Report from the Legislature – July 14, 2016

Saskatchewan Job Growth

Saskatchewan’s labour market continues to feel the impact caused by low resource prices.  However, there is optimism as forecasters predict that our economy will begin to recover in the coming year.

Month over month gains in employment show that our economy is on the right track.  1,000 new jobs were created in Saskatchewan in June, led by growth in agriculture, trade and the technical sector.

Saskatchewan’s unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted) was 6.1%, tied for the second lowest among the provinces and lower than the national unemployment rate of 6.8%.

69,100 jobs have been created in Saskatchewan since 2007 – 83% of them full-time.

New Online System for Saskatchewan Businesses

A new online system will make it easier to register and maintain a business in Saskatchewan.  The province’s modernized Corporate Registry system is now available to the public online.

The new system, which is far more user-friendly for Saskatchewan’s business community, eliminates many of the labour intensive, paper-driven tasks that existed before.

The Corporate Registry system will make it faster and more convenient for businesses and non-profit corporations to search, register and operate in the province.

For further information on the new Corporate Registry, visit www.isc.ca/corporateregistry.

Choice, Convenience and Competitive Pricing – RFP Open for Retail Liquor Store Permits

The application process for five retail liquor store permits in Regina and Saskatoon is now underway – a big first step as we transition to an expanded private retail liquor system.

Changes announced in November 2015, include the conversion of 40 existing government liquor stores to private opportunities as well as the addition of 11 new retail opportunities.

These five retail opportunities are the first of 50 in communities across the province.  Successful proponents will be selected through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process.

The RFP documents can be found at www.SaskTenders.ca.

Government to Invest More Than 40 Million Into Bridges

Our commitment to enhance infrastructure in our growing province reaches far beyond roads. For example, we have increased our budget for bridges by almost 76% since 2008.

Bridge work ensures structural integrity, supports highway traffic, economic growth, and provides drainage through the road which reduces the risk of flooding to the road and surrounding area.

In addition to the 212 bridge projects completed since 2008-09, there are 36 bridge replacements and rehabilitations budgeted for the current 2016-17 fiscal year.

A photo gallery featuring current work can be found at www.highways.gov.sk.ca/2016construction.

Celebrating Saskatchewan’s Parks

There’s something to celebrate in provincial parks across Saskatchewan this week.  The Government of Saskatchewan has proclaimed July 10^th-16^th, 2016 as Saskatchewan Parks Week.

You can visit www.saskparks.net/ParksWeek for a full list of events and activities.

Total funding for the provincial parks system since 2007 is more than $200 million.  This funding includes capital expenditures and investment, operational funding, and parks programming.

New programs being offered include Learn to Camp, Learn to Fish, and the Cultural Access Pass, which provides newcomers free entry to day-use areas within Saskatchewan provincial parks.