SK Economic Fundamentals 2008-06

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Sask. to lead provinces in growth: economist

Due to "historically high prices" for commodities, Saskatchewan will likely lead the provinces in growth for the next two years, predicts a Royal Bank of Canada economist.

Uranium, potash, wheat and oil industries will boost the province`s growth rate to 3.5 per cent this year and 3.25 per cent in 2009, compared to the national growth rates of 1.5 and 2.5 respectively, Paul Ferley, assistant chief economist for RBC, said Friday.

"The impressive element in terms of what we`re seeing here in Saskatchewan is the wide range of commodities that we`re seeing higher prices for -- it`s not like it`s just energy."

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...ee-0350ac1f4398

 

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City and province continue torrid building pace

The building pace in Estevan, and throughout the rest of Saskatchewan, is continuing at a record pace.In just four months the City has topped the $17 million mark which is certain to place 2008 among one of the best year`s in Estevan`s history.Provincially, Saskatchewan hit another record in April and also had the highest percentage increase in Canada.The May building permits report for Estevan was released at Monday`s council meeting and confirmed what everyone already knew: the Energy City is one of the busiest places in the province.

http://www.estevanmercury.ca/data/stories/...rmits/News.html

 

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Fewer rental units in Moose Jaw: Costs increasing

As with the rest of the province, Moose Jaw is running out of rental units, rental costs are going up and, according to a Salvation Army spokesperson, it`s the poorer residents who suffer most.

http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/index.cfm?sid=143989&sc=3

 

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Multiplex builders has plan ready to go

Regardless of the final multiplex location and cost, Multiplex Builders Inc. fundraiser Gerry Westgard said his group has a strategy in place to help raise the money.
However, before he will release that plan, Westgard said the Multiplex Builders is waiting to hear the steering committee`s recommendations at Monday`s council meeting.
"We`re ready to rock-n-roll as soon as they tell us what`s happening."
Westgard learned about fundraising while working on Estevan`s arena project before moving to Moose Jaw 1 1/2 years ago.

http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/index.cfm?sid=143500&sc=3

 

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Local landfill fees increasing

Moose Jaw landfill fees will be increasing, although not for another six months.
During Monday`s executive committee meeting at city hall, council approved a city engineering recommendation to increase local landfill fees, aimed at boosting dump revenue by $357,000, allowing the facility to become a self-funded utility.
Ryan Johnson, city engineer, told councillors the landfill already generates about $550,000 revenue each year. However, that money currently goes into general city revenue and the facility, which accepts 60,000 tonnes ot waste annually, must apply for any funding it receives.

http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/index.cfm?sid=142419&sc=3

 

[joeiannuzzi]

RM ratepayers unhappy with roads

Community members of the Hamlet of South Waterhen just want a new road, a safe road.

A few members attended the RM meeting on Monday, June 9 to speak with reeve and council about the poor condition of their roadway.

The area which falls under the governance of the RM, became a hamlet a number of years ago. It is located in the Meadow Lake Provincial Park, and the road that is leading into the subdivision is in bad repair.

http://www.meadowlakeprogress.com/This%20W...ess/406698.html

 

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Railway shutdown a crisis for mills

A damaged railway line has been causing big problems at the three Meadow Lake mills since April, and there is no end in sight.

According to Meadow Lake Oriented Strand Board (OSB) manager Parker Snyder the railway, which is run by Carlton Trail Railway and owned by Omnitrax Canada, has been shut down since April 11.

"It went down without notice," he said.

http://www.meadowlakeprogress.com/This%20W...ess/406696.html

 

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Reflecting northern interests

With only two constituencies covering the whole of northern Saskatchewan, picking an elected representative takes on added significance.

As the parties battle it out in what has long been an NDP stronghold, the June 25 Cumberland byelection is being framed around the question of who best can represent northern interests while fighting for needed road, housing and infrastructure development and job training.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...9b-aa762e6fe61d

 

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Turning rubble into roads

SASKATOON -- Recycled rubble might be the ground-breaking key to making Saskatoon`s failing roads stronger.

Heavy construction equipment, buses and residential traffic are proving too much for many new streets. Some are developing "alligator cracking" --the industry term for webs of cracks that signal a road`s failure.

The city and University of Saskatchewan`s Centre of Excellence in Transportation and Infrastructure think they`ve come up with a novel solution that`s Earth-friendly to boot.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...db-5b183c88708a

 

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Nurse exodus feared

The Saskatchewan Cancer Agency is worried that the wage offer made to nurses working within the province`s health regions, if accepted, could result in a mass exodus of its nurses.

The Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) is voting on a final contract offer later this month that would see a general duty nurse`s wages increase by almost 35 per cent over the life of a four-year deal.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...30-250b7bd55c53

 

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Sask. seeks private power

SASKATOON -- Saskatchewan is looking to the private sector to help increase the province`s electricity supply, a program applauded by the Sask. Party government.

