Living in Weyburn has afforded Denis Conroy a life he is happy to provide his daughter.

 

He grew up in Nanaimo, B.C. before spending his early adult years working in the Greater Vancouver area. He spent 10 years in landscaping and as well as construction, working at jobs in communities such as Burnaby and Surrey.

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For nearly 10 years now, he has called Weyburn home after moving to the southeast Saskatchewan city with the mother of his daughter. Living closer to her family meant additional support for them in raising their daughter.

“I definitely miss my friends and family (in Vancouver), but overall, Weyburn is a better choice for me, especially having a child now,” said Denis.

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“It’s been a really great move. I started off not knowing anyone besides her family,” he said.

“The community of Weyburn has been really good about welcoming me in.

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Welcome to a new life

This feeling of being welcomed allows people living in Weyburn to explore their possibilities. When Denis first moved, he found employment with Nexans; a manufacturer of medium voltage power, underground and overhead distribution, and overhead power transmission cables.

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While he was paid well at the company, he found himself interested in a less physically-demanding job for the next phase of his career. He was intrigued by an opportunity at Golden West Radio, which has two stations in the city – AM 1190 and Magic 103.5. He applied and, after going through the hiring process, he was welcomed to the broadcaster’s team.

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Today, he is an on-air radio personality, giving him many opportunities to make connections in the community and see first-hand the support residents of the city provide one another.

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Supporting one another

“It’s a really good community for those who are creative and want to put themselves out there,” said Denis.

He sees people ready to help and give feedback to those trying something new, including those starting small businesses. People share with their network that someone has a new initiative underway in the community, helping bring awareness and buyers to the new venture.

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From his experience, he did not witness that kind of encouragement in the Vancouver area for small business owners, making it that much more difficult for their enterprises to become viable.

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He also notices that those who moved to Weyburn from other parts of the world feel comfortable sharing their culture and food with people in the community. He has met many other parents who once called the Philippines and India home now making a life for their families in Weyburn.

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Feeling at home

This feeling of inclusiveness is also evident to Denis in the opportunities available to families of all income levels. He sees how all families are able to participate in the community’s activities. It extends to finding a home in Weyburn. Denis says buying a home in Weyburn does not feel like a fantasy as it does to many living in Vancouver. Instead, buying or renting a home in Weyburn is much more affordable than what he found in Vancouver.

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Finding fulfilment

Whether he is accompanying his daughter to sports or bringing her to play at the spray pad or playground at River Park, both of them encounter people wanting to get to know them and allowing them to try new activities.

 “Honestly, it’s endless. I couldn’t list of all the opportunities for children and parents,” said Denis.

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Getting everywhere they need to go to participate is quick and easy. His daughter likes to play soccer and is interested in getting involved with cheer, gymnastics and mixed martial arts.

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Through his work, he participates in many community events, including Weyburn’s annual Communithon, which is an annual live televised event that features local performers showcasing their talents to raise money for community agencies. Outside of work, he enjoys karaoke at the Royal Bar.

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As a working parent, he appreciates being able to manage his work and personal schedule along with his daughter’s school and activity schedule so they can fully experience all that Weyburn has to offer.

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“It only takes a few minutes to drive from one end of town to the other,” he said.

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“You can almost always be on time or early.”

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Fresh facilities

He is impressed with the quality of the community facilities in Weyburn, including the elementary school his daughter attends. Legacy Park Elementary School held an open house held for families ahead of the 2021-2022 school year, welcoming families to walk through the facility built to replace three aging schools in the city.

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What today’s students in Weyburn will experience makes parents like Denis a little jealous. Not only is the building freshly opened and well designed, he trusts the staff working at the school to have his daughter’s best interests in mind and to stay in contact with families about their children’s progress.

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“I wish I could go back in time and attend that school,” Denis said with a smile.

Then there is the Credit Union Spark Centre, which features an art gallery, pottery studio, multi-purpose rooms, indoor track, simulator room, mini gym, multi-use synthetic field, children’s play space and an outdoor ice surface.

“I can stay within Weyburn and virtually everything is here, but, for that tiny bit extra, it’s not far away,” said Denis.

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Perfectly positioned

“Weyburn is nicely situation in between everything.”

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Weyburn is midway between Regina to its northwest and Estevan to its southeast.

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Getting on a flight back to Vancouver is about an hour away in Regina. Going into the U.S. is a 75 kilometre drive south of Weyburn to the Canadian/U.S. border.

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At this point in his life, Denis is happy to see his daughter grow and learn while he enjoys his work in radio and his life in Weyburn.

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