The City of Moose Jaw has sold the nearly 780 acres of land in the Moose Jaw Industrial Park to a British Columbia-based developer that will pay the city $7.8 million for the land and then more money on top of that in development fees.

Carpare Canada is a private industrial land developer. City Council has approved the purchase of the Moose Jaw Industrial Park for a British Columbia developer for $10,000 per acre to Carpare Canada.

Mayor Fraser Tolmie discusses what has been happening.

Council approved the decision Monday night at their meeting, and as per the agreement, Carpare has ten years to pay the $49,600 development rate per acre on the servicing for the land.

“All in told, it will be $59,600 for developable land,” Tolmie said.

Tolmie said discussions began last summer.

“We’ve had some very good conversations, obviously, as a result of where we’re at,” Tolmie said. “They’ve made several trips out to Moose Jaw, and we’ve made a couple of trips to British Columbia where they’re located to get to know them and do our due diligence on making sure we get a good deal for both parties.”

Tolmie said they looked at the potential that Moose Jaw has in ag-added businesses, and also in getting into the research of different foods and manufacturing.

“And then that just opens up the markets for the city of Moose Jaw, globally,” he said.

The vision for the community is to bring jobs, and this will start with construction for the land and continue with a long-term plan for employment opportunities to grow the tax base.

“When you attract business opportunities, you attract people,” he said. “And you’re expanding your tax base for homeowners as well.”

And Tolmie is very happy with the deal.

“This is just great news,” he said. “We’ve been working very hard in order to create opportunities for the citizens of Moose Jaw. I’ve said this numerous times, but we are on a global stage, and we have to think beyond our borders, and know that we not only trade outside our city borders, but we trade locally, nationally and internationally.”

The steps that are coming along with this project are exciting steps, Tolmie said.

If it were all in one hit, it would be $46 million coming to the city.

WHO ARE CARPERE CANADA?

Their website said they are a private investment and management company focusing on Canadian agricultural opportunities. They claim to want to “bring food grown by our family of farmers to your family.”

They have partnered 20,000 acres of land for providing the U.S. and Asian markets with grain. They have strategic sourcing and farms in Minneapolis, Minn., Winnipeg, Tisdale and Nipawin and Vancouver.

Their products include grain, oilseeds, pulses, forage and specialty crops and honey.

They announced a 45-acre industrial park in Tisdale, with a project date of December of this year.

During Monday night's council meeting, council voted 6-1 in favour of the land sale.