MOOSE JAW — Completing a strategic plan and renaming a bridge after a well-known resident were two highlights for Wakamow Valley Authority (WVA) this year, although generating revenue at the campground proved to be difficult.
Donna MacQuarrie-Bye, WVA’s general manager, presented during city council’s third-party community group budget meeting on Nov. 27, where she discussed the organization’s activities this year, its future goals, and its budget request for 2025.
WVA has requested $367,379 for next year, an increase of $10,700 over this year.
The Mosaic Community Food Farm was successful again this year, as it produced more than 4,050 kilograms (9,000 pounds) of food, MacQuarrie-Bye said.
Furthermore, WVA mentored a Saskatchewan Polytechnic student through the apprentice program, simplified the garden’s design and layout, welcomed Mosaic Company volunteers, increased its community outreach and awareness of food security, held public education events, began revitalizing the orchards, and distributed produce to the food bank, Hunger in Moose Jaw, Riverside Mission and Square One.
The WVA board completed a three-year strategic plan in April, enabling it to develop and strengthen relationships with other non-profits, said MacQuarrie-Bye. The board expects these new partners to help with program developments for 2025.
Furthermore, the board renamed the low-level crossing to the Wills Bridge to honour Robert (Bob) Wills, also known as “Wakamow Bob,” who died in March after an accident in Bali, Indonesia, she continued.
“Because he was one of the longest-standing general managers of the organization, it was only appropriate to rename the bridge after him because the old bridge was right beside it,” she added.
WVA staff also installed safety railings on the Wills Bridge because there was nothing to prevent people from falling into the water while walking across the concrete blocks.
MacQuarrie-Bye noted that, as part of its 2025 budget, WVA must conduct road maintenance throughout the park, especially since there has been an increase in “movie-star RVs” coming down the Coteau Street East hill toward the Lorne Calvert Campground.
Furthermore, the authority must replace 10 trees that Dutch Elm Disease (DED) killed, with most of the flora tagged for removal next year, she continued. WVA is unsure how it will replace those trees since saplings usually don’t survive and mature trees are expensive to purchase.
MacQuarrie-Bye added that the campground lost $50,000 in revenue this year and had less fundraising income, although building rental revenues were on par with previous years.
Mayor James Murdock commended WVA for renaming the low-level crossing after Wills since that would have meant so much to him.
“For years, he was Wakamow Bob. I know (during) the years when I was in the Lions Club, I worked with Bob quite closely to develop the Lions Park with all the gazebos … that we sponsored,” Murdock said. “Bob’s a good man; still is.”
The mayor then inquired about the campground — the decrease in revenue was “unbelievable” — and whether there was room for expansion.
The challenge there is the sites are too small and RVs are becoming bigger, which means WVA may have to revamp that area, said MacQuarrie-Bye. However, the authority did that about four years ago and reduced the number of sites to 54 from 65.
“To accommodate these big RVs again, we’d be downsizing even more,” she continued. “And we just increased our rates two years ago and there was push-back on that as well.”
One reason campground revenues were down was that there were fewer long-term campers, and people were more “picky and choosy” with where they camped, MacQuarrie-Bye added. However, what was positive was that a dozen people working on the Great Plains Power Station accepted offers to camp at that site.
City council’s budget discussions kick off in January.
