Several dignitaries were on hand as SaskPower officially kicked off the construction of the Great Plains Power Plant in the Moose Jaw Agri-Food Industrial Park. 

The $780 million project will construct a 350-megawatt natural gas power station, enough power to service the equivalent of Saskatoon. 

This project is spending $140 million for local participation and $10 million for Indigenous participation. 

“A $140 million injection to a community means a lot of jobs, long-term growth, and the ability of those communities to continue to provide services by way of schools, hospitals, roadways. So, we’re excited about it,” said Minister Responsible for SaskPower Don Morgan. 

Mayor Fraser Tolmie said he was excited to be breaking ground, but there was also an element of relief. 

“There were numerous times that I’ve said along the way that this project faced challenges. Initially, we weren’t considered for this, and so we went after it,” Tolmie said.  

“Our team worked very hard to convince SaskPower and the province that this was the right location.” 

Burns & McDonnell were selected as the contractors for the project and contracts have already been awarded to Allan Construction from Saskatoon and PCL Industrial Management from Regina. 

Work on the site began in March of this year and it is expected to be completed by 2024. Morgan said, the power plant will not only put Saskatchewan in a good position for power within the province, but it will also open up marketing opportunities. 

“At any given time, we’re able to buy or sell power from Manitoba and into the U.S. if necessary. So, if we have excess power here, and they are short in North Dakota and Montana were certainly will be in a position to market excess power,” he said. 

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