CANORA – The highlight of 2025 for the Town of Canora was the opening of the new transfer station in November.
With a price tag of $2.7 million, this project was a major undertaking and should serve the needs of residents for many years. There have been some inquiries about higher entry fees, but the Town has to fund operation of the facility and, in turn, pay for all material to be hauled away and accepted at a landfill elsewhere. This is a common occurrence across the province as many municipal landfills have closed in recent years.
The old, non-engineered landfill stopped accepting material when the transfer station opened. As a result, additional changes were needed and the Town ceased commercial garbage and recycling collection. The transfer station does not have the provision to accept dump trucks or trailers and the Town does not have the equipment to haul material elsewhere. Commercial properties were asked to make their own arrangements for waste collection with a private contractor and the Town is no longer involved and no longer charges these properties for collection services.
Canora was host to the 2025 Hockey Day in Saskatchewan which, with the help of numerous, dedicated volunteers, was a very successful event. Council transferred the $160,000 in proceeds into a reserve fund pending some decisions regarding a multi-use facility in town.
In 2025 we saw a larger-scale paving project when $1.1 million was spent on replacing asphalt and some concrete curbing. This project closed up the open water main trenches on Evelee Avenue, Seventh Avenue West and a portion of Mary Street as well as a couple of patches. The year before, Eighth Avenue West was paved. In total, about $1.55 million has been spent on paving over the last two years.
The Town continued its ongoing efforts to improve the appearance of the community, through bylaw enforcement and smaller landscaping and maintenance projects. The results speak for themselves when council receives many compliments from visitors and tourists.
Looking ahead to 2026
Council is starting the New Year by wrapping up work on a new strategic plan. The document will include vision and mission statements for the organization and principles that will be used to guide the municipality as it implements the plan.
The plan also outlines what are identified as the community’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats; and will take into account council’s goals for the remainder of this term. Discussion and ideas for longer-term goals have revolved around continuing to provide the current level and quality of municipal services; promoting revitalization and renewal, and collaborating with neighbouring municipalities and outside agencies.
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