SHCA recently had the opportunity to discuss industry topics and issues with Saskatchewan Minister of Highways, the Honourable David Marit, who is also the Minister responsible for SaskBuilds and Procurement.
In March, the provincial government announced its budget for 2025-26, which included a spend on highways set at $777 million and $421 million for capital projects. At the time it was also noted that Marit would be conducting Saskatchewan Construction Roundtable discussions to move the conversation forward on the importance of infrastructure investment in Saskatchewan.
Think BIG: What are you hoping to get out of the Saskatchewan Construction Roundtable discussions with construction industry members?
David Marit: The Construction Roundtable aims to build stronger, more transparent lines of communication between industry and the Government of Saskatchewan. Our goal is to work collaboratively with the construction sector to identify solutions to shared challenges, and to promote growth, safety and sustainability within the sector.
The roundtable serves as an information-sharing platform for government representatives and industry leaders to foster open dialogue, address areas of concern, facilitate collaboration and communication, develop strategic initiatives and celebrate the successes of both industry and government.
“Our goal is to work collaboratively with the construction sector to identify solutions to shared challenges, and to promote growth, safety and sustainability within the sector.”
– David Marit, Saskatchewan Ministry of Highway
We continue to look to industry for solutions to some of our major challenges, including delivering a significant capital plan as our province grows, and finding ways to ensure projects are completed as efficiently as possible. As we navigate uncertainties in the current trade environment, we rely on our industry partners to collaborate on solutions that support Saskatchewan and keep our projects moving forward.
Think BIG: Governments across Canada are looking at removing interprovincial trade barriers to allow for goods and services to flow more freely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Are there areas that the Ministry of Highways and SaskBuilds have been working on to help the industry with trade barriers?
DM: The Government of Saskatchewan will monitor any cost increases that result from tariffs. If necessary, ministries may bring forward cost changes through existing decision-making channels. Over the past five years, Saskatchewan has awarded, on average, more than 99 per cent of procurements to Canadian companies, with less than one per cent awarded to U.S. companies.
We recognize the situation with the U.S. requires all Canadian provinces to look at ways to expand exports outside North America and reduce trade barriers within Canada. The situation south of the border underlined the need for this work, but it’s something we’ve been doing since well before the new U.S. administration took over.
The governments of Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on April 11, 2023, to advance economic corridors between the three provinces, helping to expand market access for prairie products and create jobs. The MOU is focused on improving transportation infrastructure and services that provide vital links for the efficient movement of prairie exports and imports.
Through this MOU, the provinces will identify priority actions and collaborate on key issues, including:
- Identifying specific corridors that the three provinces can mutually work to advance
- Improving the efficiency of interprovincial transportation network and harmonizing regulatory frameworks
- Leveraging opportunities for joint advocacy to the federal government on regulatory and funding issues
- Assessing private-sector investment and/or Indigenous partnership opportunities in improving existing or developing new economic corridors
For Saskatchewan people, improving transportation links with initiatives like these supports our export-based economy, which helps the province invest in key services and helps build and protect our quality of life.
Think BIG: Will the province meet the goals set out in the Growth Plan by 2030? Do you anticipate the province exceeding these goals?
DM: The Ministry of Highways’ year-over-year progress toward that goal has been steady. Highways 2025-26 budget improves more than 1,000 kilometres of provincial highways, the sixth year of our 10-year Growth Plan goal. Planned delivery over the first six years is more than 7,000 kilometres, which is ahead of pace to meet our target.
As for SaskBuilds and Procurement, the 2025-26 Saskatchewan Capital Plan brings Government of Saskatchewan’s infrastructure investment to $21.4 billion since 2020-21, which is 71.3 per cent of the $30-billion Growth Plan goal. The Government of Saskatchewan is firmly on track to exceed this goal.
Martin Charlton Communications is the largest public relations company in Saskatchewan and one of the largest in western Canada.