The RM of Edenwold is an active participant in supporting the local business community. The municipality encourages business through distinct programs developed with the support of business leaders.
Starting a business in the RM of Edenwold? Scroll down a bit and read some of our success stories!
Tax Exemption Program
The RM maintains two tax exemption programs. These programs can reduce your municipal taxes for a set period of time. One program is available for residential infill development, while the other supports commercial and industrial development.
To learn more about the RM's Tax Exemption Program, please click here.
White City Emerald Park Business Association
The White City Emerald Park Business Association (WCEPBA) is an organisation with the objective of promoting trade and commerce in the area and improving the economic, civil, and social welfare of the district.
If you are interested in joining the WCEPBA, click here.
Economic Development & Recovery Plan.
In response to COVID and to better support local business, the RM of Edenwold adopted the Economic Development & Recovery Plan. This plan was drafted with the support of local business leaders and puts forward several different initiatives to improve business safety and encourage economic growth and resiliency.
Click here to read the Economic Development & Recovery Plan
Green Fund
The signature initiative of this plan is the Green Fund. Through this fund, businesses can apply for up to $2000 to be used for landscaping improvements. Grant funds are allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis so don't wait to apply!
To learn more about the Green Fund and application form, click here.
Why now?
COVID-19 has drastically altered the way business is done in the RM and across the province. The RM Council has taken steps to support its businesses, including lowering the municipal mill rate on residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural properties by 15% during the 2020 fiscal year. It has also chosen to move forward with an Economic Development and Recovery Plan to support business directly.
What is included in the Economic Development and Recovery Plan?
The plan is being put forward in phases. The first phase, adopted on July 28th, 2020, includes:
1) First Aid Training - the RM subsidized First Aid training, available to business owners or employees working in the RM. The training was held in October.
2) Green Fund - businesses can apply for up to $2000 to be used for landscaping improvements. See above for more details.
3) Internet Accessibility Statement - the RM worked with the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) to lobby higher levels of government for better rural internet as people transition to work and school based out of the home.
The second phase of the plan, adopted on December 8th, 2020, includes:
4) Audacity YQR
Are you thinking about starting a new business but don't quite know what to do next? Are you an experienced entrepreneur looking to share your knowledge?
The RM has partnered with Economic Development Regina to promote Audacity YQR, an organization that celebrates local businesses and supports entrepreneurs throughout their unique journeys. The municipality will be using its media channels to highlight the work Audacity YQR does and how it can benefit local businesses, entrepreneurs, and up-starts.
To learn more about Audacity YQR and what they offer, visit www.audacityyqr.ca
5) Community Proud RFP Policy
Are you curious how the RM supports local businesses through its procurement practices?
The RM has begun work on a Request for Proposal (RFP) policy, which will formalize our current process of prioritizing local businesses during the RFP process.
If you are a local business owner interested in learning how the Community Proud RFP Policy may impact you, please contact info@edenwold-sk.ca
6) Business Counts Survey
Are you a business owner concerned about the future? Do you wish the RM had more information when making decisions that impact you?
The RM is planning on releasing a Business Counts 2022 Survey. This survey will be sent to all local businesses and collect information on the economic effects of COVID-19. This survey will also be promoted in association with the Strategic Plan and help gather feedback from the business community regarding strategic goals.
If you are a business owner or employee, please keep your eyes open for the Business Counts 2022 Survey! This survey will help inform future RM policy and ensure the municipality is supporting local businesses.
BUSINESS SUCCESS STORIES
PRAIRIE HARLEY DAVIDSON
Hertzog is the owner of Prairie Harley Davidson, which has its roots in Regina that go back to 1936. He dreamed of expanding his business, waiting for an opportune time to develop.
That time came after improvements were made to Highway 1 east of Regina as part of the Regina Bypass Project. These improvements created new overpasses for Pilot Butte, White City and Balgonie to improve safety.
Access to and from Highway 1 was an important consideration for Hertzog in choosing the property for his business. He also appreciated how visible his business would be to those travelling on Highway 1.
He and his wife had purchased the property about five years before they were ready to build. One day, they went out in their vehicle, walking the property and envisioning what exactly could be built on it, down to details such as how to orient the building on the lot.
When the time came to prepare for construction, Hertzog found the staff working for the RM to be very eager to help him with the paperwork.
“It was actually really easy. The permits were done right away, quick and easy. Everybody was great and really wanted to help out and see this happen,” said Hertzog.
The paperwork was done in August 2018. Construction started December of that year. Ten months later, the building was ready to be occupied.
The location he is at contributes to the experience Hertzog is looking to create for his customers. Now that he has the building and the space that created, he is interested in growing his team. He is looking for people who understand and appreciate the experience he creates for his customers to become employees.
He is also looking forward to further business development around him to draw more people to the area. Tax incentives would be a strong draw and a benefit to the RM of Edenwold.
Those looking to build a business would appreciate the break on taxes in their early years of their long-term commitment to the municipality.
“Tax incentives should be a huge selling feature for the RM,” said Hertzog.
RAMADA INN
Working together rather than against each other makes a lot of sense to Matt Kuzmicz these days.
He has been in business quite a while in the RM of Edenwold with his hand in a number of businesses, including the Ramada by Wyndham Emerald Park/Regina East, Great Plains Auctioneers, and Paladyne Management Ltd. He’s also part of Kuzmicz Farms.
He’s proud that he could rely on people from the RM of Edenwold area for so many aspects of the construction of the 70,000 ft² hotel.
