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N.B. confident in economic growth

Sep 15, 2016 | 6:09 PM

The city remains confident in the economic potential of the Battlefords region after several major construction projects were announced or began construction over the summer.

North Battleford City Manager Jim Puffalt said growth is evident in all the buildings under construction around the city, and more development will follow.

“The Battlefords are a regional centre and there’s a lot of services here that can be used to attract people to the community and to provide services to people in the communities,” he said.

Some key developments recently announced or under construction are the Magic Lantern Theatre, the Comfort Inn and Suites, the Saskatchewan Hospital and a second A&W location.

Puffalt said it’s key to look at the development in terms of the Battlefords region rather than just the City of North Battleford.

“Anything in our region is good for everybody in the region, so it’s important that we don’t worry just about our boundaries but attract things to our area that can help everybody,” he said.

One way the Battlefords Regional Opportunities Advisory Committee plans to entice people and projects to the region is through an economic profile. Puffalt said the profile will have several facets, but is primarily promotional material that will lay out anything a person needs to know about the region if they’re planning to move to the area, start a business or expand one.

The committee is also working on an initiative to entice new business through investments. Puffalt said if a company is looking for a new location, they want to be able to provide services and invest capital as encouragement.

Sarah Rae is battlefordsNOW’s court and crime reporter. She can be reached at Sarah.Rae@jpbg.ca or tweet her @sarahjeanrae.