City residents will be told shortly of a new company coming to set up a home improvement retail operation in Weyburn, to take the place of the old Zellers store in the Weyburn Square Mall.

City council unanimously approved an application for a development permit for the operation, which will be a home improvement centre owned by a Saskatchewan numbered company.

Mayor Don Schlosser would not reveal who the company is, but noted now the permit has been approved by the city, the company would make an announcement in the very near future.

Prior to approving the permit, council approved a change to the zoning bylaw to allow a home improvement centre as a discretionary use in the downtown business district. This means any application for this type of business is subject to the approval of council, and is not automatically allowed.

While the company name is not yet known, a number of changes to the former Zellers store space will be required to accommodate this home improvement centre.

The proposed store will not have outdoor storage of lumber, and will see two new overhead doors installed to provide a drive-through loading area for light vehicles. There will be no access for heavy trucks or semi trailers into this loading area.

The drive-through area will be south to north, so exiting vehicles will only be allowed to turn right on to Souris Avenue. All building and fire codes will also have to be met before a building permit will be issued for the centre.

Members of the city's Environmental Resources committee toured the Wor-Kin Shop with a view to possibly expanding the city's recycling program, which would in turn mean a possible expansion of the recycling facility owned by the Wor-Kin Shop.

Coun. Rob Stephanson told council they were given a tour of the Wor-Kin Shop and the SARCAN depot by manager Dean Ror and board president Pat Maloney on Sept. 7, right after the Labour Day long weekend.

"We got to see recycling in action, the volumes that are dealt with there and the challenges they face on a day-to-day basis. I was impressed with the amount of paper and cardboard they get after a long weekend," said Coun. Stephanson.

The committee heard that the facility currently handles about 500 tonnes of paper and cardboard a year, and Ror estimates the maximum capacity would be 600 tonnes, given the personnel and physical space of the current building.

One concern that arose was the amount of garbage and dangerous items that are thrown in with the paper and cardboard, said Coun. Stephanson; as these materials are hand-sorted, the clients who work at the shop have to deal with these items which can sometimes be dangerous.

If the city expands its recycling program as the committee would like to do in the future, then the Wor-Kin Shop will either need to be expanded or else build or buy a newer, bigger facility.

Stephanson said there is space on the current site on East Avenue and 17th Street, but cost estimates would need to be obtained first to find out if expansion would be feasible there. The committee will also look at similar facilities in North Battleford and Humboldt to see what other communities are doing with recycling programs.

The work on the Colosseum is proceeding, with work continuing on the new press box area and on the new sound system.

Council was told that the north bleachers section in the Colosseum will be closed while work continues on the press box and storage room area above.

Coun. Ray Hamm said the new sound system was being installed this week , with all equipment now on hand to complete the work.

Discussion on what renovations might be needed or wanted at other facilities, such as the Signal Hill Arts Centre, will be discussed at the council's upcoming retreat, "in hopes of receiving some sort of direction from council. What is needed is some capital funding which will dictate what to do with those facilities."

The city continued to receive information about the impact of the 2004 Summer Games held in mid-August.

Attendance figures at some city facilities indicated an impressive turnout of Games visitors during the event, held Aug. 8-14.

The Heritage Village, which was open during the Games, including hosting of a Twilight Tour, saw the number of visitors hit 1,189, with over 1,000 visitors estimated to have visited during Heritage Days, which was held at the end of the Games in conjunction with the Wheat Festival.

Also on Aug. 13-14 an arts and craft show was held at Signal Hill, with over 30 table displays on four floors. There were over 900 people who attended this event.

The city received a letter from the Southeast Saskatchewan Association for Culture, Recreation and Sport (SESACRS) about the Games, congratulating the city on a job well done.

"The City of Weyburn is to be commended on the fine facilities offered to the athletes, coaches and managers, and the hospitality experienced during the week was second to none," said the letter, signed by Helen Fornwald, Chef de Mission for the Zone 1 team.
In other council business:

· After further complaints about trains holding up traffic in the city, council members and administration was to meet with railway officials today to discuss the concerns; city manager Bob Smith noted over the weekend an incident where a train blocked a crossing for more than an hour due to mechanical problems with the train.

· The city will hold a second public meeting on the proposal to institute a base tax on city properties; the meeting will be held tonight at the Legion Hall starting at 7 p.m.

· The hours of operation at the city landfill were changed for weekend use, and will take effect on Jan. 1, 2005. In summer months, the landfill will open at 8 a.m. on weekends, which is two hours earlier, and in the winter the landfill will close at 5 p.m. during the week, which is one hour earlier.

· The Nickle Lake park board is looking at adding 35 more camp sites with 30-amp power for next year's season, and will plant more trees, with an order placed with the PFRA and the Shand greenhouse.