New Infrastructure Means Saskatoon’s Tight Housing Market Closer to Getting Relief

As Saskatoon and area struggles to develop adequate housing for its growing population, Arbutus Properties and Des Nedhe Development today announced they will jointly build significant new water and wastewater treatment facilities in the RM of Corman Park, infrastructure critical for future housing developments in the rural municipality that surrounds Saskatoon.
 
Arbutus and Des Nedhe signed a letter of intent to jointly develop state of the art wastewater treatment/water treatment facilities. Construction timelines will be developed as part of the initial planning process for the multimillion-dollar facilities.
 
The water facilities will be located just south of Saskatoon at Grasswood Junction, a 137-acre reserve property owned by English River First Nation (ERFN). Des Nedhe, the economic development group wholly owned and controlled by ERFN, operates the property. Grasswood Junction houses 80,000 square feet of office space, a Petro-Canada gas bar, convenience and liquor stores, two commercial strip malls and multiple warehousing buildings.
 
The letter of intent commits both parties to develop, build, finance and operate the new water facilities, alongside other future parties who may join the partnership in the future. 
 
“English River purchased this land (Grasswood) for economic development. We are proudly building infrastructure to create revenue that will serve English River now, and for generations to come, setting us on the path to self-determination,” says Sean Willy, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Des Nedhe Group. “Relationships and partnerships are key to our success. We are very pleased to have partnerships with Arbutus and the RM of Corman Park.”
 
For Arbutus, the new facilities will serve its proposed Solair community, which is currently under development application review by the RM of Corman Park. When complete, Solair will consist of over 1500  homes and approximately 3500 residents living in condos, townhomes and single-family homes at a variety of price points, including affordable housing. This development is proposed to be located east of the CPR tracks and immediately north of Highway 16, adjacent to the Rosewood neighbourhood.
 
“Saskatchewan, and especially Saskatoon and area, desperately needs more housing and Solair will provide a variety of housing solutions. Additionally, Solair will be a green and innovative neighbourhood with a goal of being Canada’s largest sustainable community,” said Solair spokesperson Murray Totland.
 
“This letter of intent eliminates a major hurdle for us in developing Solair. We are especially honoured and excited to be working with English River First Nation,” says Totland. “We are also very pleased to work with the RM of Corman Park in addressing the extreme housing shortage this area faces.”
 
About Arbutus: Arbutus is a western Canadian real estate developer currently building a number of affordable housing complexes in Saskatoon’s Rosewood neighbourhood.
 
About ERFN: English River First Nation, with its head office at Patuanak, Saskatchewan, contains seven different reserves registered under English River Band. 
 
For more information contact: 
 
Murray Totland, Arbutus – 306.221.4694 
Sean Willy, Des Nedhe – 306.370.4340