But critics of the plan say this is the first step towards private, for-profit power generation in Saskatchewan.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...83-601dee226bb6

 

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Vehicle sales helping drive economy

Saskatchewan posted another double-digit year-over-year increase in new vehicle sales in April for the seventh consecutive month, Statistics Canada said Monday.

Saskatchewan had a 17.6-per-cent increase in sales compared with April 2007 -- second-highest among the provinces. New Brunswick reported a 24.3-per-cent increase. Nationally, new motor vehicle sales increased by four per cent.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...17-d0bd956f3271

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Mice, bugs chase man from rental home

Randy McMurtry has paid this month`s rent for a house in Saskatoon`s east end, but he and his three-year-old son have spent the last four nights living out of a camper parked directly in front.

That`s because McMurtry`s house is full of dozens of unwelcome tenants: Mice and various types of bugs have moved into every available corner of the house.

"It`s absolutely sickening. They`re everywhere," he said.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...7d-aec71c628a31

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Small city mayors seek infrastructure cash

The mayors of some Saskatchewan cities are hopeful they`ll be able to apply for new federal dollars for highways, water treatment plants, public transit and more by this summer.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...d3-bd9994662985

 

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Oilsands development has clear, long-term consequences

Last week I had an opportunity to interview Matt Price, author of the ominously titled report Canada`s Toxic Tar Sands: The Most Destructive Project on Earth. As I was speaking to him, I was thinking of a film with an equally ominous title -- There Will Be Blood -- which I had watched the night before.

The film turned out to be a good preparation for the interview.

Price, in town last week to speak at a public meeting about the effects of the oilsands on Saskatchewan, is convincing in his defence of his bold title. Alberta`s tar sands are massive, the size of the state of Florida. They are being steadily converted into a stream of pollutants, such as acid rain, which mostly ends up in Saskatchewan, and greenhouse gases, distributed worldwide. Exploiting Alberta`s tar sands produces higher greenhouse-gas emissions than 145 countries.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...68-d168235d2ce4

 

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Crescent Point shifts spending east

Crescent Point Energy Trust is betting heavily on southeast Saskatchewan`s Bakken oil and gas play -- and not on Alberta -- as it nearly doubles its 2008 capital spending plans.

President and CEO Scott Saxberg, speaking at the 2008 oil and gas investment symposium sponsored by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers on Monday morning, announced spending plans had been increased by $200 million to $425 million.

"Crescent Point has increased its production targets from 34,500 to 37,500 (barrels of oil equivalent per day), about a nine per cent increase (by the end of 2008)," he said, adding distributions to investors are being increased from 20 cents per unit to 23 cents, beginning this month because of high oil and gas prices.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...09-9eb0014cd099

 

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Power Play

SASKATOON -- A feasibility study into the potential for a nuclear energy plant in Saskatchewan will be complete by the end of the year, according to the president and CEO of Bruce Power LP, a nuclear power producer in Ontario.

The announcement of the study on Tuesday is the first step in the company`s Saskatchewan 2020 initiative, a plan to find potential plant locations, gauge public opinion, evaluate the customer base and decide whether or not to build the province`s first nuclear power plant. Bruce Power`s Duncan Hawthorne, who made the announcement in Saskatoon, said the province`s growing need for energy and availability of uranium are key factors in the company`s decision to look west.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...e0-3ba99d2d7ff0

 

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Regina unaffected by layoffs

A senior official with Regina Airport Authority doesn`t expect that Air Canada`s announcement Tuesday of 2,000 job cuts will have much, if any, impact on Air Canada Jazz flights in and out of Regina International Airport.

Derrick Thue, the authority`s vice-president and CFO, said all Air Canada Jazz flights to and from the city are flying at or near capacity.

"There`s no indication of how it might impact on Air Canada Jazz,`` Thue said Tuesday. "But with load factors here in Regina over 90 per cent consistently on most or all flights, I wouldn`t suspect we`re going to see any changes, in the short term at least.``

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...5c-abfdc5e62af9

 

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Plan will make a friendlier downtown

Regina residents are one step closer to seeing a more pedestrian, bicycle and culture-friendly downtown as the public got one last chance to provide their input for the city`s downtown revitalization plan.

On Wednesday evening, a draft concept plan was presented to the public by Jennifer Keesmaat with OfficeforUrbanism, a Toronto-based consulting firm hired by the city to come up with a plan for a revitalized downtown.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...9a-1ad3ce7a36b0

 

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Tax incentives used as bait

With a booming provincial economy, many Saskatchewan communities are undergoing something of a renaissance these days, but officials of at least one village aren`t about to rest on their laurels.

Theodore, which is home to about 350 people and located 45 kilometres from Yorkton on the Yellowhead Highway, is hosting a community promotion day Friday. Bruce Frederickson, who sits on the village council, said the event is meant to encourage more people to come to Theodore to live and do business.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...82-50ac900b0e81