City council approved a recommendation on Tuesday night to have administration apply for grant funding to drill a geothermal test well southwest of the city. 

The application would be for the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program Capacity Building Stream of the Natural Resources Canada Infrastructure Program. 

The exploration will look into the geothermal energy potential for use in heating and industrial procession in the city’s Agri-Food Industrial Park. 

Coun. Crystal Froese was excited about the potential this could have. 

“Exploring geothermal energy here obviously, people know that we've had the geothermal well and that that actually started Temple Gardens mineral spa so that's been around for a while. But the potential of this is quite extraordinary in our area,” Froese said. 

The grant could provide 100 per cent of the funds needed up to $5 million. 

Manager of Economic Development Jim Dixon gave an update on the timeline of the project. 

“If we got a decision back by the end of the year, then you know we could really get going ASAP,” he said. 

Earlier this year, council approved $54,186 for a preliminary economic assessment of the geothermal potential in the southeast end of the city. The report will be coming back to city council at a future date.

Geothermal wells are not new to the city. The Temple Gardens Mineral Spa pool draws water from existing wells and the former Natatorium used geothermal–heated water from Moose Jaw wells.