The downtown area of North Battleford. (Quintin Soloviev/ Wikipedia)

By Kenneth Cheung

MUNICIPAL MATTERS

North Battleford creates economic task force as major retail spaces sit empty

Dec 11, 2025 | 12:10 PM

North Battleford is moving to strengthen its economic strategy with a new advisory committee, as a recent retail analysis shows the city is facing high vacancy rates, major empty commercial spaces and significant leakage of regional spending to other centres.

Council approved the creation of the North Battleford Economic Development Advisory Committee (NB EDAC) on Dec. 8. The six-member volunteer group will advise council on business attraction, investment opportunities and long-term growth planning.

The decision comes as the city continues to manage the fallout from major retail departures.

A May 2025 Retail Gap Analysis recorded 996,175 square feet of retail space citywide and a 9.9 per cent vacancy rate, driven in part by the former 21,872-sq.-ft. Giant Tiger downtown and the 27,717-sq.-ft. Peavey Mart location in the south retail node, which has since been vacated after the company went out of business.

The study also shows North Battleford captures just over 45 per cent of its trade area’s retail spending, with the majority flowing to cities like Lloydminster and Saskatoon.

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Based on projected population and spending patterns, the analysis estimates the city could support 150,000 to 275,000 sq. ft. of additional new retail space by 2034 if it fills existing vacancies and improves spending retention.

Potential areas of growth include department-store-type merchandise – such as Winners, Marshalls or Value Village – as well as fitness and recreation chains like GoodLife, Fit4Less and Planet Fitness.

READ MORE: Retail future bright for North Battleford, but report urges downtown revival

City Manager Randy Patrick told council the committee is intended to bring broader expertise into economic decision-making.

“It’s more than just one economic development person and one city manager trying to think through that and provide advice to council. It’s a bigger group, and we’re really hoping to get a better response to council as to what to do next,” he said.

Patrick said the city is aiming to accelerate development. “I think it’s important we start to put this thing on steroids, development thing, and by doing this, I believe that’s part of that.”

The committee will include one councillor and five public members representing business owners, professionals and academic authorities. Two members will serve one-year terms and three will serve two-year terms to maintain continuity, with all future appointments set at two years. The group will also oversee three subcommittees focused on agriculture, energy, and manufacturing and processing.

Public members will not be paid. “Right now there is no remuneration for the committee,” Patrick said, adding it would be a low-cost committee with small expenses coming from the economic development budget. Council will choose the members after applications are received.

Mayor Kelli Hawtin said the committee aligns with council’s push to grow the city’s assessment base and broaden its tax capacity.

“How do we grow the city, grow the assessment so that we have more ratepayers able to take on the cost of running a city? That’s what those economic development initiatives are aimed at,” she said.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com