October 2020

It’s not often we have the opportunity to praise the federal government for initiatives that will greatly help western provinces. 

 However, we learned earlier this month that Saskatchewan – and our industry in particular – will likely be the main beneficiary in a $10-billion commitment from the feds to support irrigation projects.

This $10 billion infrastructure plan aimed at the prairie provinces will span the next three years, with approximately $1.5 billion expected to result in 700,000 acres of irrigated land. It’s also expected to create 60,000 jobs.

The Lake Diefenbaker irrigation project is a top candidate to receive federal support. And our members are expected to play a major role in the development of this project for years to come. 

Our provincial government announced earlier this year it plans to spend 10 years working on the project that would allow farmers to irrigate 500,000 acres here.

It’s no secret that both the federal and provincial governments believe our industry is critical to spurring the economy and pulling us out from this funk caused by the pandemic. 

Combine this funding from the federal government with a record $437.4 million in tendered projects announced last month by the provincial government. That’s a full plate for our members.

Obviously, this is great news for our industry as it assures there’s work to be done for the foreseeable future. Both the federal and the provincial governments deserve praise. 

However, there’s cautious optimism with this inflated tender schedule. I’ve been stressing this point to government for several weeks. 

Expediting the awarding of contracts is incredibly important in allowing contractors to bid responsibly. Our members take on an extreme amount of risk during a routine construction season. But this year is anything but routine.

Tenders need to be awarded quickly with as little delay as possible and the work absolutely needs to be sequenced rather than it being a free-for-all delivery that would create unnecessary havoc.

The government listened when we lobbied to invest in our industry and increase our workload to spur the economy. Here’s hoping they listen when we relay the message of the importance of sequencing the glut of these tenders.

Road improvements are coming to 55 rural municipalities across Saskatchewan thanks to $16.5 million in funding from the provincial government’s two-year, $7.5 billion infrastructure stimulus plan.

“Our government’s stimulus plan provides an economic booster shot and contributes significantly toward meeting our Growth Plan goals,” Highways and Infrastructure Minister Greg Ottenbreit said. “Partnerships with our rural communities are key to ensuring our infrastructure can serve our citizens for decades to come. This funding will help get Saskatchewan people working again and ensure our rural communities continue to prosper.”

The funding announced today is part of a three-year plan with the Saskatchewan Rural Municipalities Association (SARM) to improve 100 rural municipal roads through the Rural Integrated Roads for Growth (RIRG) Program. RIRG assists RMs with costs of building and upgrading municipal roads, bridges and culverts to support growth.

“Infrastructure is fundamental to the movement of goods and services,” said SARM president Ray Orb. “Rural Saskatchewan is home to resource-based industries and supporting rural municipalities to maintain and build roads will help the economic recovery of the province.”

If you have questions or concerns regarding safety, signage, work zones and more, reach out to the Highway Customer Service Centre. You can call Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. at 1-844-SK-HIWAY or inquire anytime online.

The Government of Saskatchewan has invested more than $9.8 billion in highways infrastructure since 2008, improving more than 15,800 km of Saskatchewan highways. Another $300 million in highways stimulus funds will be invested over the next two years to stimulate Saskatchewan’s economic recovery.

They start with the same information, but they interpret it in their own way.

BMO Bank of Montreal has released its quarterly provincial forecast and it is something of a departure from another of the banks. The previous forecast showed a spread of almost two percentage points between what the Saskatchewan economy would lose this year and regain next year.

BMO looked at the same facts and has determined the spread will be only half a point, a 75 per cent improvement over the competing perspective.

BMO says we should expect the provincial economy will decline by just under six points this year and grow by roughly 5.5 points next year – leaving us half a percentage point lower after COVID. 

One other thing that separates BMO’s reports from the other banks is that they track provincial government debt as a percentage of GDP. And on this one Saskatchewan has now moved into first place among the provinces.

Source: Martin Charlton Communications

SHCA member companies understand how critical it is to pick up our partners. Leaning on local companies is the key to growth and success of our local economies as we recover from the shutdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Saskatchewan-based contractors are not acting alone when they go to work. They’re collaborating with several local partners in getting the job done. 

Our contractors are using local suppliers and drawing workers from our cities and towns.  We’re giving back to local communities that provide us with meals and hotel stays.

Leaning on local businesses for these amenities is far greater reaching than what it would be like if we sought the services of out-of-province companies.

Local businesses pay local and provincial taxes. In turn, their employees are living and working locally and paying local taxes as well. Overall, this is a greater contribution to our provincial GDP.

Listen to SHCA president Shantel Lipp talk more about supporting local partners.

SHCA is proud to partner with Regina & Region Homebuilders, Regina Construction Association, Saskatchewan Realtors Association and the Regina Chamber of Commerce on the Keep Regina Growing Campaign.

Check out the campaign website and Join the Movement – help us Keep Regina Growing!

https://keepreginagrowing.ca/

SHCA’s president, Shantel Lipp, was recently featured on the Women for Saskatchewan website, discussing the growth of Saskatchewan, the recent announcement from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure that tenders for upcoming projects reached a record $437.4 million and the role that the heavy construction industry plays in rebounding the province’s economy after COVID-19.

Read Shantel’s feature here.

Election Day is Oct. 26

The vote by mail application deadline is Oct. 15 – however you decide to vote, please do so safely.

Visit Elections Saskatchewan for more info.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic is pleased to announce the launch of the Saskatchewan Polytechnic School of Continuing Education. The school will focus on meeting the needs of the local business community by providing training solutions tailored towards industries in which professional training is in high demand. The School of Continuing Education brings together internal expertise to advance professional development programs, corporate training and micro-credential offerings. Courses are market-driven and consistently updated to reflect emerging trends and best practices.

“The launch of the new School of Continuing Education is coming at a critical time in our province’s history,” said Dr. Larry Rosia, Saskatchewan Polytechnic President and CEO. “It will allow for retraining and upskilling for those whose jobs have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The new school will also help businesses ensure their employees continue to have the skill sets they will need to stay competitive as their industries change due to new technologies, shifting demographics and other factors.”

“Having access to highly trained workers will allow Saskatchewan industries to better compete with the consistently changing demand of the global business market,” said Advanced Education Minister, Tina Beaudry-Mellor. “Micro-credential certificates and professional development programs will support Saskatchewan workers and position our local businesses to compete on a global scale, allowing us to meet some of the goals laid out in our 2020 plan for growth.”

To find out more about the Saskatchewan Polytechnic School of Continuing Education and how to access training programs, please visit saskpolytech.ca/continuingeducation.