I have seen so much growth and progress in Saskatchewan since I was first elected as part of a new government in the fall of 2007. Just four days after the election, I proudly represented our Province at the annual Remembrance Day Ceremony at the Moose Jaw Civic Centre, even though I wasn’t sure if my slim margin of victory would trigger a recount or be upheld to provide me the honour of representing our city and the residents of Moose Jaw North.
Brad Wall and the newly-elected Saskatchewan Party Government were excited to get to work to bring growth and renewal in Saskatchewan. There was a new attitude of optimism and innovation throughout the province. A bold vision was laid out in “Saskatchewan’s Plan for Growth – Vision 2020 and Beyond,” and the government set out to help the people of Saskatchewan create positive change.
Our population grew for the first time in decades. We went from the worst job creation record in Canada under the previous government to the third best in Canada. Strengthening the industry and resource sector put money into provincial coffers and our province attracted more investment. This was a notable change from the state of the province previous, as we were seeing schools and hospitals close and long-term care beds disappear. Over the past decade our government has worked to build 46 brand-new or replacement schools along with 23 major school renovations – investments that continue to be made including the new joint use school here in Moose Jaw. Fifteen new long-term care homes and three new hospitals in our province have also been built.
An injection of $9.8 billion in highways infrastructure has improved more than 15,800 km of Saskatchewan highways that had been crumbling and neglected. These improvements, the Regina Bypass and two new bridges in Saskatoon make travel safer for our residents and make it possible to expand our industries and our economy.
While I held responsibility as Legislative Secretary to the Minister of the Economy for Manufacturing, it was encouraging to visit growing industries in Saskatchewan; Doepker Industries in Moose Jaw & Annaheim, Honey Bee Manufacturing; Frontier, Bourgault Industries; St. Brieux, Commutron Industries, Elbow, Flexxifinger, Mosaic, and JNE Welding; to name a few. With supports put in place by our government, industries could unleash their creativity and determination to grow stronger. As a result, manufacturing exports grew 50 per cent.
In spite of many economic challenges in the past months, growth in Saskatchewan continues to outpace most of Canada. Saskatchewan continues to encourage economic growth. Last November, Premier Scott Moe announced Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan: The Next Decade of Growth 2020-2030. The plan has two overarching goals: to grow the province’s population to 1.4 million people and to create 100,000 more jobs by 2030. The purpose of growth is and has been to build a better quality of life for Saskatchewan people; to build a strong economy, strong communities, strong families, and a stronger Saskatchewan.
As I wind down my term as the MLA for Moose Jaw North; the determination and compassion of the people of Saskatchewan continues to be an inspiration that will continue to develop this province into an economic leader in Canada.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
