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Cypress Hills REDA Assists In Diversity Works In an effort to highlight the increasing level of immigration within the region, as well as to celebrate the diversity it brings, a special Diversity Works Festival celebration was held in Shaunavon. About 150 people attended the event. The event was arranged for the primary reason of bringing together new residents from across the southwest as well as citizens who support them. Cypress Hills REDA assisted in the organization of this successful event. Cypress Agri Energy Recieves $10000 In REF Funding Through CHREDA Cypress Hills REDA has been approved for $10,000 of REF funding through the REDA Enhancement Fund to help support Cypress Agri Energy's quest to find financing to construct a 150 million litre ethonal plant in the southwest. Funding will be used to hire staff to coodinate regional meetings, create a database of possible investors, assist in the awareness campaign, as well as many other tasks in order to reach a financial close.
Bracken Bio-Diesel A community group from the Bracken/ Frontier area approached CHREDA for assistance in the development of a Bio Diesel plant in the Southwest. Cypress Hills REDA has been assisting the community group for over a year now. The group plans to develop a plant, capable of producing 500,000 litres of biofuel per year, using a local source of oilseeds, including mustard and canola. CHREDA assisted in the application for BOPI (Biofuels Opportunities for Producers Initiative) funding, in which the group has been granted upwards of $52,570 towards the project. The group has been in discussion with Peacock Industries, based in Hague, Saskatchewan in regards to a partnership in terms of marketing and distributing the mustard byproduct. Peacock Industries has been at the forefront of the biofuels industry in Saskatchewan for a number of years and is well poised to expand its market base in the United States. Cypress Hills REDA recieves $52,029 to assist Action Southwest Cypress Hills REDA is pleased to announce their application for the Building a Framework for Measuring our Regional Economy and Coordination of Action Southwest project was approved by Regional Economic and Co-operative Development under the 2007-08 REDA Enhancement Fund Building High Performance Regions component, in the amount of $52,059.
CHREDA Assisting German Entrepreneur Gull Lake Canola Pressing Operation Cypress Hills REDA was asked to assist the RM of Gull Lake with a Canola Pressing operation. An entrepreneur from Germany currently has the operation on location with hopes for interpretation by Spring 08’. Cypress Hills REDA and the RM of Gull Lake has met with the German entrepreneur to talk about the possible next steps in the project. The canola pressing plant presses canola seed to oil for use as table oil or with additional pressing and filtering can be used as a diesel substitute. The oil from this plant will be used in a truck crossing Canada from Vancouver to the Maritimes in 2008. Cypress Hills REDA and the RM of Gull Lake are currently in the process of obtaining permits for the building, power, Health etc. There will also be a canola bottling and processing facility on site.
Cypress Agri Energy- Proposed Ethanol Project in the Southwest Cypress Agri Energy was formed in 2001 to analyze, develop and operate a 150 million litre, wheat dry-mill fuel ethanol plant. CAE was formed to give the local producers a new outlet for farm grains, in the form of ethanol production, with hopes of initiating a way that farmers could start to see improvements in their income. Cypress Hills REDA has been assisting CAE for the past 6 years. CAE is located and has been occupying an incubator office at the Shaunavon Business Development Centre. Cypress Agri Energy was formed to promote and support the development of renewable energy, add value to agricultural products, and provide economic development opportunities to southwestern Saskatchewan. Currently CAE is in the process of an equity drive where they hope to generate enough investment to start construction by March 08’. Check out Cypress Agri Energy's NEW PROMO VIDEO at www.cypressagrienergy.com website- http://www.cypressagrienergy.com
Cypress Hills REDA partners with Southwest REDA Cypress Hills REDA has partnered with Southwest REDA to implement an ASK Youth program in the region. The implementation of the aSK Youth program would gather youth from Southwest Saskatchewan to allow their voices to be heard, and their input to be part of the implementation of development priorities and projects in the region. CHREDA is currently working with the Maple Creek High School. “Southwest REDA is pleased to partner with Cypress Hills REDA on a number of projects this year as we each have many skills to offer each other to grow stronger as organizations and to build the overall region together. Our working relationship has been built on a strong foundation which celebrates our individual community and project successes but also recognizes the importance to work together on certain projects that are regional in nature. It is important that the foundation of this partnership continues to respect each of our work at a community level including programming, project development, and individual work but at the same time continues to foster engaging our members throughout the Southwest to work collaboratively with us to build the region together. Southwest REDA looks forward to many years of working with Cypress Hills REDA”, states Keleah Herron, general manager, Southwest REDA.
