OUTLOOK - The community of Outlook is known as the Irrigation Capital of Saskatchewan, and now there are ideas being discussed over what could possibly be done to capitalize on that title.
At a meeting attended by 17 people on Monday afternoon, March 21 in the court room of the town offices building, Oliver Green of Outlook's Broderick Garden Centre oversaw the discussion on ideas that would help highlight the town's deep irrigation roots.
The central idea presented was that of a possible museum-like setting that would be centered on irrigation, including Outlook's beginning years and describing exactly what events led to the town being named the province's irrigation capital.
It was said that youth in the community could be utilized in some way, especially those who down the line may be interested in a career in irrigation.
Grant Pederson spoke up, noting that he thought the next couple of years could be used to have meetings and gather information in order to fully determine what the end result could be, sharing that it could be a big help in determining the confirmed direction of the project. Pederson also touched on the Gardiner Dam Visitor Centre down by Lake Diefenbaker, describing its popularity and wondering if perhaps something similar could be done to showcase the irrigation sector in Outlook.
Green told the room that he had spoken to Sask Tourism regarding grants that could be issued, sharing that there are different streams of funding and that such funds are not for "brick and mortar" purposes, meaning building construction.
One idea that was brought up was the notion of tours that could be done to spotlight the area in the absence of any physical tourist spot, as it was said that something like a simple stop at Gardiner Dam can sometimes be incredibly eye-opening to visitors who are traveling from afar.
"The people and the stories; that's what makes this area," said Pederson, on highlighting the history of Outlook and the surrounding area.
Jill Lee pointed out that the youth of the community need to be engaged in some form; they could be hands-on with what's being offered or they could even play a role that would grab the attention of visitors.
Cara Drury brought up the old swimming pool building that sits vacant down in the Outlook & District Regional Park, noting that it could possibly be used for something related to this project.
As well, the notion of a "traveling exhibit" was explored, with it said that it could open things up to new eyes on the road and if the material is really attention-grabbing, that may draw people back to Outlook to see what else there is to discover.
Whatever the ideas turn out to be that put a spotlight on Outlook's stored history in irrigation, there's a feeling that doing something about it now will turn out to be a good idea.
"The time is right to be thinking about this kind of thing," said Laurie Tollefson, touching on how the Outlook area will see change in the coming years.
A few people shared interest in forming a steering committee in relation to the project, including Ron Klassen, Ryan Husband and Jill Lee, and the project has the support of Outlook's mayor and town council.
