“We bought the strip to the north, which was once the Ludgate property,” Swanson stated. “We wanted to expand the trailer park there. It goes north to the Crocus Hill Road.”
While purchasing the western property from Western Archrib, they municipality is also in the process of selling the Buckingham East property to the company.
“Western Archrib had contacted us about building and expanding their business and we want to encourage that. So we bought their land and sold them ours.”
The idea in the west park would be to build eight new trailer spaces to the north of the existing spaces, moving up to 14 in the future. There are four trailers left in the east court, who Swanson said would be given first consideration.
“We met with the owners,” she explained. “They will have to move, but they will have the first option of the new lots in the new park.”
Work is starting on the property, with the plan for the first phase to be completed in early 2025.
“We’re doing the infrastructure work in the park now. This is positive for the community, opening up more space for people who come to the community to live.”
Sid Braybrook, general manager of Western Archrib in Boissevain agrees.
“Having more sites available is great for everyone,” Braybrook stated. “With the expansion of the Western Archrib staff, it was sometimes a struggle to find places for them to live. Sometimes they were here before we could find somewhere for them. This will help, having more space available.”
The glulam/mass timber manufacturing company has big plans for the eastern property. Braybrook said they want to build a lumber storage facility on the land, something they very much need.
Perhaps more important for the general public, the area will include a shipping/receiving area, with the company developing access to the Crocus Hill Road. As Braybrook explained, over many years, they have had to move lumber in, and finished products out, in the residential area between Broadway and Aikman Streets. This was never a great situation, with Braybrook saying the drivers showed great skill getting turned around in the small space.
“We have been coming through the residential areas, and with purchasing this property, we will be able to have a safer area for the semis to access. That will be good for us and the residential area too.”
Since the spring, the part of Buckingham from Johnson Street to Egan has been closed to through traffic, with Braybrook saying plans are for that to continue into the future.
Western Archrib will be taking over the property in the spring of 2025 once the trailers presently there are moved. A fair bit of work will have to take place there, as there are cable, power and water lines that need attention. The hope is the lumber facility for sure will be built next year.
The business has seen great changes over the last several years. There was the addition to Shop 3 in 2019, and in 2021 the joined the Northland Group. A new manufacturing plant is presently being built in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, which is to be up in 2026. Braybrook said the company will also be looking to do some work in Boissevain. Already by adding a second shift, they have increased their workforce from 45 to 70 people in town. It is in continued development.
“We hope our new facility is built in 2025,” Braybrook said, “but we are never really finished.”
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff