The news article by Daniel Bushman is published in the January 20, 2025 issue of Lanigan Advisor.
With a number of projects taking place, a municipal election and a focus on inclusivity and diversity in 2024, moving into 2025, the Town of Lanigan is optimistic for the future.
Creating a strong foundation and poised to continue an upward trajectory, Town of Lanigan Mayor Tony Mycock said, “The community offers its residents a vibrant, growing community while preserving the warmth and camaraderie that have always been at the heart of the town.”
As part of that, Mycock along with Lanigan Chief Administrative Officer Ron McCullough collected a few highlights from 2024 and noted what residents can expect for 2025.
One of the more notable items in Lanigan has been the new school currently being constructed. “This will be a huge asset for us and it is scheduled to open in May 2025,” shared Mycock. “We worked with Horizon School Division on the school access road which is nearing completion and it will give access to the back of the school for buses so they don’t have to drive through town where kids walk to school. This will help ease traffic congestion and ensure the safety of students.”
Once completed, the new facility will replace the current elementary and high schools in the community and will feature numerous upgrades including a pair of gymnasiums and a presentation stair.
Along with the education sector, health care has also been a significant piece of the community and Mycock was pleased to see funding secured in 2024 for a nurse practitioner and a third doctor. “This will help to expand services available at the local hospital and will help the hospital get back to being open with full time hours.”
Currently the Lanigan Hospital is open throughout the week with emergency services offered during the day. “Our goal is that we will be able to open 24 hours a day, seven days per week with an emergency department while having beds open. Health care capacity is a major step toward improving the quality of life for Lanigan residents, which is also really important to support growth of our community.”
Just down the road from the hospital, the Lanigan and District Waterpark marked a milestone in 2024 as the final piece for the building was installed during the fall. Adding a waterslide feature to the pool put the finishing touches on the multi-million dollar recreational facility. “The plan is to do the commissioning of the new slide in the spring so it is ready for the 2025 swimming season. Council is also talking about what other aspects we can add in and around the new pool to enhance recreation in the community.”
Having a new school being constructed, funding for additional health care positions and opening a brand new waterpark has all provided the opportunity for growth within the community. As part of that, Mycock noted the Town of Lanigan have been able to make significant progress in attracting new residents and businesses. “We have really been working on development readiness, rezoning, and preparing Lanigan to grow. This was a main focus of council in 2024 and continues to be the direction of the new council going into 2025. It is our vision to have a thriving community that continues to offer opportunities for both residents and businesses.”
Also in 2024, municipal elections were held across the province including in Lanigan. As part of those elections, a few members of the local council elected not to seek re-election, creating a leadership transition. Following the election where Mycock was joined by familiar and new faces on council, Dr. Gordon McIntosh was brought in to do council governance training as well as work with the group on strategic planning.
“Going into my ninth year being on council, this was for sure was one of the best starts for a new council. Dr. McIntosh really simplifies things and got us all understanding not just the legislation but understanding the grey areas as well. The strategic planning was huge as well for the fact that it got us all on the same page as far as setting out priorities for 2025 and beyond. This will all tie into approving the 2025 budget.”
In addition to the changes taking place in 2024, one of the areas of focus from leadership was inclusivity and diversity, something Mycock said will continue into 2025 and beyond. “As immigration continues to grow in Saskatchewan, Lanigan is committed to ensuring that all residents feel welcome. We really want to keep working on inclusion and diversity in the town. Everyone needs to feel welcome and included no matter what their backgrounds are.”
Looking at the remainder of 2025, Mycock said the growth of the community will be a central focus. “We want to see our community continue to grow as far as residential development, business development, and commercial development. We want to grow Lanigan while maintaining the positives for Lanigan. We’re a small community, everybody knows each other, it is a really great place to live and raise a family and we don’t want to lose our small town feel.”
Mycock noted council also wants to foster community spirit through local events and work on planning for different events in 2025. Wanting to get residents of the community involved, more initiatives to coincide with events like Celebrate Lanigan are on the docket in an effort to see people come together.
“As Lanigan moves into the new year, council and I are optimistic about the future. I am excited as the mayor of Lanigan going into 2025 and beyond. We have a four year term, and we are looking forward to working together and with the community to continue to build and grow Lanigan.”