His appreciation for coming together goes beyond the hotel to the wider business community in the area, which he thinks is demonstrating why it is important for these municipalities to collaborate.
As a resident of White City who works in the RM of Edenwold, he has a foot in both municipalities and wants to see more cooperation between the two. When he looks at what the RM of Edenwold has done for the town of White City and then considers what has been said about the RM of Edenwold by some in White City’s government, it doesn’t add up for him.
Being part of the White City-Emerald Park Business Association, he sees the municipalities having a relationship, but being independent of one another as advantageous. Having two municipalities side-by-side competing to attract business means those looking to start a business in the area can compare when choosing where to locate their operations. That healthy competition provides checks and balances that benefits those living and running businesses in the area.
“It boggles my mind why people are pushing to have one government body that tells you what to do,” said Kuzmicz.
“We have a great, unique situation here. Let’s champion it, not tear it apart or have one absorb the other.”
“It’s a fact of life you teach your kids. You don’t bully and try to take over another person. We’re grown-ups. Let’s act like it.”
FANCY FORK CAFE & BISTRO
After opening businesses in numerous Canadian cities, Jony Rahaman feels at home in the RM of Edenwold with his newest business, Fancy Fork Café & Bistro.
The welcome he received from the municipality is a significant reason why he feels so at home. The ease of working with those at the RM of Edenwold’s office was unlike any experience he has had during his 12 years living in Canada after moving from Bangladesh.
He chose to locate his business in the municipality because he saw an opportunity to open a local restaurant that offers meals that satisfy those looking for international flavours as well as Canadian classics. He, along with chefs Mamun Khosur and Abdullah Mahmud, went into business together to open their new restaurant in April 2022.
“When I applied for the business registration, I submitted the application in the morning and received the registration that evening,” said Rahaman, who appreciates the communication the RM of Edenwold maintains with people needing its services.
“They caused me no stress when I was already dealing with contractors and vendors in getting the business ready to open.”
But it got better from there. After the business opened, the RM of Edenwold helped to promote it.
“As a business owner, I could not expect more than that.”
He appreciates that the RM of Edenwold wants its local business owners to succeed and makes it effortless for business owners to get started. He finds the RM to be very well organized and prepared to explain all that a business owner needs to know to operate in the municipality.
That is not the experience he has had in other municipalities in Canada or even Saskatchewan.
“I would highly recommend the RM of Edenwold to any immigrant wanting to start their own business.”
ASPEN LINKS
The RM of Edenwold has had a golf course in the municipality for decades and now that golf course has a fresh start with a new clubhouse.
A fire consumed and destroyed the original clubhouse that was in use since Aspen Links first opened in the RM of Edenwold in 1987. Since that fire in 2011, the golf course relied on temporary solutions to locate its club and food services.
Now, a new building is in operation as of September 2021. The golf course and its clubhouse have been embraced by the RM of Edenwold as part of the community, contributing to residents’ quality of life. The new clubhouse is of interest to more than golfers. In addition to offices and a restaurant, there is also space for a daycare.
The RM of Edenwold’s support of the golf course also helps draw visitors from outside the RM to visit it as well as other businesses.
Operating a business that requires a significant amount of land in the middle of a municipality could present challenges, but that has not been the case for Aspen Links in the RM of Edenwold. The golf course has a good working relationship with those who border it.
“The RM and the surrounding communities and other businesses have been very welcoming to us and very supportive, so it's been really great that way,” said Amanda O’Donnell, the events coordinator for Aspen Links.
EMMANUEL VILLA
The RM of Edenwold is a vibrant community bringing old and young together. The RM is proud of a significant resource, a long-term care home, Emmanuel Villa Personal Care Home.
This personal care home in Emerald Park offers a full scope of care from levels 1-4, including palliative and end-of-life care. Care is provided by nurses and other caregivers 24 hours a day. Emmanuel Villa has a reputation for its sincere and genuine loving care, whether serving those who are ailing or those enjoying good health.
“Emmanuel Villa was built for one thing: to give dignity and respect to our seniors. It’s about the way we care for them. The way we talk to them. The way we respond to their needs. We are sensitive and focus on the resident’s preferences,” said Bunmi Onasanya, a registered nurse and the CEO of Emmanuel Villa. “For me, it’s not a business; it is a sincere passion that goes beyond. We are here to care.”
The home offers an incredible view, as it backs a lush green nine-hole golf course that was designed with four wings of 20 rooms each. This design allows for this sizeable facility to ensure each wing operates as a unit, nurturing a more personal feeling to the care. There is plenty of room to walk and move inside and out. The screened-in balcony offers a gentle breeze and a quiet place to relax.
“Our quality of service shows the moment you walk through the doors. From the staff to the residents, there are smiles and happy faces, and it gives me great fulfillment,” said Onasanya. “To make a difference in someone’s life and for our residents to know they are well cared for is my reward. The care providers and nurse leaders we have hired provide a vision and direction to support quality, safe care, " notes Onasanya.
Emmanuel Villa desires to support health care and the people of Saskatchewan by opening long-term beds, which are very much needed in the Regina region of the province. The RM of Edenwold and the Onasanya family are pleased to support the needs of the Saskatchewan people!
“We decided to build and open Emmanuel Villa in Emerald Park because it’s serene and quiet and a beautiful community. I wouldn’t want to work with any other RM,” added Onasanya. “The support, the attention, the RM of Edenwold went far and beyond. They supported our endeavor and took us in – we feel like family. The growing community is very close to Regina, yet it offers wide open spaces that make our residents feel connected with their province, which warms our hearts.”