Prince Albert city council voted to table a discussion surrounding $5.1 million in infrastructure projects after disagreements over a $200,000 project in the Old City Yards.

The provincial government handed out the $5.1 million to help boost municipal infrastructure projects in Prince Albert, but city council still needs to submit a list of approved projects. That debate ground to a halt of Tuesday after councillors expressed concerns about spending money in a location the City may not use for much longer.

The project called for a new Storage Cover-All Building at the Old City Yards after the previous one was declared past the point of repair in 2016. The building is considered unsafe and unstable, mainly due to roof damage in four different areas, and will be condemned on Oct. 1.

That will cause a “critical shortage of covered space” for the Parks Department and Transportation Sign Shop, according to a report filed by City Manager Jim Toye. However, some councillors say it’s not worth it to rebuild in that part of Prince Albert.

“I’d be leery of putting some investment down there when I think we want to be out of that location and divest ourselves of that area,” said Ward 8 Coun. Ted Zurakowski, the project’s most vocal opponent.

“We are wanting to get out of the hold city yards, and here is an opportunity to do so,” added Ward 4 Coun. Don Cody. “I just don’t think that going ahead with (a) $200,000 (project), and then maybe moving it, is money well spent.”

Cody added that he supported spending money on the building, but wanted it in a different location on the hill.

Mayor Greg Dionne also opposed the project, saying it didn’t make sense to build in an area they were getting out of.

The City has plans to build a new $8.8-million Municipal Service Centre (MSC) sometime in the future, but council has not approved the necessary funding.

Public Works Director Wes Hicks said they understand council wants to move operations to a new area, but administration has worries about centralizing its operations.

“Administration has been discussing during this COVID-19 pandemic the concern around putting all our eggs in one basket,” Hicks told council. “We’ve discovered that putting everybody in one location is very, very bad for the operations. If we had someone get sick up there, we’re literally shut down. We have no options.”

“If our fleet group gets shut down, we don’t have any other shops. No lifts or anything,” he added. “We’ve lost another building at the old yards. We’re nowhere close to moving into any new facilities in the foreseeable future. The thought was to have at least one cover-all (building) in the old yard.”

Hicks said the Cover-all could be moved in five or 10 years, but public works needs a new building in place before winter.

With council facing questions over how many changes they could make to the project list after submitting it to the government, Mayor Greg Dionne suggested council table the motion. It will be back up for discussion at the next executive committee meeting on May 25.

The $200,000 Storage Cover-All Building was one of 11 projects up for approval at Monday’s meeting. Other projects include the $2.25-million Marquis Road West Extension, $1.4-million for pavement upgrades and $500,000 for sidewalk repairs.

The Community Services Department and Prince Albert Historical Society will start outlining a plan to create a recreation development or historic site at La Colle Falls hydroelectric dam and the nearby city-owned property.

Ward 5 Coun. Dennis Ogrodnick was responsible for bringing the motion forward during Tuesday’s city council meeting. He said there’s no guarantee the City will develop the property, but argued it’s worth looking into considering the site’s historical significance.

“There are so many stories about La Colle Falls and so much history,” Ogrodnick said during the meeting. “I think it’s something that has the potential to become a tourist attraction site within our economic region.”

The R.M. of Garden River has already created plans for a recreation area in a nearby area. They tried to purchase the property in May 2019, and lease it on August 2019. But were turned down by city council, most recently on April 20

Ogrodnick was one of the most vocal councillors to oppose leasing the property at that last meeting. He argued that the La Colle Falls project was one of the most historic developments in Prince Albert history. He said it wasn’t right to sell or lease that property, and he stuck by those arguments again on Tuesday.

“It’s not saying that we’re going to invest right away in developing this, but this is part of our history,” he said.

There were some minor concerns about a potential development, but council voted unanimously in favour of asking for a development report. Ward 2 Coun. Terra Lennox-Zepp said she’d like to know what the City was liable for, should they create a recreation area, but added she was still interested in seeing what the Historical Society could create.

Ward 6 Coun. Blake Edwards also spoke in favour of the project. He said creating plans for future tourist attraction or historical site was long overdue.

