The Town of Rosthern has invested over $3 million in land and new infrastructure to accommodate expected growth in the coming decade, according to Rosthern Mayor Dennis Helmuth.
““We’re optimistic,” said Helmuth in an interview January 20.. “The town has made considerable investments in the future and we want to be shovel-ready when the opportunities arise.”
Helmuth said the town purchased 94 acres of land on the community’s southwestern edge. A portion of that land will provide the site of the proposed Sask Valley Hospital.
A new paved road and underground services have been installed to the site, and a privately-owned and operated medical clinic, the Sask Valley Health Care Centre has been built across the road from where the new hospital is slated to be built.
Helmuth said the $300,000 purchase price for the land and the $1.1 investment for the road and underground servicing is significant, but will contribute to the eventual construction of a regional hospital to replace the aging Rosthern Hospital built in 1950. Further development in the area is likely to follow, he added.
The town is also opening up land with a $2 million investment in the northeast sector near Highways 11 and 312. The area provides prime highway commercial opportunities, noted Helmuth.
He said one of the major challenges facing the town is updating its potable water treatment capacity. The community’s water supply from its wells is sufficient, but it needs more reservoir space and water treatment capability.
“With the new builds over the past year, including the new K-12 school and the new John Deere farm equipment building; we’re pretty much at our existing capacity,” he said. “With the expected demands when the new hospital is built, we’ll have to increase that before we can accommodate additional growth.”
Helmuth said the town put in a new sewer lift station recently and is continually replacing or relining underground sewer lines that were originally installed 50 to 60 years ago.
“There are always challenges when it comes to maintaining and replacing aging infrastructure,” he said.
An organizing drive by several businesspeople in Rosthern to form a chamber of commerce is a positive step, said Helmuth.
“It sounds quite promising,” he said. “There is a fresh, optimistic feel among many business people. A chamber of commerce is a good way of conveying the concerns of the business community to council.”
Helmuth said the new K-12 school in Rosthern has experienced strong enrollment, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. He added a new joint use agreement between the school division and the town for the new school is currently being reformulated. He noted people in the community are looking forward to the end of the pandemic so they can tour the facility, which officially opened last fall.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has posed challenges for the town, residents and businesses have responded well and are following provincial health guidelines, said Helmuth. He said a recent COVID-19 vaccination clinic for seniors in the community was well-attended. In addition, 160 residents of the community’s nursing home were also vaccinated.
The pandemic has hurt town revenues because of the closure of the curling rink and limited use of the hockey arena.
However, Helmuth said there has been a significant increase in the number of people utilizing the community’s walking paths and outdoor skating facilities. A system of cross-country ski trails at the Rosthern Regional Park has also seen a big rise in the number of users.
A large accumulation of topsoil on the southwest edge of town has also become the “default” toboggan hill for youngsters, he said.
“It’s exciting to see how people have embraced outdoor activities and are making use of these low-cost recreation facilities,” he said.