KAMSACK — Kamsack’s airstrip, where the air ambulance can no longer land, Fund-a-Need for Christmas and an inter-municipal EMO plan were among items to concern town council at its regular meeting Oct. 27.
Meeting with council was a delegation of five persons, including an Emergency Medical Services manager, the director of the Saskatchewan Health Authority and two air ambulance representatives, in an attempt to convince council to put money into upgrading the airport, said Barry Hvidston, administrator.
In September, council received information from the Saskatchewan Air Ambulance Service, which said that it is no longer permitting the air ambulance to land at the Kamsack airstrip because of its rough condition.
The air ambulance has not been permitted to land in Kamsack for the last two years, but council was only recently told of the situation, Hvidston explained.
“I’m concerned. What if we have a mass casualty or a wildfire at Duck Mountain? What do we do?” asked Mayor Beth Dix. “We’re the only paved air strip between Yorkton and Hudson Bay.”
An investigation into the air strip made in 2019 indicated it would cost about $450,000 to repair, Hvidston said. It would entail having to dig up the pavement and start with redoing the base.
The air ambulance is an important aspect of emergency services, but in the airstrip’s current condition, planes cannot land, members of the delegation told council before referring to successful projects in Moose Jaw, Moosomin and Assiniboia where they had upgraded their airports.
It was said that a Community Airport Partnership program exists, which provides funding for regional, community-owned airports in Saskatchewan on a 50-50 basis to a maximum of $250,000.
Upgrading of the Kamsack airport is estimated to cost $1.9 million, but the biggest problem is that space for an upgraded airport requires a minimum of 3,500 feet, while the existing airport is 2,700 feet.
The Kamsack airstrip would have to be expanded by 800 feet, but there is not enough space between the highway and the ravine to allow for such an expansion, council told the delegation. The additional space is not included in the original quote.
In the past, the air ambulance has landed at airstrips measuring only 3,500 feet, but new aircraft require additional landing space, council was told.
Much fundraising and inter-municipal co-operation will be needed if a Kamsack airstrip project goes ahead, Hvidston said, adding that it would also have to be something like a 10-year project.
Council agreed to spearhead a plan for Christmas and New Year’s called Fund-a-Need, he said. During the annual holiday season, people often look for a place to donate funds. Council plans to develop a list of community projects seeking funds, and under the plan, a person would make his or her donation to the Town of Kamsack to receive a tax-deductible receipt and would indicate which project they want their money to support.
Projects within the community that would likely be listed in Fund-a-Need would be: the columbarium project at Riverview Cemetery, the fire department, upgrades for the sportsground and capital projects to be undertaken at Eaglestone Lodge, the Kamsack Legion and the Kamsack Playhouse.
Over the last month or so, council was looking for projects to include in the Fund-a-Need campaign, he said.
“It was decided to start with these and we could expand in future years.”
Mayor Beth Dix, councillors Karen Tourangeau and Hvidston, Dana Grieve, assistant administrator, and Ken Thompson, fire chief, attended an Emergency Measures Organization meeting in Canora on Oct. 23 when about 50 representatives from the area assembled to discuss the fact that many municipalities do not have their own EMO plan.
The meeting was told that grants are available when multiple municipalities join together to hire a person to create an inter-municipal EMO plan for the area.
Kamsack has an EMO plan, but it is outdated and needs to be revised, Hvidston said.
The meeting concluded with all representatives agreeing to take the information back to their municipalities and reassemble within about a month to see if there is enough interest in moving forward.
Reports from bylaw enforcement, water treatment services, public works and administration were provided to council.
Council was told that the OCC Hall, which since August 2024 had been occupied by the daycare program, is now again available for other uses, but the building is in need of work, including updating the lighting in the entrance area and better tables and chairs.
It has been several years since the building was painted, flooring needs work and the kitchen needs to be upgraded, Hvidston said. This will probably be a multi-year endeavour and council indicated it will look at the situation for the 2026 budget.
Council learned that its plan to accept charge cards at the town office desk by adding a four per cent surcharge would not proceed because the maximum allowed for such a service is 2.4 per cent, so the town office will be accepting credit cards at 2.4 per cent.
Council had been told that the five automated external defibrillators in public facilities in the community are over 10 years old and new units will cost about $2,000 each, while new batteries, which would prolong the lives of the units for two years, will cost $450 each. Council agreed to purchase five batteries for the units now and agreed to look at the situation next year when it would acquire additional units for a total of seven. The new units have batteries that last for four years rather than two.
Kamsack still has a huge problem with ATVs being driven down streets and highways and at all hours, Hvidston said.
“Some people use ATVs as a personal vehicle, and they’re of all ages, from kids to adults,” added Mayor Dix.
Council decided to tighten its bylaw so that these vehicles may go from house to directly out of town without using highways or parks. They will also be allowed to go from the trail dedicated to ATVs and snowmobiles to the gasoline station and back to the trail.
It is expected a new bylaw governing the use of ATVs and snowmobiles in the community will be available for council at its next meeting.
Fritz Shaw of Runnymede was hired as the manager of recreation and community development, which basically is the position formerly known as the recreation director. A beekeeper, Shaw has a Bachelor of Science in urban and regional planning from the University of Technology in Jamaica and is experienced in urban planning, having worked with the ministry of agriculture in Jamaica. He was to begin work Nov. 5.
Council was told that Virgillo Jr. Alejo has been accepted as a member of the Kamsack Volunteer Fire Department.
On Oct. 30, the Kamsack Handibus took several residents of Eaglestone Lodge on a pre-Halloween tour of the community to view the homes that were decorated for the annual trick-or-treat event. The residents voted on the homes and determined that placing first, winning a co-op gift card of $50 for the best decorated house, were Shelly and James Johnas of 202-Maxwell St., while placing second, winning $25, was Robert Last of 139-Miles St.
This home at 401-Saskatchewan St. was among the residences that Eaglestone Lodge residents viewed on Oct. 30 to find the best-decorated home for Halloween. | Photo by William Koreluik
