have participated in the Main Street Saskatchewan program. Since then, the program has generated 158 new jobs, 56 business openings, $6 million spent on building rehabilitation and streetscape improvements and $7.6 million in private investment in property acquisitions in Main Street program areas, as well as 330 Main Street events and more than 41,000 hours of volunteer time contributed to Main Street activities in the Accredited communities.
For more information about the Main Street Program, please visit www.pcs.gov.sk.ca/MainStreet.-30-
For more information, contact:
Amanda Clark
Parks, Culture & Sport
Regina
Phone: 306-787-6880
Email: amanda.clark@gov.sk.ca