by SHCA SHCA

WCB Shares 2022 Results in Annual General Meeting

At the end of May, the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) shared its 2022 results at its annual general meeting (AGM), held in Saskatoon. The WCB’s CEO, Phillip Germain, and members of the WCB’s executive team also provided attendees with an overview of the WCB’s financial, strategic and operating highlights, including 2022 workplace injuries and fatalities statistics.

The WCB has remained in a fully funded position at 114.8 per cent in 2022, an increase from 107.6 per cent in 2021. The improvement in the funded position is primarily related to the reduction in the benefits liability, based on changing claim cost experience compared to expectations, and changes in actuarial methods and assumptions. This position ensures that the organization has the capacity to cover the future costs of all claims in the system.

“Maintaining a strong funding position is vital to support injured workers in our province through benefits and programs to help restore their abilities,” said Germain. “A solid funding position also provides employers with the confidence that their needs will be met, as we strive toward enhancing our efficiencies and customer experience.”

In March 2023, WorkSafe Saskatchewan, the partnership between the WCB and the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, launched a new strategy that focuses on two key streams of work that will be undertaken to reduce injuries and fatalities – a regulatory and enforcement stream, and a prevention and learning stream. Building on the success of the initial strategy launched in 2019, the new strategy lays out a direction for working together with stakeholders to address high-risk industries and occupations that are resulting in workplace fatalities and injuries.

“Without question, we must continue to work together to make all workplaces in Saskatchewan safe,” said Germain. “Working with our stakeholders – including employers, unions, researchers and associations – the updated Fatalities and Serious Injuries Strategy will guide us in our efforts to bring injury rates down. We will continue to work with our partners to enhance our workers’ compensation system and to ensure that every Saskatchewan worker returns home safely at the end of each workday.”

For more information on these results, the WCB’s 2022 annual report is available online at wcbsask.com.

by SHCA SHCA

Highway Construction Season in Full Swing

When the daylight hours become longer and warmer weather rolls in, construction equipment rolls out onto Saskatchewan highways. The Government of Saskatchewan is reminding travellers to keep an eye out for highway construction zones across the province. 

“The Ministry of Highways has crews working all over the province making improvements to our transportation network,” said Highways Minister Jeremy Cockrill. “Let’s keep them safe, so everyone gets home safe at night. We have lots of work going on and these slowdowns are only temporary.”

Some major construction projects will continue or be completed to improve safety and traffic flow, including:

  • Continuing passing lanes and widening on Highway 5 from Saskatoon to Highway 2; 
  • Beginning construction of twinning projects near Rowatt and Corinne on Highways 6 and 39 between Regina and Weyburn; and
  • Beginning upgrades on Highway 15 east of Kenaston between Highways 11 and 2

“Provincial road builders employ close to 30,000 workers, making our industry one of the largest employers in the province, and they are working to build Saskatchewan,” said Shantel Lipp, Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association president. “We want to remind drivers to be patient and drive with caution while our builders go to work on the roads this season. This will help ensure their safety as well as yours.”

“Our members are pleased to work with our partners at the Ministry of Highways to make strategic improvements to the transportation network,” said Bev MacLeod, executive director of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Saskatchewan. “These improvements will make the highway system better and safer for all the people of Saskatchewan.”

There are plans to improve another 1,000 km of highways, for a total of more than 4,600 km of highways improved over the last four years. Improvements this year include:

  • 230 km of repaving;
  • 300 km of medium treatments, like micro surfacing;
  • 340 km of pavement sealing;
  • 115 km of thin membrane surface (TMS) and rural highway upgrades; and
  • 35 km of gravel rehabilitation.

Highways will also invest $62.8 million to repair or rebuild 14 bridges and replace more than 100 culverts across the province. Significant bridge projects include

replacing the Montreal River Bridge on Highway 2 near Weyakwin and

rehabilitating the Highway 6 bridge over Regina’s Ring Road for traffic heading north into the city.

zhaojiankangphoto/123rf

by Shantel Lipp Shantel Lipp

How Purposeful Infrastructure Grows Our Economy

Shantel Lipp

Summer is here and construction is underway with crews working across the province on projects that are making transportation in this province better. 

