If you’re making your way around the city in the summer, you may notice crews of people mowing grass or watering flowers. These people are the city of Weyburn Parks Department summer employees who help maintain and beautify the city.
Five full-time staff members are employed through the City of Weyburn Parks Department year-round, 22 summer employees are taken on from May until around August. Curtis Block, parks manager for the City of Weyburn says day-to-day operations are very fast paced, the summer staff help address the many routine aspects of city maintenance in the summertime.
“It has been challenging in the past few years to fill these summer positions, but so far, we've been able to fill most of the 22 available spots. This year we had about 25 percent of the summer employees that returned from last year. The other 75 percent were new employees this year.”
The summer employees are organized into crews. They assist full time staff and oversee operations like garbage collection, mowing and trimming, maintaining parks and the cemetery, flower planting and watering, and urban forestry.
Block says anyone looking to show their appreciation can contact the Parks Department.
“I'm very quick to forward compliments to summer staff to recognize a job well done, a little bit of praise. They are working in all weather conditions. They're working in the heat; they're working in the rain. So yeah, they're hardworking, and without them, the city would not look the way it is.”
Block also shared the departments appreciation for these crews and the work they do.
“I just want to say a big shout-out to all these staff that help beautify our city. Without them, it wouldn't be possible. So, a big thanks to them. It's very much appreciated, the work that they do.”