Weyburn: A great place to work play, and stay

from Saskatchewan Energy Report 2022

by DEL Communications Inc.

Nuclear energy could help cost effectively decarbonize Canada’s heavy industry

WEYBURN:

A great place to work, play, and stay

The City of Weyburn is a dynamic community that has both a strong and diverse economic base.

Weyburn has long been established as a central figure for the upstream oil industry in Saskatchewan. Weyburn sits geographically atop the Bakken Oil Formation, one of the most prolific oil producing patches in the world. Whitecap Resources is a world leader in carbon capture and utilization storage. This internationally recognized, world-class project has safely captured over 36 million tonnes of CO2. Since 2019, we have stored two million tonnes of CO2 per year, which means, they are a carbon negative company. Not surprising that you will find corporations such as Whitecap Resources, Crescent Point Energy, and Enerplus calling our community home in terms of headquarter locations.

Agriculture continues to be the backbone of the community. As the world looks to farmers to meet an ever-increasing need for food supply, Weyburn’s position as one of the largest inland grain gathering points in North America makes it a vital contributor to a global challenge. Agri-business, agri-food companies, and major farm implement dealers continue to thrive and expand into our community.

As the central community in Southeast Saskatchewan,

Weyburn is the preferred locale for the public sector and professional regional head offices, contributing an enduring inventory of stable employment opportunities. Several key professional and public sector regional headquarters in Weyburn include Southeast Cornerstone School Division, Southeast College Administrative Offices, SaskPower Regional Distribution Centre, and Southeast Regional Library.

“Weyburn prides itself on being the location of choice for many companies and public sector services head offices. This translates into stable employment opportunities and a business atmosphere,” states Larry Heggs, executive director, Weyburn Regional Economic Development.

Convenient access to Weyburn is never a problem, not with three major highways crossing the city. Highway 13 joining Saskatchewan with Alberta and Manitoba is named the Red Coat Trail. Highway 39 is one of Canada’s busiest highways and provides a major trucking and tourism route between the United States and Canada. Lastly, Highway 35 (the CanAm Highway) is another U.S. border connection linking Weyburn to North America. Weyburn rail connection offers not only connection to the U.S. but Mexico as well. This rail is a major contributor to the Weyburn area, and also all of North America. Weyburn rail access has also enabled them to build the Weyburn Industrial Transload (WIT) facility. This facility establishes Weyburn as a freight hub that is world-class, being able to load, unload, inspect, and repair rail cars. Heggs points out that “the ability to efficiently move goods makes Weyburn the ideal location for several major manufacturing firms.”

Weyburn is well-defined by being a safe, friendly, healthy balanced lifestyle. A close-knit neighbourhood community with low crime rates, and economic strength makes Weyburn a great place for a family to live. For three years in a row, Weyburn was named “Best Place to Live in the Prairies” by Maclean’s magazine. Weyburn was also placed in the top 10 in the country when it comes to affordable housing. That same year, Expedia named Weyburn at 11th place on the ‘Friendliest Communities (and Towns) in Canada’ list. “More evidence that Weyburn is a great place to live, do business in and visit,” Heggs points out. Residents and visitors alike enjoy beautiful rural surroundings including lakes, parks, and connection to the agricultural lifestyle.

Weyburn’s stable economic base, its transportation accessibility, and its attractive labour force are why businesses are attracted to Weyburn. While enjoying the luxuries of small city life, Weyburn’s central location in the Southeast maintains easy access to the convenience and services of larger centres.