“I think there are a lot of people who don’t know enough about what occurred and what brought up this event,” he said on Tuesday. “It’s important to Prince Albert, and I think it’s time that we had a report come forward.”

The RM of Garden River wanted to use the city-owned land to build road access to their own property, where they hoped to develop a day park.

The 20-acre city-owned parcel has an assessment value of around $200, according to the RM, a total so low the City doesn’t pay property taxes on it. Garden River reeve Ryan Scragg said that’s because the property sits on a flood plain, and it’s dense brush makes it unsuitable for cattle.

“We didn’t see that it had any resale value, so we thought we might as well approach the City and see if they were interested in just leasing the land in perpetuity, or us purchasing it for a low, fair price,” Scragg said during an interview last August.

“We’re looking at doing something with it that I think will benefit not just the RM of Garden River, but anybody in the region who has an interest in doing some sort of day park type activities. It’s a really cool untouched area that has a lot of historical significance.”

The Prince Albert Board of Trade hired Charles H. Mitchell to begin working on the La Colle Falls hydroelectric dam in 1906. Construction started in1912, but the City of Prince Albert struggled to raise money, and by 1913 construction costs ballooned to more than $2-million. That was $1,136,000 more than the original estimate.

An Anglo-Dutch company offered to pay off the City’s debts and finish the project in return for a 40-year lease in 1914. However, negotiations ended after the First World War started and the project was never completed.

Businesses with no payroll can now qualify for a Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loan after the federal government expanded the eligibility criteria on Monday.

The decision affects business owners who are self-employed or sole proprietors, family businesses who pay employees through dividends, and owners who only employ contractors. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said more application details would come at a later date, including more help for business owners who operate through a personal bank account instead of a business account, and for new businesses who have yet to file a tax return.

“Businesses … are the backbone of our economy and the lifeblood of our communities,” Trudeau said during Monday’s announcement. “Whether it’s with the CEBA or the expanded wage subsidy, we’re in your corner.”

Small business owners and industry advocates protested the previous $50,000 minimum payroll eligibility requirement when it was first announced on April 9. They said it excluded family owned businesses or sole proprietors who were self-employed.

Mary NG, the minister for small business, exports, promotion and trade, said the government heard those complaints loud and clear.

“Throughout this crisis, we’ve listened to what small businesses have told us about what works, what doesn’t, and what needs to be improved upon,” Ng tweeted on Tuesday. “That’s what today’s announcement to expand the Canada Emergency Business Account eligibility was about. Our work continues.”

Business groups like the Canadian Federation of Independent Business welcomed the decision, but says the government needs to move quickly to make up for lost time.

CFIB president Dan Kelly said he was “very pleased” with Trudeau’s announcement, but added that most small business owners have gone two months without income. They’ll need help quickly with another looming rent deadline on June 1.

“The initial $40,000 may not be enough for many businesses who continue to be shut down, or those facing a long recovery period,” Kelly wrote in a statement.

The Prince Albert Chamber of Commerce also welcomed the news. CEO Elise Hildebrandt said it would make it easier for small businesses to access much needed supports.

“You always want a few more changes, because I know of a couple of companies it still doesn’t include, but I’m thankful that the money became available and they changed those guidelines to help more of our businesses,” she explained.

This is the second time the federal government has altered the CEBA application guidelines. They reduced the minimum payroll requirements from $50,000 to $20,000 on April 16.

The CFIB says 50 per cent of Canadian small business owners would not be able to reopen if COVID-19 restrictions remain in place past May. Roughly 80 per cent of Canadian small businesses have completely or partially shut down since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a CFIB survey.

The CEBA allows small businesses to apply for forgivable loans of up to $40,000, 25 per cent of which is forgivable if repaid by Dec. 31, 2022. More than 600,000 loans have been approved since it first launched in April.

At this time last year, Kyra Robillard was busy serving meals and taking orders.

This year, she’s wondering if she’ll do that at all over the next three months.

Robillard, the owner and operator of food truck Baby Got Bannock, knew the COVID-19 restrictions would make it difficult to attract customers this summer. Now, she’s worried she might not even get the chance after the City of Prince Albert declined to give her a business licence.