Pine Cree Cattle Company
Cypress Hills REDA attends monthly meetings to assist the Pine Cree Cattle Company with any needs. PCCC has completed the feasibility analysis as well as business plan. The organization also has all the permits in place to construct. The principals had a goal of attaining $2 million in investment in order to tender the project out for a spring 2007 construction start. During the two month investment drive, CHREDA attended weekly meetings where updates of investment took place and any issues and problems where identified. CHREDA assisted in the raising of equity through distribution of offering memorandum, marketing packages and service agreements from the Shaunavon Business Development Centre. CHREDA constructed a marketing package to help with the process. PCCC has come up short of their goal in order to tender for construction. PCCC is presently in maintenance mode and are looking at different means of revenue. PCCC utilizes the Shaunavon Business Development Centre as one of their offices where information can be passed to anyone looking to invest in the project and to offer any additional information regarding the project.
The Cypress Hills REDA is currently working on country residential development in the Eastend region in order to meet our growing demand for housing. This region has become a target location for both retirees and young families who desire an affordable standard of living in a scenic environment. The R.M. of White Valley has been supportive of this proposed development that would see an increase in the tax base, as well as, in employment and investment for the region. Currently phone lines and power lines are being installed on the property. CHREDA working with Horseshoe Marketing Group CHREDA continues to play an active role in the HSMG Cooperative. Annually, nearly 250,000 people visit the Southwest. The objective of the Horseshoe Marketing Group Co-operative is to influence the travel patterns of those visitors to realize economic benefit for its members.The Horseshoe Marketing Group Co-operative Board has representation from Gull Lake, Shaunavon, Eastend, Consul and Maple Creek. These community minded individuals are working to enhance the visibility of Southwestern Saskatchewan. Cypress Hills REDA has been working with the group to develop action steps to encourage travel throughout the Southwest Region. The Horseshoe Marketing Group is driven by over 50 local businesses and municipalities within the region. Check out the groups website at www.horseshoetourism.com. Immigration a priority for CHREDA
PAST PROJECTS Creekside Estates- Maple Creek / Eastside Manor- Gull Lake
Cypress Agri Energy Ethonal Symposium
Shaunavon Business Development Centre
T-Rex Discovery Centre- Eastend
Grain Handling Facilities
Great Western Rail
Public meetings sponsored by Great Western Rail and CHREDA were held in Shaunavon and Ponteix from which a steering committee was selected to explore the potential for a producer owned operation. Subsequently, a company was established, 101052644 Saskatchewan Ltd. with the original steering committee becoming the initial Board of Directors. The Directors decided to attempt to raise $600,000 as initial equity from 300 producers, as evidence of support for the continuance of the rail line. Eventually, 240 pledges of equity were collected and converted to Class “D” shares. A subsequent series of meetings allowed the company to raise in excess of $600,000 in loans from potential shareholders and permitted the group to develop a formal offer to purchase the entire assets of Great Western Rail Ltd and Westcan Rail (Sask) Ltd from the parent company, Westcan Rail Ltd of Abbotsford, B.C, at a total cost of $5.5 million. Sale of Class “A” shares resulted in nearly $4 million in equity being raised from local investors. A loan in amount of $1,760,000 was obtained from the Province of Saskatchewan through the provisions of the Short Line Rail Assistance Program, and the local group assumed ownership in November, 2004. In addition to provision of assistance in organizing the proponent group, CHREDA acted as secretary for the committee and the subsequent corporation until it the closing of the purchase agreement in November. Chairman Con Johnson stated publicly on several occasions that this project could not have been completed without the assistance of CHREDA, and indicated the advice and technical support provided had been invaluable to the proponent group. Check out the website- www.greatwesternrail.com. Maple Creek Junior B Hockey Team - Cypress Cyclones
Website- http://www.cypresscyclones.ca |
CHREDA understands the declining growth in the labor force and the importance this brings on immigration. CHREDA identified the importance of immigration to the Southwest Economy and the Canadian culture as a whole. CHREDA has been helping communities with the immigration process by helping to educate the population, by the promotion and research of immigration. CHREDA acts on an advisory basis to their members on the process.