Many Saskatchewan drivers travelling this summer are going to encounter you on the job. While we want them to think about your safety and drive responsibly through your work zones, we also want them to consider what projects governments choose to invest in and what those projects mean to our province’s economy and our quality of life.  

Across Western Canada, heavy construction associations continue to encourage governments to recognize the value of investing in trade infrastructure. We know it is not just our industry that values infrastructure and the role it plays in our economy.

Those buying Saskatchewan commodities want to know that this province has the infrastructure to move what they are purchasing. Those who produce and move those commodities see how having quality, purposeful infrastructure that supports trade helps grow our economy, which generates revenues that support health care, education and social programming. That all contributes to the quality of life we enjoy in Saskatchewan and Canada.

To bring wider awareness to the importance of building and maintaining good infrastructure, which is key to our trade corridors, the Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association is running a campaign.

The voices of several industry and community leaders can be heard discussing the importance of investing in infrastructure as part of this campaign. You may have heard them during ads that ran on Rawlco Radio’s Newstalk radio stations.

We will also bring attention to their perspectives online, starting with this message, but in the weeks to come, you will find them on our website and social media platforms. I encourage you to share these social media posts with your network online to spread their words even further. The more people who see these posts, the more influence they develop, making this message about the value of investing in trade infrastructure part of important public conversations.

We have Susan Ewart, the executive director of the Saskatchewan Trucking Association, who said, “Our province has a lot of what the world wants. Global demand for made-in-Saskatchewan products continues to grow every year. The trucking industry is responsible for delivering those products to the world and good roads make that happen. A long-term commitment to investing in transportation infrastructure is what will keep the growth going.” 

She is joined by Tony Playter, the CEO of the Regina and District Chamber of Commerce, who said, “Regina drivers may be a little frustrated now that road construction season is upon us. But having good infrastructure helps our business community operate, prosper and grow. 

“By supporting local road builders to build and repair Regina roads, we keep those dollars in our community where everyone benefits. When our local businesses prosper, we all prosper.” 

Also from Regina is James Bogusz, the president and CEO of the Regina Airport Authority, who stated, “Demand for air travel is growing on a daily basis and Regina is no exception. Our airport is meeting the demand by investing in our infrastructure. This year, we are improving the major runway at Regina Airport that will allow us to grow and continue to connect to the world. A long-term commitment to investing in transportation infrastructure is what will keep the growth going in our city and our province.” 

Adding his perspective is Warren Steinley, Member of Parliament for Regina Lewvan, who explained, “In Saskatchewan, we manufacture and produce what the world needs. Last year, Saskatchewan agriculture exports were the largest on record with total international sales of $18.4 billion. What we produce here has to get to market.” 

To meet this goal, it is vital to maintain and grow our infrastructure needs. A long-term commitment to investing in transportation infrastructure is what will keep the province growing.

If you have leaders in your region of the province who would like to contribute to this campaign, I would love to have a conversation with them about adding their voice. Please pass along their name and contact information and I will reach out to them about our efforts. 

by SHCA SHCA

The Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board

The Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) remained fully funded within the targeted range in 2022, which means it can cover the future costs of all claims in the system.

“Under The Workers’ Compensation Act, 2013, the WCB is legislated to have sufficient funds in our injury fund to cover current and future claim costs for injured workers. The range protects against unexpected claim activity or fluctuating economic conditions,” said WCB chair Gord Dobrowolsky. “This includes providing benefits and assistance such as earnings loss, physical and vocational rehabilitation, prevention initiatives and other obligations under the Act.”

The WCB remains fully funded, which means it remained within the targeted funding percentage range of 105 per cent to 120 per cent in 2022. The funding policy is currently under review to align with new accounting standards that will be effective for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2023.

The WCB also reported that the 2023 employer premium rates increased to $1.28, a five-cent increase from the 2022 rate of $1.23.

