MAIN STREET SASKATCHEWAN REVITALIZING LOCAL DOWNTOWNS

Parks, Culture and Sport today announced the Main Street Saskatchewan program has resulted in a 10 to one return on investment (ROI) in its first year. The program has generated local commitments of $1.66 million in Main Street capital infrastructure projects - almost 10 times the $172,000 that the province has invested to date.

In addition, local citizens have contributed more than 5,450 volunteer hours to committee work, planning activities and staging events to support the program - the equivalent of 681 eight-hour work days.

"The strength of the Main Street program is that it provides the conditions for communities and property owners to invest in and actively support the revitalization of their downtowns," Moosomin MLA Don Toth said on behalf of Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Kevin Doherty. "This first year ROI is the kind of impact we looked forward to when we launched the program in 2011. With the growth in our population and in our economy, communities are looking to the future with confidence and optimism."

"The Main Street program has enabled us to take a fresh look at our downtown and the opportunities that exist there," Wolseley Main Street Board Chair Dennis Fjestad said. "In this process, there has been an unprecedented level of investment and excitement in our community and a new, shared vision for what our town can be."

Last year, the Government of Saskatchewan announced a $1.65 million investment over three years to provide assistance to four communities through the demonstration program. The towns of Wolseley, Indian Head, Maple Creek and the City of Prince Albert were selected through a competitive process to implement the Main Street Approach® to downtown revitalization. The program includes technical support and matching funding to support local operating costs and capital expenses related to building and streetscape rehabilitation.

For information on the Main Street Saskatchewan demonstration program, visit http://www.pcs.gov.sk.ca/MainStreet.

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For more information, contact:

Sean St. George
Parks, Culture and Sport
Regina
Phone: 306-787-9087
Email: sean.stgeorge@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-526-8635