Construction wrapped up this past week with the help of local contractor Earthforce, who headed the operation.
The expansion was needed because the current landfill space was getting close to reaching capacity.
"At the rate it was filling, it wasn't going to be too long before we reached capacity - so we had to expand to create room to grow," explained Shaunavon mayor Kyle Bennett, who also serves as chairman of the regional authority that oversees the landfill.
The project included the addition of four new cells to the landfill, doubling the size of the existing site.
“This expansion will make a big difference moving forward and these new cells should last us a long time,” explained Kylie Entem, manager of the regional landfill.
Entem explained that the new cells were designed to be very deep, meaning they will take much longer to fill.
Although all of the costs connected to the project were yet to be finalized, estimates put the pricetag in the neighbourhood of $1.1 million.
The landfill operates under the direction of the Southwest Waste Management Authority, whose members represent the municipalities who have partnered to build and maintain the site.
The list of participating partners includes the towns of Shaunavon and Eastend, as well as the RMs of Arlington, Grassy Creek, White Valley and Bone Creek.
Bennett says the ongoing operation of the landfill site, and the expansion project itself, serve as a good example of regional co-operation.
“It’s a great partnership and a great working relationship that we have with our surrounding municipalities," said Bennett. “They’ve all been partners since the very beginning. It's turned out to be a terrific regional project and an example of what we can accomplish when we all work together. I'm just proud to be part of a project that is so important to the region."
The landfill originally opened in September 2011 after two years of planning and public consultation.
The regional landfill is located along Highway 13 between Shaunavon and Eastend, about 4 km west of Dollard.
