Saskatchewan Economic Fundamentals

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No conflict over condos: councillor

Just because he works in real estate law and has represented clients buying and selling local apartment buildings and condos, that doesn`t mean he`s in a conflict of interest when voting on the issue of condo conversions, says Coun. Gord Wyant.

Wyant stood to set the record straight at Monday night`s city council meeting after Coun. Pat Lorje remarked on the prevalence of rumours implying some city councillors have personal motives to support condo conversions.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...d1-c59ee8476ab8

 

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PotashCorp leads pack

On Monday, when crude oil prices reached another all-time high, it was no longer a bank or a company producing "black gold" sitting on top of the corporate heap in Canada, but a company from Saskatchewan that mines sylvite, the pink-hued ore better known as potash.

Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan, Inc., headquartered in Saskatoon, became the most valuable company on the Toronto Stock Exchange after Monday trading pushed PotashCorp stock up $5.40 to close at $211.10.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...35-d3f3cb408176

 

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Council OKs new condo conversions

A majority of city councillors voted Monday to approve the conversion of three apartment buildings into condominiums, clearing a path for 30 more units to exit the city`s dwindling pool of rental accommodations.

The latest conversions include a 12-unit building at 3113 Seventh St. E. in Brevoort Park, a vacant 11-unit building at 605 Wilson Cres. in Avalon and seven townhouse units at 1010 and 1014 Colony St. in Varsity View.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...ac-24cecb50beb5

 

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Sask. gold prospects take on brighter shine

The prospects for increased Saskatchewan gold production appear to be gaining some traction as three companies have announced progress in the past month toward enhanced production.

On Monday, Claude Resources Inc. announced one of its satellite deposits near its existing Seabee mine and mill appears to have larger defined ore resources than previously announced.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...3d-fcf0d2ab7d16

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Evictions of renters involves a process

Saskatchewan`s Residential Tenancy Act outlines specific conditions necessary for a tenant to be evicted.

Contrary to information in the story, `Keep on renting` printed in the April 17, 2008 issue of the Prince Albert Daily Herald, a landlord cannot simply evict tenants if a condo conversion is denied by city council.

http://www.paherald.sk.ca/index.cfm?sid=127882&sc=4

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Prison time for grow-op

Convicted in Saskatchewan`s largest marijuana grow-op bust, three men headed off to prison Monday chanting songs and professing their innocence -- despite a judge rejecting their claims that the Creator made them do it.

"It`s an injustice. This should never have happened," Lawrence Hubert Agecoutay said as he left Regina`s Court of Queen`s Bench to serve a six-year sentence. The 52-year-old Regina man, who conceived of and managed the operation, has already filed an appeal.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...53-63acae905f0d

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Windfall for municipalities

It appears municipalities can expect a further seven-per-cent increase to provincial funding to match the increase they received in the provincial budget.

But while the Saskatchewan Party government wants the money to be used to offset property tax hikes on tap across the province, some municipalities will likely find other uses for the cash, said the president of the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA).

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...2c-04564bfb0e3d

 

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Residents debate biofuel plant proposal

McLEAN -- Residents of McLean were demanding answers Monday night at a public information meeting to discuss proposed plans to build a multi-million-dollar biofuel processing plant in their village.

The majority welcomed the prospect of a new business coming to McLean that would not only provide jobs for local people but could also entice new businesses and residents to the village as well as increase existing property values.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...8f-1b617ba3c97b

 

[joeiannuzzi]

It was a good year for SaskEnergy

SaskEnergy recorded the strongest customer growth since the late 1990s and posted a net income of $88 million in 2007, compared to $53 million in earnings the previous year, the province`s energy utility announced Monday.

However, the marked difference in consolidated net income between 2006 and 2007 was partly due to a change in accounting policies.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...07-cd4b89391fe0

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Analysts disagree with StatsCan

SASKATOON -- The annual planting intentions survey conducted by Statistics Canada has several grain analysts wondering whether the federal agency is right about canola production in Saskatchewan.

Private Saskatoon commodities analyst Larry Weber and Wayne Thompson, an agriculture economist with Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food, say there is reason to believe canola acreage will rise in Saskatchewan and not decline as suggested by StatsCanada.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...b0-c055cc6747b8

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Drought biggest risk to warming Prairies

While efforts to reduce greenhouse gases can mitigate climate change, the future of the Prairie provinces will depend on our ability as societies to proactively adapt to climate change.

