People all over the world will be unwrapping plenty of brightly coloured Christmas packages soon, sharing presents as expressions of love and kindness to friends and family in the spirit of giving.

But several gifts have already been given and received that we can all feel grateful for and proud of here in the Weyburn area.

Old St. Nick himself couldn't have given a better present to two worthy local causes than that which the Weyburn community has already provided.

Service clubs, businesses and residents have opened up their hearts and pocketbooks to the Mini Go School at the Family Place, and the Weyburn Library Expansion Fund, with a generosity that has thrilled the projects' organizers.

When the Mini Go School put the call out to the community for badly needed funds, the response was overwhelming, with cash and donations of supplies flowing in at a pace that will keep the school operational for a full year.

The necessary expansion of our public Library has grabbed the attention of this community as well, and week after week we have seen the fund grow to an impressive $68,500 - closer and closer to the local fund-raising goal of $100,000. This money, along with funding from the city and province, will allow the existing library on Bison Avenue to be renovated and expanded - a great commitment to literacy.

The gift of education in the Weyburn area will be enhanced soon when the Southeast Regional College moves into the Weyburn Comp, making months of planning - and lobbying for funding - a reality. This integration was made possible when the province eventually committed to stable funding for the project. Weyburn will have an institution where secondary and post-secondary education co-exist and share resources.

In the business community, two major projects by Nexans (formerly Alcatel) and PanCanadian will bring a boost to the economy and provide increased employment. Nexans has a major expansion underway that will double their capacity and add 65 more jobs, and PanCanadian's C02 project will extend the life of the Weyburn oil field for more than two decades and bring ongoing prosperity to the local oil industry.

We've also seen construction taking place all over the city. A new post office, PFRA building, expansion to Grace United Church, and library are recent projects that are in various stages of completion.

And rural users of the city's landfill can be thankful that the city and RM councils have finally come to an agreement on garbage.

The provincial surplus will help provide for smoother and safer travel throughout the province and in the Weyburn area following the news that several highways will be repaved.

Hopefully health care and education will receive some substantial gifts in the near future also, as the booming oil industry continues to bring in increased revenues for the province.

Overall, things are looking up. Weyburn has several gifts to be thankful for this Christmas season. - K.L.