SK Economic Fundamentals 2008-06

[joeiannuzzi]

City to conduct walkway review

Marie Salud has had graffiti painted on her garage door and her car window smashed. Needles have been left in her backyard.

The walkway running along her yard is a big enough nuisance that almost four dozen Fairhaven residents have petitioned the city to close it. So many people use the walkway, however, that the city isn`t willing to close it just yet.

"It`s probably best for our kids to close the walkway," Salud said. "There are lots of teenagers who stay on the walkway at nighttime. It`s not safe for us and for the kids."

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...8c-78de03284396

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Uranium price jump forecast

The uranium industry`s worst year is about to collide with a nuclear construction program in India and China that rivals the ones undertaken during the oil crisis of the 1970s.

The result is likely to be a 58 per cent rebound in uranium to $90 a pound from $57 now, according to Goldman Sachs JBWere Pty and Rio Tinto Group, the third-biggest mining company.

The price of uranium plunged 57 per cent in the past year as an earthquake damaged a Japanese nuclear plant that`s the world`s largest and faults shut down reactors in the U.K. and Germany.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...3d-44b2af1051c0

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Sask. EI numbers plummet

With the booming Saskatchewan economy, more and more people are finding ways to support themselves.

According to Statistics Canada, the number of people receiving Employment Insurance in Saskatchewan dropped 4.6 per cent from March to April. The data also revealed that only 7,650 people in Saskatchewan remained on employment insurance in the month of April, reflecting the high demand for labour throughout the province.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...11-32c27394670c

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Farmers set canola record: StatsCan

OTTAWA -- Farmers in the Canadian Prairies planted a record amount of canola crops this year as they took advantage of soaring prices, Statistics Canada said Tuesday.

"Prairie farmers eclipsed the record for canola set just last year by slightly over a million acres. Records were set in all three Prairie provinces," the federal agency said.

"At the same time, the area planted to feed grains fell while spring and durum acreage wheat increased.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...a5-e8b2863c9672

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Christopher Lake man fined for tax evasion

A Christopher Lake man has pleaded guilty to tax evasion.

Allan Coleman, operator of Toby`s Trophy Treks, was fined $15,621, which represents 50 per cent of the taxes he sought to evade.

A Canada Revenue Agency investigation revealed that Coleman maintained a separate bank account for U.S. funds received from non-resident hunters in connection with his outfitting business, which included guided hunts for bear and deer. He deliberately failed to provide his accountant with his complete sales information for the 2002 and 2003 taxation years and consequently failed to report income of $119,631. He also failed to remit required Goods and Services Taxes of $8,091. Toby`s Trophy Treks has been registered as an outfitting business in Saskatchewan since 1987.

http://www.paherald.sk.ca/index.cfm?sid=147093&sc=4

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Sask. population rises 0.35%

REGINA -- Former Albertans Jason Beaumont and Nicole Hassen left their one-bedroom apartment in Calgary behind, unlocked the door to their south-end Regina home and became key players in a growing Saskatchewan trend.

At the beginning of May, the young couple moved to Regina from Calgary, a city in which they couldn`t find an affordable home.

"We weren`t planning on leaving Calgary but we had always wanted to come back to Saskatchewan -- this is where we wanted to be. We wanted to take part in the economic boom so when we got a job offer . . . at Dundee Securities we decided to take it and move back here," Beaumont said Wednesday.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...9e-a575566edf46

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Gov`t warns of oil scheme

The provincial government issued a warning Wednesday about a bogus investment scheme that claimed royalties from the Bakken oil play in southern Saskatchewan would be paid directly to investors.

The warning is related to an online document that advertises "Crown Revenue Distributions" (CRDs) that send cheques of as much as $2,000 every 10 days to investors. The item said Saskatchewan had implemented the CRDs to attract money that would otherwise go to Alberta.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...9b-ac4a1e5fd622

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Canpotex to invest in terminals

Soaring global demand for potash is spurring Saskatchewan`s offshore potash marketing company to invest in more port capacity.

Canpotex will invest $500 million Cdn in two West Coast terminals, adding 11 million tonnes of shipping capacity, the company announced Wednesday.

The new terminals will nearly double Canpotex`s capacity to 23 million tonnes by 2012, the company said.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...b5-f5c49cde484a

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Business optimism remains high in Saskatchewan

REGINA -- Business optimism remains strong in Saskatchewan but has declined slightly compared to earlier this year, says a survey released Wednesday.

The survey of members of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) showed two provinces -- Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador -- were tied for having the greatest level of business optimism. But optimism in Saskatchewan had declined somewhat in the second three-month quarter of the year compared to the results of a survey taken during the first three months of the year.

"Overall this is a good-news story," said Marilyn Braun-Pollon, the Saskatchewan vice-president of the CFIB.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...58-b971529cf7e6

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Sask. getting aviation engineering program

SASKATOON -- Three of the world`s biggest players in the aerospace and defence industry have come together to invest nearly $3 million in an aviation training program at the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology (SIIT).

Lockheed Martin Corp., Boeing Co. and Rockwell Collins have together contributed $2.75 million to the development of a two-year Aerospace Maintenance Engineering (AME) diploma program and the establishment of a high school aircraft maintenance prep program at Mount Royal High School. SIIT president Randell Morris expects the programs to be up and running by Fall, 2009.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...a2-c46e5ab2000c

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Eighty-four lots available in new lot draw policy

Anticipating continued demand for housing, the city has made some changes to policy and has also increased the number of lots for sale this year.
The city announced that there will be 84 lots for sale and available through a new lot draw policy. The new policy will allow contractors and individuals to purchase more than one lot.
The lot draw has been set for July 15.

http://www.paherald.sk.ca/index.cfm?sid=147597&sc=4

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Park upgrades will make happy campers

Campers heading out to one of Saskatchewan`s provincial parks this weekend may find some pleasant surprises when they arrive.

