Potential buyers bid for Maple Creek properties

Posted on October 20, 2026 by Ryan Dahlman

By Marcus Day

Maple Creek News

Five potential buyers have submitted bids for 213 Jasper Street, the former Shop Easy and Salvation Army Thrift Store.

The highest one, $505,000, was put in by 2769197 Alberta Ltd., a numbered corporation registered in Alberta and said to operate in association with Cushman & Wakefield.

Town of Maple Creek administration recommended that the bid be accepted.

However, at its October 14 meeting, Maple Creek Town Council did not come to a decision after discussing the bid in private.

Earlier, Council accepted Wild Bill’s Towing Ltd.’s $55,000 bid for 212 Claustre Avenue, where Sunny’s Auto Body used to be housed.

C & D Pure Air is now operating from that address.

Acceptance of Wild Bill’s Towing Ltd.’s bid does not mean it now owns the building.

Further discussions with the company need to take place, paperwork has to be handled, and the transfer of funds carried out, if the sale proceeds.

Councillor Betty Abbott asked what would happen to 212 Claustre Avenue’s existing tenants.

Barry Elliott, the Town’s chief administrative officer, said that if the property sale was completed, then the new owners would become landlords. Under landlord/tenant legislation there are requirements for giving notice of eviction, he added.

Elliott said that if Council approved the bid, he would be notifying the prospective new owner and the tenant of the possible change in circumstances.

Councillor Len Barkman asked about the zoning of the property.

Elliott said it was downtown commercial C1, something he would be informing Wild Bill’s Towing, if its bid was successful.

He went on to read what was permissible in C1, according to the zoning bylaw.

213 Jasper Street and 212 Claustre Avenue were on a Town of Maple Creek list of properties “for sale by tender” under the provisions of The Tax Enforcement Act.

The other properties were 307 Claustre Avenue and 517 Maple Street.

On October 1, Elliott led a public viewing of the four properties.

The bid process concluded at 4pm on Thursday, October 8, and the sealed bids opened were the next day.

In reports to Council, Elliott recommended that the bids by 2769197 Alberta Ltd. and Wild Bill’s Towing Ltd. be accepted, and that he be directed to ensure funds received are distributed in accordance with Section 333 (1) of The Tax Enforcement Act.

Council’s approval for the 212 Claustre Avenue bid came in open session. With  213 Jasper Street, however, it went into closed session for a discussion on matters not yet in the public arena. Afterwards, Elliott said Council had not reached a decision.

Earlier, he reported to Council that five bids for 213 Jasper Street were received before the deadline. They were:

• 2769197 Alberta Ltd. – $505,000
• 2284146 Ontario Inc. – $500,000
• Daljit Sohi – $62,000
• Cypress Motors M.C. – $31,284; and
• 102183864 Saskatchewan Ltd. – $22,000

A sixth bid, said Elliott, was left unopened and returned to the sender because it did not arrive at the Town Office until 1.24pm on Friday, October 9, after the deadline.

“I can confirm the appropriate bid deposits have been attached to each of the bids received. In reviewing the above submissions, I note that the highest bid received was provided by 2769197 Alberta Ltd. Therefore, this is the bid recommended by administration for acceptance.”

He added: “I can also confirm that all of the above bids surpass the upset sale price of this property, which reflects the entirety of the outstanding property tax arrears, interest, penalties and tax enforcement-related costs and which is currently calculated to be $16,079.96. Any amount collected above the upset amount will be advanced to the previous property owner.”

Regarding 212 Claustre Avenue, Elliott said Wild Bill’s Towing Ltd. was the only bid submitted. It had been accompanied by a deposit.

“As this was the only bid received, this is the bid recommended by administration for acceptance.”

Outstanding property tax arrears, interest, penalties and tax enforcement-related costs are calculated to be $39,211.25.

Elliott said both property sales tied in with the Strategic Plan’s goal to “foster economic wellbeing”.

He added that the sales would result in annual tax properties from these properties being restored.