Of the three business centres Nipawin always gives the impression of a higher tempo
then either Melfort or Tisdale. The wide four lane main street with its angle parking
is always active and it is usually hard to find a parking space. In the past year
there have been some enormous market place changes in Nipawin with the Met closing
its doors and Extra Foods stepping into that location, but at the same time the outstanding
independent grocer Bottrills closed. From a casual walk down main street things seem
to be about the same although I noticed fewer people from Cumberland House and Red
Earth then usual shopping on Tuesday afternoon then I might have seen a year ago.
Keep in mind this is just a casual observation with a ten minute sample.
The level of commerce is somewhat more diverse then Melfort and Tisdale as Nipawin
not only serves the communities of Carrot River, Cumberland House, Red Earth and
Shoal Lake, each with their large populations but it also has its share of agricultural
business with Newfeld Seeds and several agricultural machine agents. What makes Nipawin
different is the huge business the community does in tourism. This tourist trade
has evolved into a year round industry with fishing, winter and summer bracketing
a steady trade with hunters and campers in two parts of the year.
With the tourist industry continuing to be more an more established it is expected
that Nipawin's future remains positive. |