Saskatchewan Economic Fundamentals

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Canucks keen on condos

Condos are increasingly becoming the residence of choice for urban Canadians, as the lure of low maintenance and affordability boosts the number of potential buyers to almost half of the marketplace, says TD Canada Trust.

Forty-eight per cent of city-dwelling Canadians said they would consider buying a condominium as their primary residence, up significantly from the 39 per cent recorded a year ago, Canada Trust said is its condo poll survey of 1,200 online interviews.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...b1-c04d941718f3

 

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Boom times bring long lineups at landfill

Combined with the usual round of basic spring cleaning, Saskatoon`s real estate boom is putting pressure on the city`s landfill.

Homeowners and contractors making trips to the dump this week -- especially Monday morning -- noticed the impact as they waited in line, sometimes more than two hours, for their turn to tip a load of garbage.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...2a-ca3a23d66a94

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Agrium eyes expansion

CALGARY -- Agrium Inc. is plowing more money into its search for a new potash mine site amid record prices for the crop nutrient, the chief executive of the fertilizer producer and farm-products retailer said Wednesday.

Agrium is examining a new development in Saskatchewan as it proceeds with with expansion of its current potash mine in the province, CEO Mike Wilson said.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...17-fc79dcd0ee64

 

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Ethanol plant decision?

A news report out of Idaho Thursday evening suggests that a biotechnology company is going to build a cellulose ethanol plant in Saskatchewan.

Iogen Corp., based in Ottawa, has taken preliminary steps over the past several years to potentially locate the plant near Birch Hills. It has also been looking at a potential location in Idaho.

The Associated Press said Thursday evening that Iogen chose Saskatchewan over Idaho, but a local official involved with the effort to help bring Iogen here urged caution.

http://www.paherald.sk.ca/index.cfm?sid=133376&sc=4

 

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Roadways start getting their $14M facelift

The City of Regina`s plan to pour $14 million into its roadways has begun.

This year, the city is planning to rehabilitate 25 kilometres of paved road out of its total of 900 kilometres. In the past, the average for summer road work has been roughly 20 kilometres.

Work has already begun on Arcola Avenue where the section from the Trans-Canada Highway Bypass to Prince of Wales Drive is being resurfaced.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...78-5bff6b7d5136

 

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City to decide property tax increase Monday

Regina`s city council will finally decide on Monday how much more residents will be paying on their property tax bills.

At Monday`s meeting, councillors are expected to pass the mill rate bylaw, which will set the rate for 2008. The bylaw was tabled from a previous meeting after Premier Brad Wall said more provincial funding may flow to municipalities to help with proposed tax hikes as a result of record Crown land sales.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...ec-c4b0076a7f71

 

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Premier tells Chamber of Commerce property tax is No. 1 priority

HUMBOLDT -- The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce is pressing the government to remove all education taxes off property and introduce an expanded input sales tax credit to offset sales tax costs to businesses.

But a few hours after passing those resolutions Friday morning, chamber members heard from Premier Brad Wall about what he says will be his government`s priorities for future tax relief. Bluntly, he told chamber delegates that harmonizing the provincial sales tax with the federal GST is "not a priority."

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...23-89e0a8a191d8

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Sask. gains 8,700 jobs

Employment in Saskatchewan jumped by 8,700 jobs last month compared to April of last year, as the province`s economy continued to boom.

Information released by Statistics Canada on Friday indicated there were 503,100 people employed in the province last month, which was a record high for the month of April.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...2a-6a848c6e53d0

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Sask. to lead Canada in export growth

SASKATOON -- There`s one modern expression that just might sum up Saskatchewan`s attitude toward exports this year: If you`ve got it, flaunt it.

Export Development Canada (EDC) has high hopes for the model province`s cross-border trade in 2008, forecasting that Saskatchewan will lead the nation in export growth this year at a rate of 13 per cent. The world is yearning for the food and energy sources the province can provide, said EDC`s vice-president of economics and deputy chief economist Peter Hall, leading Saskatchewan to buck a global trend in GDP decline.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...a9-84005fcd090e

 

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La Loche road off Alta. wish list

Three years after premiers Ralph Klein and Lorne Calvert held a joint news conference to promise a road connecting Fort McMurray and La Loche, the road is little more than an oxcart trail on the Alberta side.

The upgraded gravel road would cut driving time for oilpatch workers from La Loche from 10 hours to less than two. Completion was planned for this year.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...5c-7540f4fdaf9e

 

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Milroy tenants, landlord reach deal

Tenants of the Milroy Apartments in downtown Saskatoon are withdrawing their appeal of a Court of Queen`s Bench decision that upheld city council`s approval of a plan to convert the building into condos.

More than 50 tenants who backed the appeal have reached an agreement with the development company that owns the building, guaranteeing at least 40 suites will remain as rentals, with annually renewable leases available for a lifetime to long-term Milroy residents at rents comparable to other downtown apartments.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...31-09764d260aa9