The public is being asked to provide ideas or proposals for the future use of the Souris Valley Extended Care Centre, as the facility will cease to be used as a health care centre in about a year's time.

The Souris Valley Future Use Committee met with representatives of the owners of SVECC, Saskatchewan Property Management Corporation (SPMC), to discuss how to promote the facility and how to get the public involved.

The Future Use Committee is made up of representatives from the Sun Country Health Region, the City and RM of Weyburn, South East REDA, Chamber of Commerce, SPMC, and community and rural members-at-large. This committee was formed last winter to look at potential uses once the health region vacates it in the fall of 2004, when their long-term patients will move into the new Tatagwa View facility.

If any member of the public has an idea or proposal, the committee asks for that idea to be put into writing and submitted to the South East REDA office in Weyburn.

Those making submissions are asked to include general details about the proposal as well as your name, address and phone number. This information will then be passed on to the Future Use Committee for review, and then on to the marketing firm that SPMC will be hiring.

The marketing firm will be responsible for marketing Souris Valley on provincial, national and international levels. The firm, under direction from SPMC and the Future Use Committee, will do further research on the feasibility of the ideas, and at the same time will complete a detailed study on the facility that will focus on other possible uses for the facility.

Once the report is completed, the plan is to market Souris Valley and its potential uses in an effort to find a buyer or buyers for the property. The committee will also hold a public meeting in the near future to gather further input from the public and to provide an update on the progress being made.

Ideas can be mailed or dropped off at the SEREDA office at Box 1297, Weyburn, Sask., S4H 3J9.