By Andrew de Souza

Moose Jaw an example for Prince Albert

Nov 24, 2010 | 5:26 AM

When it comes to revitalizing both Prince Albert’s downtown area and the city’s economy in general, a lot can be learned from the city of Moose Jaw and its residents.

That was the message behind South Central Enterprise Region’s president Deb Thorn on Tuesday.

She spoke at the Prince Albert and District Chamber of Commerce’s luncheon for the Prince Albert Downtown Improvement District Association (PADIDA).

Moose Jaw was in an economic downward spiral, 30 years ago, where most kids were bound to leave for better things, she said.

Things started to change when a small group decided to change the city’s fate. They started working towards what is now known as the Temple Gardens Mineral Spa. They faced opposition and challenges at every step of the way, but in the end, they created a top-quality destination with dozens of jobs and millions in revenue over the years.

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Thorn said the most important lesson from Moose Jaw’s example was that it was a group of individuals that made the difference.

“There is no government that’s going to do it, no chamber of commerce, no downtown improvement district that can do it,” Thorn said.

“At the end of the day you just have to take action.”

Prince Albert, and any municipality, could find have the same success if a dedicated group was willing to work towards it, she said.

“It’s really is a journey– taking the first step, seeing how you can take advantage of your natural resources,” Thorn said.

“Is about people working together coming up with a plan, pooling your resources and really has things that create more investment and really create job.”

Now, thanks to some of the work of many, Moose Jaw was a thriving community with abundant investment, employment and community pride. It also has a thriving tourist industry and almost no vacancy for businesses in the downtown area.

City councillor and chair of PADIDA, Jayne Remenda, said Prince Albert is working towards have a similar vibrancy, but that the city still has a long way to go before achieving what Moose Jaw took 30 years to accomplish.

However, she point out that Prince Albert was already moving in the right direction.

“Prince Albert, as a whole, has an amazing history of people coming to the plate of fundraising and stepping up to the plate when something needs to be done,” said Remenda.

“It’s a great community, but hearing Deb’s story, about frustrations and that it wasn’t easy and didn’t happen overnight is the key message.”

adesouza@panow.com