Battlefords becomes centre of traffic
Cassandra Kyle, The StarPhoenix
Published: Friday, April 25, 2008
THE BATTLEFORDS -- There's something to be said for the transportation infrastructure in and around The Battlefords, according to area business developers.
The highways, railroad and river that head straight through the middle of the two municipalities play a major role in the economic development of the community. The infrastructure provides a route to ship the area's oil and gas, grains and livestock in any direction needed. Highways 4 and 16, along with the rail network, are used to send out items manufactured in the area, from large-scale tanks to handmade jewelry.
What heads out from The Battlefords is important, but some say it's what the roads bring in that makes the region more than a pit-stop on the drive to larger centres.
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Font:****"There has been some significant business development because people are building new houses. Some people are moving here; they're coming here for opportunities; they're coming here for careers," said Ryan Bater, general manager of the Battlefords Regional Economic Development Authority "A lot of that has been related to the energy sector."
Energy -- not just oil and gas, but biofuel development and the creation of businesses that serve the industry -- is a big deal for the area, said Bater.
"Our interest isn't in getting Husky to set up their office here -- Calgary is the headquarters, Texas is the headquarters -- but the wealth generated from servicing that (industry) is absolutely critical to communities like The Battlefords. The businesses that do those types of activities are usually owned locally. They employ local people; they generate wealth locally."
Historical, natural attractions
That local wealth has led to the expansion of local businesses -- companies Bater believes are the true drivers of The Battlefords' economy. When a local small business buys land, hires staff, contracts out building renovation and makes more sales, it has a ripple effect in the region. When several local companies all do the same thing, the impact is more than a soft wave of commerce.
"People are glad to be here; they're glad to be investing here; they're glad to be living here," Bater said. "All of a sudden you start to look more business friendly."
Those highways used to send Battlefords-raised men and women out west. Now, they're bringing them back home. Visitors from inside the province and outside of its four linear borders are travelling to the region to experience the historical and natural attractions in the area. In short, the routes are bringing money into the community.
The southeast quadrant of the City of North Battleford is the focus of much of the investment in the municipality, said Denis Lavertu, director of business development for the city. The area already boasts a Wal-Mart, Canadian Tire, Boston Pizza, Staples and is home to the new Gold Eagle Lodge as well as the Gold Eagle Casino. A yet-to-be-announced national retail chain is set to move into the area, as well as a popular home developer, Lavertu said. The Battlefords Tribal Council has big plans for the zone.
The commercial area, on the main North Battleford strip, is where a significant portion of the investment is headed, Lavertu explained. The Battlefords-raised civic employee said he gets three to four inquiries per week about sites available for development in the area.
"I think it's because we've been recognized that we're very competitive in our land pricing," he said. "People are seeing an opportunity where we've had property that had been sitting for 30 years and we're seeing it now where there's two or three offers being put on it for development purposes."
While infrastructure and opportunity are seemingly working together to bring people to the area, Lavertu said there's something else that makes the road into North Battleford all the more special, and it has to do with the commute.
There's a different level of family time here and that is a huge savings," he said. "I don't know if you can put a price on that."
Battlefords ride immigration wave
'That's what I like, freedom'
Cassandra Kyle, The StarPhoenix
Published: Thursday, April 24, 2008
Not all immigrants coming to Saskatchewan are headed to the province's two largest cities. StarPhoenix reporter Cassandra Kyle recently spent two days in the Battlefords and has produced a three-part report on a community of 20,000 that has attracted 300 immigrants in the past year. Today: Besides more than 40 Chinese workers who help staff the Maple Leaf bacon plant, there is a growing community of more than 300 ethnic Ruthenians who are leaving poor economic prospects in Serbia, some of whom have already launched their own construction businesses. Friday: Affordable housing is an issue in the Battlefords.
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THE BATTLEFORDS -- In the three years Slavko Perepeljuk has called North Battleford home, he has proudly welcomed family after family of fellow ethnic Ruthenians from his mother country of Serbia to the western Saskatchewan city.
Perepeljuk sponsored nearly 20 of those families himself, allowing dozens of people to leave their day-to-day lives in Serbia for new opportunities on the Canadian Prairies. They come, he explained, simply to work hard and build a better life for their children.
With the slim, energetic man and his transplanted Ruthenian friends and religious organizations sending the word back to Serbia about their fondness for the region, there's no reason not to expect more families to immigrate to The Battlefords. Already there are nearly 300 members of the ethnic group starting anew in the area. More are patiently waiting in Eastern Europe to experience a life Perepeljuk, a professional cook turned lumberyard worker, can only explain with a smile.