Financial highlights of the WCB’s 2022 results included:

  • Claim costs were $189.4 million in 2022, down from $336.2 million in 2021.
  • The WCB’s injury fund was at $436.0 million as of year-end 2022, compared to $549.4 million in 2021.
  • The WCB had premium revenues of $304.0 million in 2022 (up from $259.5 million in 2021) and an investment loss of $132.1 million in 2022 (compared to investment income of $254.1 million in 2021). Investment losses includes realized investment income of $98.0 million less $5.4 million for investment expenses, less a $230.1 million decrease in unrealized investment gains for the year.
  • The WCB covered 400,392 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers in 2022, compared to 392,813 in 2021.

Last year, the WCB advanced the second year of the major corporate initiative, the Business Transformation Program, which is a $150-million, multi-year investment. Through this initiative, the WCB is engaging customers, partners and WCB staff in this multi-year journey to implement the changes that it believes are necessary to meet customers’ expectations now and into the future.

“Our program involves improving customers’ experience and outcomes, updating, replacing or introducing new technologies, and improving our processes and approach to service delivery,” said WCB CEO Phillip Germain. “The ongoing transformation of our organization enables us to further enhance our business functions and better respond to the needs of our customers, who are the workers and employers of Saskatchewan.”

To support the WCB’s vision to eliminate injuries and restore abilities, the organization promotes workplace safety and injury prevention for workers and employers across the province.

“While we’ve seen some improvements in our injury rates over the last decade, there is still more for all of us to do,” said Germain.

Injury data highlights in 2022 included:

  • In 2022, 90 per cent of Saskatchewan workplaces reported zero injuries or fatalities for the third year in a row. Last year, 39 workplace fatalities were reported, up from 31 in 2021.
  • The workplace total injury rate in 2022 decreased to 4.33 injuries per 100 workers, representing a five per cent decrease from the 2021 total injury rate of 4.56 per 100 workers.
  • The 2022 Time Loss injury rate increased to 2.04 injuries per 100 workers, up 0.49 per cent from the 2021 rate of 2.03 injuries per 100 workers.

For a more detailed look at last year’s results, the WCB’s 2022 annual report is available at wcbsask.com/corporate-plans-and-annual-reports prior to its annual general meeting on May 30.

by SHCA SHCA

Another Busy Year for the Highway Hotline

It’s been another busy year for the Highway Hotline.

“The Highway Hotline is a lifeline to travelers in Saskatchewan,” Highways Minister Jeremy Cockrill said. “Drivers get the latest information that allows them to make decisions to protect themselves, their families and other travelers on the road.”

The Hotline received 10.6 million website visits over the past year. That’s well above the typical number of visitors, but fewer than last year’s record, which was influenced by an unusual number of winter storm events.

The interactive Highway Hotline map gives drivers timely information about road conditions. It advises when roads are closed and when travel is not recommended. Last November, a new Highway Hotline smartphone app was launched, which gives travellers information on handheld devices. Saskatchewan’s Highway Hotline app is available at the Apple Store and on Google Play. It’s been downloaded more than 100,000 times since its launch.

Highway Hotline staff work closely with equipment operators across the province to ensure drivers have up-to-date and accurate information. The Hotline received nearly 675,000 hits during April’s spring storm that resulted in numerous highway closures in the province’s south and southeast.

The Hotline is not only for winter road conditions. During construction season, the Hotline gives drivers advance warning about construction zones. This information will help travellers make decisions to avoid delays such as leaving early or using an alternate route. 

The Hotline has links to nearly 50 cameras all over the province. These images allow travellers to see weather conditions for themselves and make better decisions. Check the Hotline as part of your pre-travel routine before every trip at saskatchewan.ca/highwayhotline.

by SHCA SHCA

CAA 2023 Top 10 Worst Roads!

From April 4 to 25, 2023, Saskatchewan road users including pedestrians, motorists, cyclists, transit riders and motorcyclists, nominated and voted for their worst, unsafe roads. The common safety concerns for worst, unsafe roads are crumbling pavement, potholes, lack of maintenance or repair, congestion, not enough signage and poor infrastructure.

