MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, July 25, 2018 • PAGE A11
MULBERRY ESTATES July 30th at 2pm
is hosting an afternoon with Honour the memory of a loved one with a memorial gift to support the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital Please include the Moose Jaw Health Foundation in your estate plan.
PLEASE CALL DANIEL FOR MORE INFORMATION
306.694.5020 220 MULBERRY LANE, MOOSE JAW
(306) 694-0373 • www.mjhf.org
Motion passed unanimously for creation of a water and sewer construction division at City Hall Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express
The city of Moose Jaw could see a whole new department developed with a specific mandate of dealing with underground water and sewer infrastructure. Coun. Chris Warren brought forward a motion at the most recent meeting of city council to analyze the financial implications of developing a water and sewer capital construction division to aid in both water main replacement and deal with the constantly rising number of water main breaks. The plan directs city administration to look into such a project from a wide variety of angles including benefits of internal departments vs. contracted services, labour requirements, cost analysis, duties in the off-season, hiring seasonal employees vs. permanent employees as well as how much of an increased capacity there would be to respond to water breaks. Warren began his presentation by pointing out that the city is now in year three of a 20-year-plan to replace cast iron pipes, and in that time two different contractors have performed the work, which led to new learning curves, process differences and communication processes with the city and community. With an in-house department, the city would see an increased capacity to respond to water breaks as well as have crews that would work on the capital water replacement program that is currently 100 per cent contracted out. “Whether the water break happens in the summer or
winter, the city could mobilize to deal with water breaks faster than they can now,” Warren said. “We could also address breaks at multiple locations which would prevent water from running freely. “Taking on the capital renewal program, which is fully funded, local crews would gain experience and expertise year-after-year, improving efficiencies and lowering costs and having a skilled and trained workforce to carry out these very important plans.” Coun. Brian Swanson supported the motion, but with caveats – that no new equipment be purchased and that the department be seasonal, as well as seeing the overall project expanded significantly, to $11 million a year, in order to increase the current 2.3 kilometre per year rate of main replacement. “I’d like to see three projects in the city during the construction season,” he said. “One might be on South Hill, one might be in the northwest, one might be in the downtown area. Two of those could be private contractors and I would support a city crew on the third.” Warren concluded his motion by commending the city for the rapid-fire rate at which the water replacement program has taken shape in recent years and expounding on the benefits a dedicated department could create. “The city of Moose Jaw has made major advancements in improving underground infrastructure to address the lack of investment in renewal in the past, and the city administration must be commended for what they’ve achieved
in the last number of years,” he said. “This plan would expand our capacity and our ability to deal with water breaks as well as effectively delivering on the never-ending commitment to replace water mains; it’s the next logical step in securing the safety and effectiveness of our water distribution system.” City administration’s plans for the project will begin with the development of a comprehensive business case with the goal of having a basic idea of how the department might work by the time the next budget planning sessions roll around. “We need to find ways of increasing the amount of work we’re able to do,” said city manager Jim Puffault. “We contract out quite a bit of work and sometimes things can be done in-house in a more effective manner when it comes to engineering design and those things... This is a great opportunity, I’ve seen communities where the entire amount of work was done in-house because there are some cost savings that can be realized.” “This is a great chance to think outside the box and put together a business case that could accomplish this project. It’ll take some time to put together but at least by budget time we should have an idea how this could work... there are incremental steps we can take to get to where we want to be and if we lay out that final plan then it’s something council can say yay or nay too.” The motion passed unanimously.
Former Moose Jaw journalist writes guide to the Yucatan Sarah Catterick
Former Moose Jaw reporter, Regis Yaworski, has published his third Amazon e-book, a light-hearted travel guide to Mexico’s Yucatan district. The Newbie Gringo’s Guide to The Yucatan, published on the Kindle platform, praises the Yucatan as an ideal retirement spot or winter haven for its welcoming, peaceful and extremely affordable lifestyle. Its capital city, Merida, ranks as one of the most attractive cities in North America and consistently scores the lowest rate of violent crime in Mexico, the US and most of Canada. Yaworski thinks that everyone should visit the Yucatan area. “Even though there are now thousands of Canadians and Americans either living or wintering in Yucatan state, it’s still relatively undiscovered and Regis Yaworski eminently affordable. It’s safe, friendly and comes with an extensive expat support network.” Even though Yaworski confesses that he was never a fan of Mexico, his determination to find an escape from the cold northern winter and a recommendation from a friend led him to explore the intriguing state of Yucatan. “As I aged, I built up an increasing aversion to winter. To this day, I love Saskatchewan for multitudes of human qualities, the people, and the landscape. The same is true of Prince Edward County in Ontario [where I lived for a time]. Once winter, snow, sleet, bone-chilling winds and ice get their grip on the landscape, ‘natural’ is no longer attractive.” Of course, finding somewhere warm is not the only factor that played into Yaworski’s decision. “Not everyone can afford to retire to Victoria, the Okanagan, or Arizona and the price tag on those popular havens continues to climb. On the international scene, Panama, Costa Rica, and even Belize aren’t the bargains they were even five years ago.” The Yucatan, as Yaworski describes in his guide, is a place where “limited finances stretch far beyond mere subsistence.” Yaworski identifies Canora, SK as his home town. He completed high school in Kamsack, SK before joining the Times-Herald as a reporter trainee in 1962. He was promoted to city editor five years later. Since then Yaworski has held editor positions in Guelph, ON and Brampton, ON. He transferred to the education sector, teaching in colleges before his retirement in 2006. Currently living in Ontario, Yaworski is a member of the International Travel Writers and Photographers Alliance and American Writers and Artists Inc. and continues to take courses in writing and Spanish. Yaworski’s did not intend Guide to The Yucatan to be a mainstream travel guide. Rather, the pages are filled with things people visiting the Yucatan will likely wonder about and outlines the cultural nuances behind them. But Yaworski does not have any plans to write more travel guides. “I’m working on a work of fiction based in the Yucatan.”
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