Creekside Estates and Eastview Manor are now completed thanks to the help of Cypress Hills REDA who acted as the project manager for both projects. These two lifelease projects situated in Southwestern Saskatchewan are now occupied by residents who wanted the ability to retire in rural Saskatchewan. Creekside Estates, located in Maple Creek, is a 14 unit appartment complex while Eastside Manor, located in Gull Lake is a 3 unit townhouse style complex with plans to expand to 6 units. The two complexes are great additions to both communities. Cypress Hills REDA has been working with the Town of Shaunavon, Town of Eastend and Village of Frontier on similar projects for the region.
Cypress Agri Energy's goal of not only developing an Ethanol industry in the Southwest Region of Saskatchewan but to educate the population of a plant has become even closer to reality. On October 12th/06, the group held the first Ethanol symposium in Saskatchewan. The event profiled the ethanol industry and the economic impact the 90 million litre ethanol plant will mean for the area and the province. On the heels of Agriculture Minister, Chuck Strahl's recent announcement of the Biofuels Opportunities for Producers program (BOPI) and the release of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Strategy paper the symposium provided the province a forum to step forward in the national framework for Canadian Ethanol development. Cypress Hills REDA helped to organize the event.
CHREDA was instrumental in the development of a business development office in the Town of Shaunavon. CHREDA works in conjunction with Shaunavon Economic Development, Shaunavon Tourism, Shaunavon Chamber of Commerce, Southwest Community Futures and the Development Corporation.
The 4 million dollar tourism facility opened July 19, 2003. It employs 4 full time as well as 8 seasonal staff members. 1.2 million dollars was provided by the provincial government, 1.1 million dollars was contributed by the federal government and 1.3 million dollars came from the local community in fundraising events. CHREDA assisted in the plan and marketing of $368,000 in debenture sales. Check out the Website 
CHREDA has been instrumental in maintaining grain handling facilities, abandoned by the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, along the Westcan Shortline through a variety of private and community investment combinations. Facilities were purchased and continue to operate in Bracken, Climax, Frontier/ Eastend, Dollard and Shaunavon. Additionally a producer car loading facility was established in Climax. Total investment in these facilities is approximately 2 million dollars. In 2004 it is anticipated that producers along this Shortline will ship in excess of 3300 cars of grain which will result in additional revenues to producers in excess of 3.5 million dollars.
In late 2003, CHREDA was approached by the employees of Great Western Railway for assistance to host a series of public meetings to inform local producers and residents of the impending sale of the assets of Great Western Railway, and to ensure that local residents were aware of the potential for abandonment and removal of the rail line.
CHREDA coordinated efforts between the Town of Maple Creek and the Junior B Hockey Team in matters pertaining to donations and sponsorship. In early 2005, the Cyclones hosted a league game between 2 teams presently in the South Saskatchewan Junior B Hockey League, in hopes to create awareness of the league and gain support within the community. As a means to generate further revenue, the team purchased a bus which can be leased by other community organizations. The Junior B Cyclones are continuing to fund raise for their inaugural season which will begin in the Fall of 2005.