Here are the CAA 2023 Top 10 Worst Roads:

  1. Saskatchewan 44, Eston
    Major problem: Potholes
  2. Saskatchewan 30, Eston
    Major problem: Potholes
  3. Coteau Street West, Moose Jaw
    Major problem: Potholes
  4. Highway 13: Redvers
    Major problem: Potholes
  5. Saskatchewan 5, Buchanan
    Major problem: Poor road maintenance (#5 in 2022 CAA Worst Roads campaign)
  6. Butte Street, Pilot Butte
    Major problem: Potholes
  7. Saskatchewan 9, Whitewood
    Major problem: Potholes
  8. Saskatchewan 123, Petaigan/Ravendale/Pemmican Portage
    Major problem: Potholes
  9. Highway 9, Hudson Bay
    Major problem: Potholes (#3 in 2022 and 2021 and #5 in 2018 CAA Worst Roads)
  10. Old Highway 35, White Fox
    Major problem: Potholes

A total of 292 roads were nominated and voted on during this year’s CAA Worst Roads campaign. These included roads and highways from across the province that have made CAA’s Worst Roads Top 10 list in previous years such as Saskatchewan 47 Springside (#2 in 2022 and #2 in 2018), 9th Avenue Southwest in Moose Jaw (#10 in 2022 and in 2018), as well as some new additions including Regina’s Connaught Street, Weyburn’s 1st Avenue Northeast, and Wanuskewin Road in Saskatoon. The collection of roads nominated and voted during this year’s campaign indicates that Saskatchewan road users are concerned about their safety while travelling on our roads and highways, with this year’s top 10 list indicating the roads that received the majority of the votes.

The CAA 2023 Worst Roads roving reporter stakeholder and road user interviews are on the CAA Saskatchewan YouTube channel and feature City of Saskatoon’s Todd Grabowski talking about improvements to Circle Drive, Mayor Clive Tolley from Moose Jaw, who provided insight on Moose Jaw’s 4th Avenue Viaduct, Ministry of Highways Assistant Deputy Minister Tom Lees, who addressed changes to Saskatchewan 155 La Loche, which was the #4 CAA Worst Road in 2022 and the #1 in the 2017 CAA Worst Roads, avid cyclist Sarah Bilawski, who shared her safety concerns, and City of Regina’s Kim Onrait on location in Regina’s Whitmore Park – home of two of the 2022 CAA Worst Roads, Grant Drive and Mayfair Crescent.

Weather conditions, age of the roads, heavy traffic and lack of maintenance can cause road deterioration. In cold climates like Saskatchewan, the freeze-thaw cycle plays a key role in creating potholes – a problem that occurs when temperatures regularly go above and below the freezing point. When rain or snow seeps through cracks and openings in the pavement, it freezes and expands, causing the pavement to heave upward. As temperatures rise, the ground underneath the pavement returns to its normal level, leaving a cavity or hole that breaks apart with continued road user traffic over the fractured pavement.

Saskatchewan is a landlocked province and has almost 250,000 km of roads, the highest length of road surface compared to any other province in Canada. These roads, often a lifeline for many residents, are used on a regular basis for business and leisure road travel and when these roads are allowed to deteriorate, road users pay the price.

CAA Saskatchewan is a dedicated safety advocate, and the CAA Worst Roads is an online engagement campaign aimed at drawing attention to our province’s worst, unsafe roads. This year’s top 10 list of worst roads will be distributed to government and business leaders in hopes of sparking conversation and action.

Working towards better roads and safety for all road users is a priority for CAA Saskatchewan.

by Shantel Lipp Shantel Lipp

Growing Our Economy

Shantel Lipp - SHCA President

I am seeing evidence that a conversation very important to our industry is being taken seriously by others in this province.  

I discussed in my President’s Message the report titled From Shovel Ready to Shovel Worthy: The Path to a National Trade Infrastructure Plan for the Next Generation of Economic Growth that was completed by the Canada West Foundation (CWF). 

We know this is a report that matters not just to our industry, but to our province, our entire country and the future. Saskatchewan people continue to hear announcements about private businesses increasing their production to meet the world’s needs. As the report explains, we need the world to have confidence that what Canada produces for export will be moved through the country efficiently and reliably so we, as a trading partner, are competitive globally. 

