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The
Volume 78 • No. 49
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Observer Friday, April 24th, 2015
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www.carlyleobserver.com
Carlyle Chamber of Commerce holds AGM, Steve Schultz new president Lynne Bell Observer Staff
New Carlyle Chamber of Commerce President Steve Schultz says, “I’m looking forward to working with the businesses in town for the betterment of our entire community.” At the Chamber’s annual general meeting, held Tuesday, April 14 at the Skyline Motor Inn, members also welcomed two new board members, Frank Faber and Ken King, as well as three guest speakers: Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce CEO, Steve McLellan, Jeff Richards of Southeast Regional College, and Ron Arenshenkoff from Spectra Financial. McLellan, a former Kenosee Lake resident and area business owner, praised Tourand “For the good work you’ve done bringing the (Carlyle) Chamber back to life. I was in this room when the waterslides and the Rafferty Alameda Dam were only good ideas. You need business for the betterment of this community.” McLellan’s wide-ranging and informative talk addressed several issues of importance to residents of Saskatchewan, including oil, agriculture, water, the contributions made by temporary foreign workers, and the province’s population growth. “The oil sector has taken a bit of a hit in the last while,” said McLellan. “Oil is cyclical, and oil is going to come back, probably sooner than we think. If there’s a silver lining, I would say that now is the time we make ourselves better, faster, and more productive.” “Use this time wisely, and be ready, because it will come back.” “Across the province, people are nervous now,” added McLellan. “We’ve had a very good run in the last decade. If we compare where we are now to where we were, we’re still in a great place. The fundamentals are here. We have food, fuel, and fertilizer and the world needs food, fuel, and fertilizer. Saskatchewan has $30 billion in exports per year.” However, McLellan added that business-during a boom or a downturn-will always present challenges that must be proactively addressed. Citing a recent rail study, he said: “We had a situation where we had the biggest crop in this province, and we couldn’t get the crop to market...and as long as we continue to ship oil by rail, we’re not going to have the capacity, unless we do things differently.” Water is another cyclical issue in Saskatchewan that must also be managed, said McLellan. “From 1981 until 1989, I lived at Kenosee and during that time, Howard Young was working hard on water,” he said. “Since then, the water levels of the lakes have gone up. During the last few years, we look more like a surfing spot than a prairie, but a drought is forecast for 2024, and we need to look at ways manage water. We have to look at ways to protect ourselves from too little or too much water.” McClellan said the province’s population growth began in 2006, after the 2005 provincial homecoming. “In 2005, people came back, saw that the lights were on, and decided Saskatchewan was a great place to grow a family or a business. Since April 2006, the population has continued to grow. Population is critical and this is a place where people want to stay.”
Photo by Lynne Bell, Observer Staff
Members of the Carlyle Chamber of Commerce held their annual general meeting Tuesday, April 14 at the Skyline Motor Inn. The Chamber elected a new president-Steve Schultz-and welcomed new board members, Frank Faber and Ken King. The group also heard from three guest speakers, one of whom was Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce CEO, Steve McLellan. Pictured (l-r) are: Dean Hoffman, Ken King, President Steve Schultz, Frank Faber, outgoing president, Martin Tourand, Troy Foster, and Nicole Currie.
Photo by Lynne Bell, Observer Staff
The Carlyle Chamber of Commerce welcomed three guest speakers to their annual general meeting, held Tuesday, April 14 at the Skyline Motor Inn. Pictured (l-r) are: newly-elected chamber president-Steve Schultz, outgoing president, Martin Tourand, Jeff Richards, vicepresident, Strategic Development, Southeast Regional College, Ron Areshenkoff, Spectra Financial, Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce CEO, Steve McLellan, and Crystal Yunick, Spectra Financial, Estevan.
See Chamber of Commerce on page 2
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