Funding for work on of a pair of highways near Moose Jaw didn’t grab many headlines when the provincial budget was released on Mar. 20, but Moose Jaw Mayor Fraser Tolmie is excited about what it could mean locally.
“I believe the city of Moose Jaw is a regional hub and that we have a role to play as leaders within the region for economic growth,” Tolmie said. “This budget, as it is passed, with some of the things coming forward for Highway 363 and No. 2 allows for us to be able to import and export trade beyond our borders. So we are actually quite fortunate.”
Tolmie was speaking following Saskatchewan Finance Minister Donna Harpauer addressed members of the Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce at a luncheon Thursday.
“This budget also includes over $60 million for twinning and passing lanes,” Harpauer said. “Projects around Moose Jaw include passing lanes north of Moose Jaw on Highway 2, continued work with the City to address a potential landslide on Highway 363… and $1 million over four years for runway expansion at the Moose Jaw Airport.”
Better access to the city and a more viable local airport would be key components for Tolmie’s long-term vision of being a central transportation hub.
“The potential for the airport expansion allows for other investors - where time and money is of a concern for them – to come into the city of Moose Jaw and it actually reduces their potential to spend their money in Regina,” Tolmie said. “If you can see what’s actually happening with transportation and the opportunities within the city of Moose Jaw, I think that’s a positive step forward for our community. So I can see that there are some positive things on the horizon for not only the city of Moose Jaw, but the surrounding area.”
The one item of local interest that did gain a lot of attention on budget day was the school funding that is ear-marked for Moose Jaw.
“This budget invests in our children’s education. One of the highlights is the $1.2 million investment for the planning and design for the new joint-use school to replace Empire, Westmount, St. Mary’s and Sacred Heart schools right here in Moose Jaw,” Harpauer said to a round of applause.
Saskatchewan’s school divisions will see an increase of more than $26 million year-over-year for this school year. Locally, the Prairie South School Division received an increase of more than $400,000 for the 2019-20 school year which increases their funding to $78.7M. The Holy Trinity Separate School Division received an increase of $200,000 up to $23.6M.
“The 2019-20 budget also provides $400,000 for the new, relocatable unit in Holy Trinity,” Harpauer said.
Harpauer said that the budget ensures that “Saskatchewan municipalities receive a consistent source of unconditional funding to invest in local priorities.” A new formula, developed by the province with the municipal sector, is based on revenue generated by .75 of a per cent of the provincial sales tax. Harpauer said that accordingly, Moose Jaw will receive $6.2M, an increase of 3.5 per cent from last year.
In late October, Tolmie was elected as the chair of the Saskatchewan City Mayors’ Caucus. As chair he represented Saskatchewan’s cities on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors for the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA). He said that from his position as chair SUMA played a part in having conversations with the province about municipal revenue sharing.
Those conversations between the cities and the province are also on-going when it comes to water security.
“We’ve been having conversations with the province concerning water security because, again, that is the building block for our community and so we will continue to have those conversations,” Tolmie said.
