WEYBURN – Weyburn is a unique community with an innovative spirit, and is well-positioned to show how municipalities can be sustainable heading into the future, a capacity audience heard on Thursday evening at the Credit Union Spark Centre.
The Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Saskatchewan presented the talk by Dan Florizone, executive-in-residence, as part of the Governing Sustainable Municipalities Project, along with Keith Comstock.
The talk, which was also live-streamed online, was on the theme, “A Sustainable Future”, and included a question-and-answer period.
As he did research into what Weyburn has to offer currently, Florizone said, “Do you realize Weyburn has world-class education? The Pre-K to 12 system is world class … and what we have here is pretty special. … What do you do when you have world-class education system, and nobody’s talking about it?”
Florizone made reference to the history of Weyburn as he talked about this city’s contribution to sustainability in the province, making note of the unique research conducted at the Weyburn Mental Hospital, where Dr. Humphrey Osmond first coined the word “psychedelic” in relation to that research, which looked into the use of psychedelics to treat mental illness.
In relation to health care, he referenced Tommy Douglas, known across Canada as the father of medicare.
“We were talking about a proud past. Weyburn held great significance, and part of it is the history and legacy of Tommy Douglas. Medicare was our gift to Canada from thought leaders here in southern Saskatchewan,” said Florizone, adding, “You have a rich history of innovation of research, talent, and coming up with new ways of doing things.”
Noting he has worked for many years in the health care field as an administrator, he noted nearly organization he’s worked for was amalgamated into a larger organization, and said, “What we’re seeing is not necessarily the solution. Local governance matters, and it matters a lot. It’s not to ignore cities or municipalities, it’s to invite them in.”
At one point, when he worked in Estevan, he came to Weyburn to be part of an intersectoral collaboration, where various ministries and agencies combined their resources to offer services to families.
Referring to changes underway, or to come, in Estevan, Florizone said, “The future in Estevan without coal, oil and gas – I don’t know what that looks like. Oil isn’t going away anytime soon, but it’s incumbent on us to diversify.”
An example of diversification is the DEEP Thermal drilling going on in the Torquay area, tapping into the geothermal heat underground.
“When you think of small nuclear plants and working with DEEP, this is world-leading. In the Torquay is the potential to almost achieve the same level of power generation as the Boundary Dam,” he said, adding, “The world is actually watching us.”
Florizone noted the DEEP project is a private venture that is using oil drilling technology to reach deep underground to tap into geothermal heat sources.
Moving to water security for the future, he noted a project under development at Lake Diefenbaker for irrigation and providing water supplies to a wide region.
“When I think sustainability, it’s not just focusing in on one area. It’s looking at partnerships that should be or could be considered. … It’s the art of the possible.”
He looked at the changing demographics of Weyburn, and noting there has been some growth, there has also been a shift in the last 20 years with young families, and immigrants moving into the community, including many visible minorities.
“What we’re trying to do is make the community as attractive as possible,” he said.