Thanks to the provincial government`s commitment to invest $20 million over four years into the provincial and regional parks system, campers will see upgrades to services and facilities in many provincial parks this summer.

"The provincial government`s (commitment) to the provincial and the regional parks system has given us some more resources to enhance the service that we provide in the parks and enhance facilities both on the service side and on the capital construction side," said Syd Barber, executive director of parks services for the Ministry of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...e9-b90ed32a18bb

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Sask. increasing lead on Alta.

Saskatchewan is increasing its lead over Alberta as the preferred choice for oil and gas investment, according to a survey of international petroleum executives released Thursday by the Fraser Institute.

The conservative think-tank`s Global Petroleum Survey 2008 ranked Saskatchewan as the sixth-most-favourable jurisdiction out of 81 in terms of having low barriers to investment in oil and gas exploration and development.

Saskatchewan is the only Canadian province ranked among the top 10 jurisdictions. By contrast. Alberta was ranked 29th, while British Columbia ranked 19th.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...ac-3d5ac8bca707

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Saskatchewan housing markets to return to earth

SASKATOON -- The spectacular price growth in Regina and Saskatoon housing markets will "come back down to earth" by early next year, TD Economics predicted Thursday in a report on housing.

Last year`s price surge momentum is carrying into 2008, but Saskatoon and Regina will likely follow the path of Calgary and Edmonton into 2009, said the report`s authors.

The report, entitled Canada`s Housing Boom Comes to an End, says the cooling market is nowhere as evident as in Alberta, with prices continuing to fall this year by eight to 10 per cent from their peak.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...01-5a3901d8adf0

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Highway 11 twinning proceeds

There`s a long way yet to go, but work on the Highway 11 twinning project is making progress.

Over 35 kilometres have been paved, graded or are under construction, as Highways and Infrastructure contractors work their way in from the Saskatoon and Prince Albert ends of the road.

The Prince Albert end has been twinned from the Highway 2 junction to north of Macdowall and grading work on the road is 80 per cent completed. That stretch will be finished by the end of October, depending on weather and contractor progress.

Final paving was completed earlier this month on a 12-kilometre section of highway from north of Warman to north of Osler. Construction is also ongoing on a 12-kilometre section from north of Osler to just south of Hague.

http://www.paherald.sk.ca/index.cfm?sid=148028&sc=4

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Building inspectors are in high demand

In high demand and heavily qualified, City Hall has produced its building inspectors from the inside.

"There are two or three jobs, at least, in our organization that you always struggle retaining who you`ve got and attracting new people," said Robert Cotterill, city manager. "Building inspectors are one."

Cotterill said the credentials required by building inspectors have changed in recent years and that inspectors nearing retirement age are generally not interested in retraining.

http://www.paherald.sk.ca/index.cfm?sid=147915&sc=4

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Cash keeps on coming to gov`t

The provincial government keeps on raking in the cash, even retroactively, with another windfall seen in the government`s public accounts for 2007-2008 that were released Friday.

The province took in a record $9.84 billion in revenue last year, nearly $2 billion more than was projected in the 2007-2008 budget and over $450 million more than the government`s most recent revised projections.

The announcement came the same day as the price of oil passed US $142 a barrel, $60 over this year`s budget estimates. Combined with Crown land sale dollars that had exceeded budget projections a month into the year, the province is almost certainly headed for revenues much greater than those predicted in the 2008-2009 budget.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...3b-cdab1a0745eb

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Wall to preach safe oil to Americans

Premier Brad Wall is heading south of the border to talk energy and climate change at the same time attitudes are hardening in the United States about the environmental impact of Canada`s oilsands.

Wall will attend the Western Governors Association annual meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, from Sunday to Tuesday along with the other premiers of the western provinces.

In an interview Friday, Wall said he would be promoting Saskatchewan as a source of reliable energy that is working hard to cut greenhouse gas emissions through investment in technology such as carbon capture and storage.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...19-f949ec3a0f8e

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Canadians enjoying raises

Payroll numbers are looking up for employees across Saskatchewan and Canada according to information released by Statistics Canada on Friday.

From April 2007 to April 2008, the average weekly earnings of employees in Canada climbed 3.2 per cent to $789.99. In Saskatchewan, the jump was even more pronounced at 5.4 per cent, second only to Alberta, which jumped six per cent.

There were three areas of work that saw major pay increases over the past year. Work in the mining and oil and gas industry jumped 13.9 per cent to $1,592, management of companies and enterprises rose 11.9 per cent to $1,021, and arts, entertainment and recreation increased 9.4 per cent to $498.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...44-db23fa40f564

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Saskatchewan boom to continue: report

Saskatchewan will continue to have Canada`s fastest-growing economy this year and will post a real GDP growth of three per cent, according to an analysis released by BMO Capital Markets.

That real gross domestic product growth in Saskatchewan (over and above the rate of inflation) will be above the 2.2 national growth in GDP projected by BMO.

"Saskatchewan boasts Canada`s hottest economy,`` the report said.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...77-41d7ff4e0335