Saskatchewan continues to receive good news on its economy. Our province ranked first in the nation in month-over-month retail trade growth, increasing by 3.0 per cent from August to September 2023. That’s a growth rate of five times the national average! The total value of retail trade was more than $2.1 billion in September 2023. These numbers are proof that Saskatchewan's economy continues to grow and that our province has the resources the world needs.
Our government continues to work to build and protect our economy so that it can continue to grow. Recently, our government announced the team of experts who will make up the Saskatchewan First Act’s Economic Assessment Tribunal.
The tribunal’s first referral for economic analysis and consideration is the federal government’s Clean Electricity Regulations (CER). The CER was published by the federal government this past summer. In the months ahead, both the federal oil and gas cap and Federal Fuel Standard will also be referred to the tribunal.
No other province has an independent tribunal whose exclusive role is to analyze and quantify the dollar figure harm of federal policies and legislation. The Saskatchewan First Tribunal will help protect the economic future of families, communities and businesses.
As we continue our plans to build and protect Saskatchewan’s economy, our government recently invested $80 million in the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) to pursue the development of a microreactor in Saskatchewan. SRC will apply the research and knowledge gained from this initial microreactor project to support our province’s nuclear industry and better understand the potential for future microreactor projects.
This first microreactor is expected to be operational by 2029. This project will create economic development opportunities and jobs while helping to provide a custom solution for our province’s unique energy needs.
As our provincial economy continues to grow, so does our province’s critical minerals sector. Saskatchewan is home to 23 of the 31 critical minerals on Canada’s list, plus the world’s largest deposits of potash and high-grade uranium.
This year, we have seen great progress toward our goal to increase Saskatchewan's share of Canadian mineral exploration spending to 15 per cent by 2030. In 2023 alone, our province’s share of the national total in mineral exploration is projected to increase to over 12 per cent.
More than 100 companies are actively advancing mineral projects in our province, from early-phase exploration to larger scale projects such as BHP's $6.4 billion Jansen Stage 2 expansion. Our government will continue to work with resource sector partners and stakeholders to grow our critical minerals sector.
A strong and growing economy allows our government to invest in programs and services that matter to the people of Saskatchewan. Our government is working to ensure patients have access to urgent breast cancer diagnostic procedures. A new initiative will accelerate urgent diagnostic breast cancer procedures, including breast mammograms and biopsies.
To help increase accessibility to breast cancer diagnostics, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) has implemented improvements including extended hours of service and performing additional volumes in Saskatoon. A centralized booking system for breast imaging and 3D breast imaging will also be implemented across the province.
The highest-risk patients are now receiving diagnostic care here in Saskatchewan. Eligible patients on an urgent wait list will receive procedures at a private medical facility in Calgary with travel and accommodation expenses reimbursed to a maximum of $1,500. To learn more about the out-of-province breast cancer diagnostic initiative, please visit www.saskatchewan.ca/medical-imaging.
As we near the end of the fall session of the legislature, I look forward to hearing from you. Your questions and concerns help me represent your best interests in the legislature. Feel free to reach out to my constituency office at 306-692-8884 or mjnorthmla@sasktel.net.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
