What would you do with a northern Saskatchewan property right next to Highway 102? What If I knew of one going for $1?

That's if you listen to the word of Saskatoon-based appraisals company Suncorp Valuations, who were awarded a mid-summer (June 2020) request for proposals to look into the sitting value of available commercial, industrial, and residential properties in La Ronge; their formal report was presented to the newly elected Town of La Ronge Council this past Wednesday.

The 192-page dossier, which comes at the tail end of the property assessment calendar - residents' property values are due to be assessed by the Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency (SAMA) in 2021 - may have been in response to a local property controversy that entangled the last council. That 'land deal' was enough to make past mayor, and now sitting councilor, Joe Hordyski threaten litigation.

When asked if he thought the current appraisal was in response to this, Hordyski was not sure; Town of La Ronge Chief Administrative Officer Dean Yaremchuk declined to comment on why the work was commissioned.In Wednesday's regular meeting of council Yaremchuk pointed out that the SAMA data was indeed old, but that it was always good to have multiple opinions on Land Valuation.

Hordyski maintains that the value of raw land in the area continues to be an issue for residents.

"I think what Council is really going to have to do is look into more than one approach; not fully buy into the Suncorp study that was done" he continued "and do some comparisons -- What does SAMA think that $1 lot is worth? - maybe combine the two processes and determine something fair for the Community'