City of Estevan predicts 350 total job losses following power station closures

A dragline works in coal pits in front of the SaskPower Shand Power Station on Tuesday, March 19, 2008 south of Estevan, Saskatchewan. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Troy Fleece (File image)

REGINA — The City of Estevan is predicting 350 total job losses following the closures of Units 4 and 5 at Boundary Dam power station, according to an economic impact study.

Westmoreland Coal currently employs around 360 people and SaskPower has 400 employees between the Boundary Facility and the Shand Power Plant.

The study says 100 jobs will be lost in mining and 50 will be lost in utilities, with another 200 projected lost jobs througout the city as a result.

Across the city, the population is also expected to drop by 635, with households across the city expected to lose a total of $65 million in income.

The city expects real estate to continue to be impacted through the transition period.

Estevan’s GDP is also expected to be reduced by $200 million per year.

The study commissioned by Economic Development Estevan notes the introduction of other technologies like nuclear small modular reactors are “key to the provincial and federal goal of emissions reduction.”