For more than a decade, those in the know have watched Canada spend money on projects that are ready for construction. Instead, a better use of that money would be to invest in projects that will provide a return on that spending by improving Canada’s supply chain competitiveness. 

The Western Canada Roadbuilders & Heavy Construction Association (WCR&HCA) helped initiate the Shovel Worthy report, but it has been endorsed by several associations and organizations concerned with the current investment, the lack of coordination and planning on a long-term strategy as well as the state of the federal trade corridors fund. 

Many stakeholders were involved in the preparation and release of the report, and since then, they have been sharing why this report matters. A coalition of five national organizations – Business Council of Canada, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Construction Association, the CWF and the WCR&HCA – are approaching the three orders of government to advocate for a national building strategy to invest in Canada’s trade corridors, which will amplify trade-based economic growth. 

We hope their advocacy will persuade the federal government to commit to a national plan for trade corridor infrastructure in the budget year 2024. This would help Canada reinvest in the assets that have shaped our country – and can make our country even better going forward.

Restoring Canada’s global reliability reputation ranking is critical and will require leveraging a coordinated investment commitment of the municipal, provincial and federal government partnering with the private sector. That collaboration will be part of what Goldy Hyder of the Business Council of Canada will be delivering during his speech at the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce Business Conference at the end of May. 

The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce represents the Saskatchewan business community and is known as the “Voice of Saskatchewan Business.” The theme of their2023 Conference is “Transportation and Infrastructure: Connecting Saskatchewan to the World.” The chamber says that those speaking at this event will address how we can unlock Saskatchewan’s transportation and infrastructure potential to position our province as a global supplier.

Hyder is going to speak about how Canada’s economy depends on reliable physical infrastructure to connect supply chains, enable people and goods to move freely, support millions of jobs, facilitate the energy transition and ensure that the economy continues to grow. 

Building new infrastructure in Canada has been made difficult – even though it does not need to be such a challenge. He will explain that governments must work with the private sector to expedite approvals for major, game changing, nation-building projects. The Shovel Worthy report makes the point that the private sector should be brought to the table as an ongoing contributor of sophisticated supply chain expertise and front-line operational experience to complement the best features of public-sector policy.

Also speaking at this conferenceis Highways Minister Jeremy Cockrill. He is expected to describe how being a landlocked province presents challenges – making a safe, reliable and sustainable transportation system essential if this province is to compete in the global marketplace. 

Knowing that the “Voice of Saskatchewan Business” values this province’s infrastructure enough to dedicate an event to discussing its importance is highly encouraging. Watch for a report on his speech, as well as Hyder’s, in the next issue of Think BIG magazine. 

Just last month, I applauded Cockrill for signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Manitoba and Alberta to strengthen the economic corridors between our provinces. That MOU focuses on four areas of cooperation between the three governments. First, improve efficiency of inter-provincial highway and rail networks. Second, encourage the federal government to fund infrastructure and national supply chain solutions. Third, keep their economies competitive and grow capital investment, and fourth, harmonize regulations to support businesses, industries and shippers. 

That relationship between Saskatchewan’s government and Alberta and Manitoba’s should encourage the province to look at what we have been promoting for our industry here. 

Those neighbouring governments are making three-year commitments, but we know provinces would see more value from five-year investments. That will provide the industry, as well as those supplying it, some certainty so you can develop even better business plans and make sound investment decisions. That way, you are even more efficient and productive. Those supplying the industry – including those in design and engineering, materials, fuels, aggregates, oils and equipment supply – would also be able to organize themselves better so they are prepared for the level of investment made by the government. 

But it’s about more than the industry. It’s about the economic growth in this province and the benefits that has for us living here.  When you invest in the infrastructure that will get what Saskatchewan produces to market more efficiently, our province becomes more competitive in the world – which means even more trade. That grows our economy so even more revenues can be generated to support areas such as healthcare, education and social programming to make Saskatchewan an even better place to live.