NEW MAINTENANCE BUILDING FOR CYPRESS HILLS INTERPROVINCIAL PARK

Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport has awarded a contract to Total Commercial Construction (Sask.) Inc. of Saskatoon to build a maintenance building at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. The value of the contract is $671,700.

The existing maintenance building in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park is approximately 45 years old and does not meet current requirements for maintaining and servicing park equipment. The new building will also have washrooms, a lunchroom and a space for meetings, orientation and safety training for the more than 20 park staff working out of the maintenance yard. The current building does not have those facilities, which contravenes the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996.

"The new building will be a welcome addition to the park," Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Dustin Duncan said. "Having a better building to use for keeping park equipment running smoothly will also make it easier to maintain the park to a high standard. We are committed to ensuring our provincial parks create opportunities for visitors to have the best possible recreational experiences."

Work on the new maintenance facility will begin in mid June and should be substantially complete by December 31, 2010.

The new maintenance building is among the many investments government is making in our provincial parks. Since 2008, government has spent more than $16.2 million to improve the facilities and infrastructure in our provincial parks. It includes adding electrical service to 1,000 campsites. This year campers will be able to use 600 of those sites. The ministry is also replacing or upgrading some service centres, boat launches, potable water systems and is replacing picnic tables and barbeques.

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For more information, contact:

Art Jones
Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport
Regina
Phone: 306-787-3506
Email: art.jones@gov.sk.ca