Optimism in Weyburn seems to be on the rise. It comes at the same time there has been an upswing in commodity prices which are integral to the Weyburn economy. Oil is at the highest it has been since late 2014, and other resources are seeing boosts as well.

Twila Walkenden is the executive director of the Weyburn Chamber of Commerce. She observed the boost in spirits in the community is almost everywhere.

“We do see an uptick in the activity in Weyburn,” Walkenden said. “In general, I see that even traffic levels have increased, and when you go places, people have a smile on their face.”

Many businesses in Weyburn are also seeing a boost, especially some which cater more to the wants of the individual, as opposed to the necessities such as groceries. One of those is Minard’s Leisure World.

“The amount of sales we are seeing already, and we’ve just nicely got started, it’s looking really, really good,” said Susan Minard.

The demographics of the community are also helping to boost optimism in Weyburn. Walkenden pointed out 51 percent of the population is under 40 years old according to the latest census numbers. This is well above the provincial average of 40 percent. With a younger base, people tend to be looking towards the future.

“It’s the attitude that goes a long way, and I see that Weyburn really thrives on having a positive attitude, and that’s going to take us through the good times and the bad times.”