That was the message Greg Marchildon delivered to delegates attending Tuesday`s symposium on climate change sponsored by the Saskatchewan Institute of Public Policy. They discussed public policy in terms of adaptation to global warming, climate change and the scarcity of water resources.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...1b-443b83217b61

 

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Sask. may still go nuclear: minister

The possibilities for nuclear power in Saskatchewan are growing along with the demand for electricity, Saskatchewan Party Crown Corporations Minister Ken Cheveldayoff said Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters at the legislature, Cheveldayoff restated that the government is studying the prospect of nuclear development and no decisions had been made.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...75-586eeffc18bb

 

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Promoting Sask. while the `iron is hot`

With Saskatchewan poised to become a world leader in oil, uranium and potash exports -- Premier Brad Wall thinks it`s time for a few imports, namely corporate office towers.

In an address Tuesday at his first Regina Premier`s Dinner, Wall touched largely on his government`s achievements since taking office five months ago, but he also hinted at future plans when he mentioned it "is serious about a head-office strategy" for this province.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...54-16ddcf9a9baa

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Overseas recruiting important

With Saskatchewan`s strong economy and aging population, hiring workers from overseas is a good way for employers to mitigate the effects of the labour shortage.

That was the message delivered by Linda West, one of the presenters at a meeting organized by the Frontier Centre for Public Policy on Tuesday. She also said the current labour shortage will become more pronounced in the years ahead, as more baby boomers leave the workforce.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...51-e896ad21422b

 

[joeiannuzzi]

First-time buyers helping support housing market

OTTAWA -- First-time buyers lured by 40-year mortgages and low or no downpayments are supporting a housing market challenged by higher home prices and tight inventory levels, real estate firm Re/Max said in a report Tuesday.

Even if it means sacrifices such as purchasing a smaller property, taking longer to pay it off, or living in a less-than-ideal location, first-time buyers "remain steadfast in their determination to purchase a home," the report stated.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...8a-5f98ee9ed5ae

 

[joeiannuzzi]

New canola more than a niche crop

Statistics Canada is predicting 14.8 million acres of canola in Canada this year, with 6.7 million acres within Saskatchewan. As people drive by those yellow fields in the summer, most don`t realize that there is a separate, specialized canola crop being produced among all those acres.

An increasing percentage of Western Canada`s canola acreage is made up of high stability varieties. The vegetable oil from these varieties has high oleic and low linolenic fatty acids, making it valuable for the reduction of trans fats in food products.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...0a-b41f928ac2f6

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Transportation issues threaten profits: Weber

Rail transportation, one of the historic thorns in the side of Prairie agriculture, could prevent farmers from profiting fully from grain and oilseed prices expected to remain high for at least three years, says Saskatoon commodities guru and newsletter author Larry Weber.

"It`s the inability to access markets when prices are high," Weber said. "We see it time and time again, whether it`s canola, lentils, peas or wheat. If wheat`s $12 a bushel and canola is $17 a bushel but you can`t get rail cars to access that price that means nothing."

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...1c-4251af6c2c5f

 

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Pushing the limits

The city has sets its sights on growth.

At a land development forum Tuesday morning , city officials outlined strategies for dealing with that growth.

Preliminary discussions are taking place among the city, the province and surrounding rural municipalities.

"It can`t be a take situation," said city manager Robert Cotterill as to the eventual necessity for the city to expand into surrounding lands.

It is predicted that the south-eastern portion of the city will be the first to breach the city`s limits.

In the meantime, the city expects to make 147 lots available for sale this year. This does not include property that has been privately developed.


http://www.paherald.sk.ca/index.cfm?sid=128579&sc=4

 

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Province to estimate investment value

With questions being raised over whether the government intends to unload its stake in SaskFerco, Enterprise and Innovation Minister Lyle Stewart acknowledged the government`s interest in the fertilizer company would likely fetch a good value in the present market.

Stewart also confirmed to reporters that an investment bank has been hired by the private company, Victoria Park Capital, that manages the government`s investment in SaskFerco to value the company at Belle Plaine.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...3a-536cf4e45505

 

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Battlefords ride immigration wave

Not all immigrants coming to Saskatchewan are headed to the province`s two largest cities. StarPhoenix reporter Cassandra Kyle recently spent two days in the Battlefords and has produced a three-part report on a community of 20,000 that has attracted 300 immigrants in the past year. Today: Besides more than 40 Chinese workers who help staff the Maple Leaf bacon plant, there is a growing community of more than 300 ethnic Ruthenians who are leaving poor economic prospects in Serbia, some of whom have already launched their own construction businesses. Friday: Affordable housing is an issue in the Battlefords

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...76-91532517cc3d