2016 Year in Review — July
As we prepare to say goodbye to 2016, BattlefordsNow.com is taking a look at some of the top news items that made headlines and newsmakers over the past 12 months.
Two major announcements highlighted the early days of the month in Battleford. It was announced that two new doctors are coming to the Battlefords region and they will be accepting new patients. The general practitioners scheduled to start practicing at the Twin City medical Clinic in September. David Fan, CEO of the Prairie North Health Region, was excited for their arrival, as the addition of the two family physicians will help improve patient accessibility to medical services in the province.
Ten days later the second major announcement was made as the lot in downtown North Battleford now occupied with a “sold” sign will be home to a movie theatre. The city and Magic Lantern Theatres out of Edmonton announced a five-screen cinema to be built in the next year. Bob Evans with Magic Lantern says the project could play a big role in revitalizing the downtown area. Meanwhile Lisa Kissick with Downtown North Battleford hopes more new businesses will want to be nearby.
North Battleford’s crime severity index increased last year after several years of decreasing. It increased by 16 per cent from 2014 to 2015. Mayor Ian Hamilton says although he acknowledges crime has increased along with the rest of Canada, part of the increase could be due to increased police responses. He says initiatives like Citizens on Patrol take the burden of lesser crimes off the RCMP so they can work to stop higher risk crimes more efficiently.