“We were uncertain about opening,” she said during an interview on Tuesday. “We said, ‘well, let’s try and open and all of a sudden there’s another wall to jump over.”

Robillard said the most frustrating part has been the lack of communication. Normally, the City of Prince Albert is in touch with food truck owners to let them know about any changes to business licences, but that didn’t occur this year. She only found out they weren’t handing out licences when she called City Hall to ask how she could get one, since in-person services were closed to the public.

While it is possible to operate outside the City, Robillard said that would cut into her customer base. Travelling to other communities is out of the question because her husband works shift work, and their children are still young.

Just moving to a different location in Prince Albert can cut down on sales, so it’s not really worth setting up in new communities unless there’s a festival, tournament or fair taking place. None of those will start up any time soon.

“Our options are maybe to go and operate in the RM of Prince Albert, and since we’re so small it’s harder for us to get the word out,” said Robillard, who is heading into her fourth summer in the food truck business. “We don’t open on regular hours, so when we do open, it (involves) a lot of marketing posts and trying to people (out).

“It’s hard for people to follow us, especially with last year. The location I’d park would be Kinsmen Park and downtown on River Street. If I have to park somewhere new again, it makes it harder for people to find us and support our small businesses.”

Robillard said she was told Prince Albert was just following policies set by other cities, but food trucks were allowed to open in Saskatoon last week. Some provinces, like British Columbia, even designated them as an essential service, and allowed them to set up at highway rest points to feed long-distance truck drivers.

Mayor Greg Dionne said he wasn’t aware of any requests from food truck owners who wanted to start opening up. However, he adamantly opposed giving them business licences until brick and mortar restaurants could open their doors too.

“Why would we cut the throats of all our restaurant people?” he said. “They employ hundreds of people and are going to need that business to get back to work. No, I would not support food trucks.”

Even with the provincial government easing COVID-19 restrictions, food truck owners are part of a long list of businesses that are going to struggle to stay open.

Gary Grady, the president of the Saskatoon Food Truck Association and owner/operator of Pour Gary’s food truck, said is costs between $3,000 and $3,500 in annual start-up costs just to get a food truck on the road. With so many summer events cancelled he doesn’t see how owners can recoup their losses.

“Street business isn’t bad, but a food truck generally makes its money off of the festivals, and they’re not up,” he said. “A lot of trucks aren’t going to open because of the cost.”

Like most food-trucks, Pour Gary’s is a seasonal side-gig. Grady’s main business is a restaurant and pub in Dundurn, which is hurting just as badly. He’s trying to stay optimistic, especially after food trucks started operating in Saskatoon last week.

However, as long as the province remains in phase two of the Reopen Saskatchewan plan, food truck owners will struggle to make money. He’s tried to get more information out of the provincial government regarding when that might be, but has heard very little back.

Grady said he likely won’t even open until phase three comes. Instead, he’ll focus everything on his restaurant and pub.

“I don’t make my livelihood from the truck, but it helps,” he said.

Back in Prince Albert, Robillard said she’s still hoping to work with the city to resolve the situation. She’s already written them a letter suggesting a few ways they could licence food trucks while following the COVID-19 regulations.

She’s frustrated with the original decision, which she believes was impulsive and poorly thought out. However, she’s holding out hope that things will get better.

“We’re optimistic,” she said.

Mayor Greg Dionne said he’s been disappointed with some of the behavior he’s seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he’d like to see that change as retail stores begin to reopen.

Dionne said there are too many shoppers who are rude and disrespectful to workers at gas stations, grocery stores and drive-thru restaurants. He thinks residents should be thanking those people for going to work during an outbreak, not berating them.

“I don’t want to paint it like it’s our whole city,” Dionne said during a phone interview. “It’s just a small minority, but it’s that small minority that I end of dealing with and it frustrates me. At the end of the day, we want everyone to have a healthy and good life. That’s our goal.”

Dionne made the comments on Friday while promoting the virtues of shopping local. He’s concerned too many residents have become used to shopping at big box stores, or ordering online during the pandemic. He hopes residents will return to small mom and pop stores once they reopen.