"Here it is so big and (there's) only one million people. That's what I like, freedom," he explains. "Big freedom."
Perepeljuk is clear when he's asked whether he misses home.
"No, not really," he answers, excusing himself to check on the lemon soup he has prepared for A Taste of Culture, a small weekend cultural fair presented in early April by The Battlefords Immigration Resource Centre to showcase the region's newfound ethnic diversity.
"What we bring (is) a little bit of culture and lots of working power," he said about the Ruthenian effect on The Battlefords. "Because back home we had to work eight hours a day and then we had to go to the farm and work another eight hours."
The Ruthenian booth is set up beside a showcase of local First Nations artists, across the way from an exhibit on the Philippines. The German group has set up its display up down the hall. Ukrainian, Indian, Scottish, Norwegian, Metis and Danish exhibits fill the remainder of North Battleford's Agrivilla. A steady supply of western fare -- hot dogs, cheeseburgers and fries -- are also nearby.
Clearly, the immigrants from Serbia aren't the only newcomers to the area, said Kathy McNinch, program manager and immigration support co-ordinator with the resource centre. In the past 18 months, more than 300 people have immigrated to the City of North Battleford and the Town of Battleford, according to resource centre data.
About 40 of the immigrants came from China. Most of them work at Maple Leaf Consumer Foods' bacon processing plant. Others came from the countries represented at the fair -- Serbia, Ukraine, Philippines and Germany, McNinch said.
There are another 20 Chinese immigrants moving to The Battlefords shortly, she added, and 40 more Serbian families are applying to move to the community.
For an area with a combined population of just under 20,000, the influx of immigrants to The Battlefords is having an effect on the community's cultural identity and the region's economy. Most of the people moving to The Battlefords are coming with a job offer and spouses often find employment soon after, McNinch explained.
"The majority of them have stayed and have been quite successful. There's lots of work if they want it and there's lots of things to do," she said. "I never thought it would get this big."
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Font:****The transition into a new home, a new job and a new culture is rarely flawless, however. The language barrier is a challenge for some and getting accustomed to new workplace rules and customs -- often less strict -- takes some time, McNinch said.
The resource centre's volunteers and settlement services assist with some of the problems that arise. Moving to an area where an immigrant's ethnic community already exists, however, provides support in a way keeping newcomers on the path to The Battlefords.
"I can't even imagine for myself how it would be if you immigrated to a country where somebody at least speaks your language or there was a contact that can speak your language. That's half the battle. I think that's why the cultural groups are coming because there are already people here who speak their language and understand where they're from," she said.
For some residents of The Battlefords, the cultural growth of the community has been a long time coming. Ranji James, who grew up in North Battleford and recently returned after more than 20 years away from the city, is pleased to see the area expand its multicultural roots. Her own ethnic community, however, is declining.
James, dressed in a saffron-yellow sari, has been waiting for the change to come about.
"It's about time," she said while running the fair's Indian exhibit. "I grew up here and it was a difficult community when I was growing up, but now I'm thrilled. People are travelling more and I think that helps. I think that makes a big difference."
Others are happy as well. When Catherine Bongosia came to the area in 1996, she could count the number of people in The Battlefords' Filipino community on two hands. Now, the organized group boasts 80 to 85 members and more are on the way, including a handful of nurses recruited by the provincial government.
"(For) the new people that are coming, it's kind of nice that we have this (group) because then they can see we're together. It's a good feeling for them that people are united here," Bongosia said, her husband Allan and three-year-old daughter Shemaiah by her side.
While life in The Battlefords is enjoyed by the new Canadians, not everything is perfect.
Bongosia, who works as a special care aide at the district health centre but was trained as a nurse in the Philippines, thinks it would be nice if her education background and those of others in her situation were accredited here more easily.
James believes more post-secondary facilities would keep newcomers, especially those in the Indian community, in The Battlefords.
Perepeljuk has concerns about available housing and jobs.
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Font:****"What we don't understand is why everything is going so high, like houses, and (why people haven't) built any factory or other place for work. There's lots of people coming and soon there will be something we'll need for work . . . and we cannot bring much more people because there is not any more space to put the people," he said, adding 10 Ruthenian families are already living in Yorkton where jobs are also available.
More soccer games, he said, would also be nice.
"We don't have enough young people. It's mostly people over 40, 35. Nobody likes to run," he said, again through his big smile.
Compared to home, however, problems in The Battlefords are minimal. Perepelijuk estimates 95 per cent of the Ruthenians in the area are happy with their new opportunities and most of them are glad to make their home in the Canadian Prairies.
"Thank you for taking us," he says.