downtown fall

After months of waiting, Swift Current has been accepted into the Main Street Saskatchewan Program, a program designed to revitalize historic downtowns in communities across the province.

"As we make downtown a more pleasing place to be, a more beautiful place to be then more people will come downtown, more people will shop downtown and more businesses will open downtown," said Rachel Wormsbecher, a member of the Swift Current Downtown Heritage Board, which was established to oversee the project. "It is just kind of a way that makes downtown unique and ecstatically pleasing in a way that specifically reflects our story and our heritage."

Swift Current and Melfort have been accepted at the accredited level and will have full access to the program's services, where businesses can apply for matching grant funding from the government for various revitalization projects, including a one-time matching grant of $25,000 to support the work plans.

"Organizations that are interested will have access to funding, they will have access matching grants, they will have access to heritage experts, they will have access to people who have done this project before," Wormsbecher added. "It is just lots of experts and some funding that is going to be available in the coming years for businesses that would like to participate."

Maple Creek was one of four pilot communities for the Main Street Saskatchewan program when it was first established in 2011. The government says 66 new jobs have been created and 22 new businesses have opened since the start of the program, with $4.9 million invested into building and streetscape improvement and $6.5 million in property acquisition.

Nine communities; Spiritwood, Regina, Watrous, Kerrobert, Nipawin, Humboldt, Moose Jaw, Shellbrook and Langenburg; were also accepted into the program as affiliates and will have limited access to services.