“This is the problem: we’re creatures of habit,” he said.

When shoppers return after retail stores have reopened, Dionne wants them to show their appreciation. He said he’s not the only person fed up with the disrespectful attitudes he’s seeing.

“They’ve seen the rudeness of people at drive-thrus and grocery stores, which has shocked me,” he said. “We should be lifting those people up and thanking them, but instead, we’re complaining (and saying) ‘well, do you know how long I had to wait in line?’ You know what I say to people? You’re lucky there was a line…. I’m appreciative that there’s a line. That means we can get service.”

Clothing stores, flower shops, sporting goods stores, jewelry stores, pawn shops and electronics stores are among the retail businesses that are allowed to re-open on Tuesday as part of the provincial government’s Reopen Saskatchewan Plan.

Select personal care services like barber shops, salons, massage therapists and acupuncturists are also allowed to re-open.

Restaurants, gyms, fitness centres, bars, pubs and child care facilities will not reopen until phase three. That date has not been determined.

The cap on public gatherings sizes will also increase from 10 to 15 when phase three is implemented. Golf courses, provincial parks, campgrounds and restricted medical services were all opened as part of phase one.

Prince Albert’s Downtown Street Fair hasn’t been formally cancelled, but organizers say it’s unlikely the event will happen this year.

The Prince Albert Downtown Improvement District (PADBID) postponed the annual event on April 28. While the provincial government has started lifting COVID-19 restrictions, PADBID executive director Carolyn Carleton said it’s likely too late to organize and host the street fair.

“It’s going to probably take a while just for people to feel safe and comfortable out again,” Carleton said during an interview on Friday. “We’ve spent so much time inside, and I think … that’s made people a little more apprehensive about getting out and doing things.

“Yesterday afternoon I did some errands and I couldn’t believe how many people were honking their horns and rushing … and it felt like there was a lot of anxiety. I think it’s going to take a while for people to feel comfortable going out and doing things that involve a large group of people. I honestly can’t really see street fair being allowed to operate this year.”

Carleton said they’d love to hold a special one-year event in the fall to take the street fair’s place, although they haven’t laid out any plans for what that would look like. She views it as a chance for families to get outside and be active downtown, but without the large crowds.

She’s also hopeful that Culture Days will still be allowed to go ahead in the fall, although that may look a little different too. For now, her focus is the event that will replace the street fair.

“I’m looking at if there’s something on a smaller scale that we can do that would be available, and trying to coordinate something like that,” she said. “I have a few ideas brewing about what we can do.”

The cap of public gatherings will rise from 10 to 15 once the provincial government implements phase three of its five-phase, and from 15 to 30 in phase four. There is no set implementation date for either of those phases. Retail businesses such as sporting goods stores, clothing stores and pawn shops can reopen on May 19, as can salons, barber shops, massage therapists and other health related services.

Carleton said they’d love to host a street fair in the fall, if given the opportunity, but reiterated that it likely won’t happen.

“If you look at the different phases that the health authority has given, I don’t see how it might be possible this year,” she explained. “We’re holding out hope that it may be able to happen, because I think the community needs something.” The 2019 Downtown Street Fair was held on June 15.

Shoppers in Prince Albert’s downtown area will have to start paying for parking again when retail stores re-open on Tuesday.

Bylaw officers stopped issuing parking tickets at expired meters and timed residential parking zones back on March 27. Mayor Greg Dionne said they’re going to end that practice on May 19 after too many people took advantage of the gesture.

He’s hearing complaints from business owners that some cars sat in those stalls 24-hours a day. He’s worried that will drive customers away from downtown Prince Albert, and hurt the proprietors who operate there.

“I’m disappointed that we have to take this action so quickly,” Dionne said on Friday. “I would have liked to (keep free parking) until June 1, but these businesses that are reopening on Tuesday have already taken a financial hit, and we need to encourage people to shop local. L-O-C-A-L. Shop local. We’re going to help the merchants and free up the parking downtown so the customers that they do get can get to their stores.”

