By TERRY PUGH
The City of Warman will be investing a total of $20,410,463 in capital projects during the 2025 calendar year.
This year’s investments include:
* $200,000 for a set of traffic signals at the intersection of 1st Avenue North and Central Street;
* $1.3 million for a variety of street improvement projects;
* $400,000 to replace several public works vehicles and maintenance equipment machines.
* An allocation of $3 million for construction of a new civic public works shop.
Warman City Council voted at its February 24 meeting to approve the municipal 2025-2035 10-year capital plan.
In a report to the February 24 council meeting, Warman Director of Finance Amanda Rosenthal-Hiebert noted the 10-year capital plan is updated annually and provides a tool for council and administration to forecast future needs and allocate funding to meet those needs.
In addition to this year’s $3 million investment toward a new public works shop, the 10-year capital plan also includes an allocation of $1 million to be allocated in 2026 for the project. The funding will come from the future capital reserve.
The city’s public works department has outgrown the existing facility on South Railway Street West. A new shop has been on the city’s wish list for several years, but the project was always bumped down the priority list. However, the growing demand on the city’s resources for such tasks as snow-clearing and street maintenance now translates into a pressing need for increased indoor space for vehicle storage and repairs.
The 10-year capital plan has allocated $5,000 this year for a structural review of the aging Diamond Rodeo Arena, which was built in the mid-1960s. That will be followed up in the 2026 civic budget with an allocation of $1.6 million for repairs to the facility. Funding for those repairs will come from the city’s existing Recreation Reserve.
Another major project in the 10-year capital plan is a new RCMP building, estimated to cost $15.2 million. While the project is tentatively scheduled for inclusion in the 2027 civic budget, it’s far from being a sure thing because there are still many unresolved issues that require discussion with regional partners and the federal government.
“The RCMP Building is included in the capital plan for 2027, at an estimated cost of $15,200,000,” stated the Finance Director’s report to the February 24 council meeting. “However, it is noted that Council has the flexibility to move this item if they choose to do so, either as part of the current budget process or through a separate resolution. This RCMP building in the 2027 capital plan is not set in stone and is subject to potential changes or adjustments by Council.”
The overall 10-year capital plan helps guide the city’s decisions regarding capital purchases in its annual municipal budget each fall.