Enbridge receives warm Saskatchewan welcome from Village of Milden
September 29, 2017
A number of local residents turned up for presentation of the Enbridge check. At left is Ferlin Koma, Construction Specialist; holding the check at right is Mayor Travis Inverarity.
Turning off Highway 15 between Rosetown and Outlook in south-central Saskatchewan, the small and slightly faded sign alongside the five large oil storage tanks reads: Welcome to Milden – the Heart of Western Hospitality.
It’s a bold promise, perhaps, for a small village of approximately 180 people. But during a Sept. 20 visit by six Enbridge employees, Milden residents provided ample proof their sign is much more than just a catchy slogan.
Enbridge was in town to present a $15,000 contribution toward two public spaces tended by an active contingent of volunteers and a Milden Main Street corner lot project, which will enhance the entrance to the community and promote local events with new signage.
Rod Argue points the way to the Go-pher a Walk Trail.
The first public space is the the Go-pher a Walk Trail, which loops around the entire village for 2.4 kilometres and is used for walking, running, cycling in the summer and cross-country skiing in the winter. It features two bridges, night lighting, marker posts, several birdhouses, and boasts 18 varieties of trees. Trail upgrades made possible by Enbridge’s support include a new wooden gazebo, metal picnic tables, nature information signs, and designer bird houses.
The second is the Milden Memorial Garden, which features a stage that hosts monthly summer performances and houses a series of small gardens, including a cairn to honour residents who served or sacrificed their lives in WWI and WWII. The garden will use the Enbridge funds to install a new iron bench, flag pole and a cement pad for a barbeque area.
“Enbridge has been here for many years and has always been a good neighbor,” says Rod Argue, one of the Trail Coordinators along with his wife Olive. “Enbridge kickstarted the trail project four years ago with a $15,500 contribution and we’ve accomplished a lot since then with the help of 41 volunteers.”
Enbridge received an ATV tour of the Milden Memorial Garden and Go-pher a Walk Trail.
In receiving its cheque, Milden used the occasion to treat Enbridge to an ATV tour of the trail followed by a special community supper of smoked ham, locally grown corn-on-the cob, and potato salad. Fine touches included an Enbridge cake and tablecloths that matched Enbridge’s company colors. Before the supper, a short program featured speeches from Milden Mayor Travis Inverarity, his wife Holly who spoke about the Main Street project and others.
The Village provided a warm welcome for Enbridge – even a cake to thank us for the community investment funding.
Ferlin and others from Enbridge, including Dan Tischler (Supervisor, Area Operations out of Kerrobert), Peter Hansen and Joanne Bradbury (Community Engagement) thanked Milden for their outstanding hospitality and warm welcome.
“I’m from a small town and I’m totally impressed with how many volunteers you have in such a small community,” Ferlin Koma, Senior Construction Specialist with Enbridge, told the crowd. “Hats off to you people for all the hard work that you do. I’m privileged that we’re able to support your community through Enbridge.
“The trail and the garden are just going to get prettier,” he added. “I’ll be back next year. I’m not going to jog the Go-pher trail, but I might walk it.”
“We’ve had lots of positive feedback on the trail and the memorial garden,” says Argue. “We look forward to taking these community projects to the next level with this new funding from Enbridge, which is well timed and very much appreciated by everyone in Milden.”
The Enbridge contribution to Milden is part of the approximately $600,000 Enbridge is investing in 2017, to support community focused initiatives as part of the company’s Line 3 Replacement Program. In September, 25 communities in active construction areas in Saskatchewan and Alberta received such support from Enbridge. A total of approximately $3 million is earmarked for community projects along the construction right of way in Canada in 2017 and 2018.
The funding is over and above what Enbridge already provides through its ongoing Community Investment program and will go toward everything from playground construction, fire trucks, emergency response equipment upgrades, facility upgrades, landscaping and more—initiatives that support safe, healthy and sustainable communities.