Dionne said it barely took a week before he started hearing complaints that some residents were abusing the City’s no-ticket policy.  He’s concerned that too many downtown businesses won’t survive the pandemic, and failing to provide their customers with parking will make it even hard for them to stay open.

He’s sad to hear about downtown business owners like Gail Carlson selling their stores, and said if the City doesn’t move quickly, they may loose more of them.

“That saddens me,” he said. “There was a local artist that was filling a niche in the market. She had a beautiful store and she had lots of great ideas and studios, and was getting more local artists’ work up for sale. She had quite a variety in her store, and COVID-19 come along and she can’t financially recover.”

“These local people who have their shops and boutiques, I believe they deserve our loyalty,” he added. “They have shown loyalty to us by participating in our community, and so I believe we should give our loyalty and respect back to them.”

The biggest parking problems are in the 1300 block of Central Avenue. The area houses pharmacies and medical clinics, and Prince Albert Downtown Business Improvement District executive director Carolyn Carleton said seniors are having trouble accessing those services because they can’t park nearby. That’s not the only part of Central Avenue with parking problems either.

“People have to work together on this,” she said. “We want to keep bringing people downtown, but if there’s no place to park, to go and visit some of the shops and to do their business or their appointments, then that’s going to become an issue.”

Despite those concerns, Carleton doesn’t want the City to completely abandon its no-ticketing policy. Ideally, she’d like to see drivers receive one hour of free parking, after which they have to move or plug the meter. However, she also acknowledges there need to be changes.

“Due to inconsideration from other people, we’re going to have to start addressing some of these issues,” she said. “It’s something that we’re working on. I’m trying to negotiate in there so we can maybe still offer some free parking, for half-an-hour or an hour.”

Carleton said they hope to move back to regular metered parking in the future, since the PADBID reserve fund comes from parking meter fees. Those funds pay for improvements in the downtown, like façade grants which allow business owners to repair and restore their buildings. PADBID awarded 12 such grants on Thursday alone.

Although Dionne is concerned residents won’t support local business, Carleton remains optimistic shoppers will return. She said many residents realize now how important those businesses are to the community, and she expects plenty of support when they re-open on Tuesday.

“All the store owners are really excited about opening up again. I know a lot of them have been doing renovations within their own stores while they’ve had the down time, so I’m excited to get out and walk around and visit with them all again,” she said. “I think more people are looking to support local.”

Carleton said many shoppers are tired of standing in line to enter large box stores, and want to shop in places that are more relaxed and less crowded.

Clothing stores, shoe stores, florists, book sellers, farmer’s markets, thrift stores and music, electronic and entertainment stores are just some of the retail businesses allowed to re-open on Tuesday. Change rooms and washrooms can also re-open with increased cleaning.

On May 2, the government changed its reopen plan to include shopping malls. The Gateway Mall in Prince Albert will open at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, although not all stores will be open. Shoppers must still adhere to strict social distancing guidelines.

Correction: a previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the property at 1120 Central Avenue was the oldest building in Prince Albert’s downtown. It should have stated that it was the oldest building on Central Avenue. The Daily Herald apologizes for the error.

The oldest building on Central Avenue is once again up for sale.

Originally constructed more than 100 years ago as a drug store, the property at 1120 Central Avenue has since housed a jeweler, a book store, and most notably, Celebration by Design, which was owned and operated by the Adams family.

Businesswoman and artist Gail Carlson purchased the property in 2017 and turned it into an art gallery and pottery studio. Despite initial success, Carlson said the COVID-19 pandemic has set her too far back financially to stay open. Now, she plans to sell the property she originally viewed as a retirement plan.

“It’s a really good investment to be into. It’s just that I was at the beginning of it, and I don’t have the finances to withstand it,” Carlson said. “I have to close and just leave. I was just caught (by the pandemic), and it’s the same with the business that I set up here. Yes, it will be a great business and it will work. I just don’t have the energy to do it anymore.”

Carlson will still keep making pottery, and plans to re-open her gallery on Tuesday like most retail businesses in Saskatchewan. Unfortunately, that won’t be enough to save it.

