Two more sessions are planned with one Thursday and another Friday. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

engagement

Public invited to La Ronge open house sessions

Nov 16, 2023 | 2:22 PM

Residents of La Ronge are welcome to join a municipal open house session this week regarding the 2024 operating budget and 10-year capital plan.

The largest capital project slated for 2024 is a $17.3 million wastewater treatment plant replacement design and repairs. That project, however, is contingent on receiving a significant amount of grant money and chief administrative officer Lyle Hannan noted it won’t move ahead if the funding doesn’t come through.

“There is a strong chance that may not happen next year or at least it might be more of the planning phases because there will need some planning work to be done once we get confirmation it can go forward,” he said.

“The wastewater plant upgrades are mostly driven by the standards that have been increased for releases in terms of the quantities that are allowable in the water. We have to make sure our treatment plant is able to treat the water to that level. It will do some capacity enhancement, but mostly it’s to enhance the treatment of the water.”

Other big ticket items are $3.9 million for residential lot development and $3 million for Highway 102 commercial land development. Hannan noted the town has applied for $3 million in grants to move residential lot development forward, adding some of the work could occur in the Robertson Drive area.

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“That would go to various initiatives to try offset the development costs associated with some of the lots we are looking at,” he said.

“A lot of the lots just based on the bedrock and all the amount of peat we would have to remove it is quite expensive, so we encouraged developers both local and abroad that we would be looking to find ways to make it more cost-effective for them and subsidize those costs.”

The commercial land development would include installing water and sewer lines near the La Ronge Co-op Food Store along Highway 102 towards the fire hall.

“That would accommodate some Co-op land, future commercial development lands and also there is interest with the RCMP in building a new facility in that vicinity and they would want that as well,” Hannan said.

“Right now, it’s about planning and making sure we have those lands serviced so we can sell land to the feds for the RCMP building and also make sure any future commercial needs are addressed.”

While the first open house session occurred Nov. 16 between noon and 2 p.m., another session is planned for this evening from 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. A third session will be held Friday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Read more about the town’s budget and capital plan online here.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com