She expects to make between $300 and $400 in sales per month, if she’s lucky. That’s not nearly enough to offset the financial hit she took by closing.

The business was a luxury project since the grand opening in December 2017, although it was well on its way to profitability. Carlson expected to hit that point within a year or two, but then the pandemic hit and wiped out most of her gains.

“It would be like starting all over again, and there’s no way I have the energy, nor the money, nor the time,” she explained.

Carlson purchased the building with the intent of restoring it both inside and out. Over the next three years she finished the basement and the main floor, with the upper floor apartment area and external façade next on the list.

The building soon became a must-see attraction on the Historical Walking Tour, while the gallery became a welcome site for local art lovers.

“It was so cool because they would walk in and their faces would light up, their heads would go up and look at the ceiling and they’d all go, ‘aaaah,’” Carlson remembered with a chuckle. “They would take time, and nobody was in a hurry. Nobody was angry. Nobody had to buy anything. They could just be.”

Carlson plans to keep the gallery and studio open as long as it takes to sell the building. That could be two months, or it could be two years. She’d like to see the next owners continue her mission to restore it to its original condition, and maybe create a wine bar, a bistro or a concert space on the upper floor.

While she has no regrets, Carlson said it’s difficult to watch local ‘mom and pop’ style businesses struggle during the COVID-19 pandemic. She views them as the most important opportunity, and hopes a local business owner or artist will step in to take her place.

Carlson intends to move to Edmonton after the sale to be closer to her grandchildren, but she’ll miss the community of artists, history lovers and downtown business people she’s grown to love.

“Whoever does decide to take over the building, they’re taking it over at a good time because downtown is just going to improve,” she said. “It will come back (after the pandemic). I just don’t have the energy anymore.”

The property at 1120 Central Avenue was first listed in 1909 as Rowe’s Drug Store, but became vacant in 1913. Jeweller Fred W. Wright took over from 1914 to 1939, and Eilers Ltd. Jewellers occupied the building from 1941 to 1947. Prince Albert’s Adams family, proprietors of Celebrations by Design, moved into the building in 1948. The family-owned business occupied the building for the next eight decades.

The Prince Albert Visitor Centre will remain closed for the rest of the year due to economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Prince Albert Regional Economic Development Alliance (PAREDA) board announced the decision on Thursday. CEO Ashley Charles said the late start to the tourism season, combined with strict social distancing restrictions, made it difficult to justify opening later in the summer.

“We didn’t anticipate (having) a tourism season,” she said. “It’s so uncertain. We were guessing maybe July or August (for opening), but that is the end of the tourism season.”

Although the actual centre won’t open, some of its services will still be available online. Residents can still purchase fishing licences by visiting www.saskatchewanhal.ca, and general inquires will still be answered via email or the Prince Albert Tourism Facebook page.

Charles said the PAREDA board will use the downtime to revamp its tourism strategy for 2021. That includes more marketing campaigns and promotional work, with a focus on year-round tourism instead of just the summer months.

“We’re going to use this time to build a solid foundation administratively, but also to prepare for next year,” she explained. “We will be prepared for the (next) tourism season, but hopefully we can open up the Visitor Centre for an all year-round place to go. It’s more strategy than anything.”

Charles said COVID-19 is hitting the tourism sector hard in Prince Albert. While she’s sympathetic to the struggles business owners will face, she reiterated that there’s too much uncertainty to keeping the visitor centre open.

“That’s the bigger picture,” she said. “It doesn’t just come down to individual thinking. It’s happening all across the world, and we’re just responding.”

“There’s only so much we can do,” she added. “Tourism took a huge hit this year. They’re hurting the most, the ones who provide that service. It’s unfortunate.”

COVID-19 restrictions on some tourism sectors will end on May 19 when phase two of the Re-open Saskatchewan Plan officially begins. That list includes retail businesses, shopping falls and farmers’ markets.

Outfitters are allowed to travel to their camps starting May 15, but must comply with all public health orders and travel restrictions in the Northern Saskatchewan Administrative District, which covers about half the province.

The tourism sector contributes roughly $2-billion annually to Saskatchewan’s economy.