SK Economic Fundamentals 2008-08

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Mine once again floods

SASKATOON -- Cameco Corp. was forced to suspend remediation work at its Cigar Lake project Tuesday when water began to flood the mine at a rate of 600 cubic metres per hour, the company reported.

Spokesperson Gord Struthers said no environmental or safety problems were connected to the water inflow.

"Three staff members were working in the shaft last night. When the decision was made to suspend remediation, they were already on the surface. There was no evacuation," Struthers said in an interview Tuesday evening. However, "it`s beyond the level at which it`s appropriate to work underground, or in the shaft," he said.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...54-8eba7c45f7b2

 

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Initiatives to bring more workers

The governments of Saskatchewan and Canada are hoping that improvements to two programs will help alleviate the province`s labour shortage.

Saskatchewan Minister of Advanced Education, Employment and Labour Rob Norris, along with federal Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Monte Solberg, announced improvements to the federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) on Tuesday.

"I`m happy to announce the expansion of (the SINP) to encompass hospitality sector occupations, including food counter attendants, food and beverage servers and light-duty cleaners," said Norris.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...c2-60f64b0f640d

 

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House values defended

Two economists at Merrill Lynch caused quite the stir in the local real estate industry -- not to mention among recent home buyers -- when they declared last week Saskatoon housing was overvalued by as much as 50 per cent.

Officials with local real estate associations came storming out, saying that simply wasn`t true.

"The Saskatchewan market was at least 30 to 40 per cent undervalued last year and the market has simply caught up to other areas in Canada," said Harry Janzen, executive officer of the Saskatoon Region Association of Realtors (SRAR).

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...8d-20d869b8be29

 

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Strong business plan evident at Terra Grain Fuels

The new Terra Grain Fuels ethanol plant at Belle Plaine is impressive -- not just for its size, but for how it`s conducting business.

The $150-million facility is nestled beside the big Saskferco fertilizer plant about halfway between Regina and Moose Jaw. At full capacity, it will produce 150 million litres of ethanol a year while consuming more than 15 million bushels of wheat.

A number of proposed ethanol plants in Saskatchewan made a lot of noise in recent years, but very few of the proposals have succeeded. Terra Grain didn`t seek a lot of media attention.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...de-16b65f672ab8

 

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Saskatchewan on high alert for pine beetle

EDMONTON -- From his office at the fringes of the boreal forest in northern Saskatchewan, Rory McIntosh is helping lead the Prairie province`s charge to keep out millions of unwanted guests from the west. The threat: the grain-sized mountain pine beetle, a forest pest that has already infested and killed billions of lodgepole pines in British Columbia and Alberta.

While the mountain pine beetle is naturally found in forests in southern Saskatchewan, it has never been detected in the province`s north, and Mr. McIntosh, a provincial government expert in forest insects and disease, based in Prince Albert, is hoping to keep it that way.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...080813.BEETLE13

 

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City asks for help in rental crisis

Even though Regina`s city councillors listened Wednesday to several pleas to help remedy problems in the rental housing industry, the issue was deferred to higher-level governments to be addressed.

"This is more than just the city can handle," said Coun. Wade Murray after hearing several delegations speak about problems with sub-standard housing and problematic tenants in Regina.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...66-f2ec96bd4c5d

 

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Tax plan benefits reserve

An agreement that sees the equivalent of the provincial liquor tax collected at the Dakota Dunes Casino and then remitted to the Whitecap Dakota First Nation could be a harbinger of things to come in more of Saskatchewan`s First Nations casinos.

The pilot program, agreed to in August 2007 as the casino opened, sees the province relinquish the liquor consumption tax in the casino, which is on the Whitecap reserve land.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...af-f832d49f52bf

 

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Levy to aid RM with development

A new levy on development in the RM of Corman Park will help the municipality pay for capital projects, including a portion of the Circle Drive-south bridge project.

"We`re certainly prepared to be supportive of the notion of contributing in a financial way," said Corman Park Reeve Ed Hobday.

"The reality of the situation, of course, is the capacity of Rural Municipality Corman Park to put in megadollars; it`s not there."

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...dd-5dcd872d272f

 

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Regina council rejects rental unit licensing

REGINA -- Even though Regina`s city councillors listened Wednesday to several pleas to help remedy problems in the rental housing industry, the issue was deferred to higher-level governments to be addressed.

"This is more than just the city can handle," said Coun. Wade Murray after hearing several delegations speak about problems with substandard housing and problematic tenants in Regina.

The discussion began at the City of Regina`s executive committee meeting after a proposal was brought forward by the North Central Community Association to introduce rental unit licensing as a way to bring an end to substandard and slum housing. It would require landlords to apply for an annual licence for every rental property they own, which wouldn`t be issued until City of Regina officials had inspected the properties to ensure they meet certain housing standards.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...16-4d5c4beffd62

 

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Rezoning in Crescent Acres

Rezoning in Crescent Acres will not please everyone, but progress begs development.

At Monday`s meeting of council, two parcels of land in Crescent Acres were successfully rezoned.

Originally zoned for agricultural use, the two segments will now be divided into single and multi-family residential, and park zonings.

http://www.paherald.sk.ca/index.cfm?sid=162383&sc=4

 

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Planning for planes

The city is hunting for a master plan for the Prince Albert airport as business there begins to take off.

At Monday`s meeting of council, administration was directed to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to two consulting firms for the preparation of a Prince Albert Airport Master Plan.

"We want the consultant to tell us what they think is lacking," said city manager Robert Cotterill.

The two companies in question are LPS AVIA Consulting and Wardrop Engineering.

http://www.paherald.sk.ca/index.cfm?sid=162267&sc=4

 

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Land sales sizzle

Saskatchewan pulled in $242.7 million from the August sale of Crown petroleum and natural gas rights, adding to the province`s already record-smashing 2008.

Monday`s sale was the second-best single land sale ever, bringing the year-to-date revenue from land sales to a record $848.1 million, according to figures released Thursday.

With two sales left in the year, Saskatchewan has already more than tripled the 2007 year-end total of $250 million.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...5f-813809c0e515

 

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City trying to make park feel safer

The Regina Downtown Business Improvement District and Regina Police Service have been recruited to help the city find ways to eliminate crime through environmental design in Victoria Park.

"It`s a crime prevention tool. The purpose is to look at the physical aspects of the park," said Mark Sylvestre, community consultant for the City of Regina.

A questionnaire is being distributed to gather information about the city`s downtown park to enhance safety for park users by looking at the as-built environment of the park, he explained.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...f6-2c17b2b02def

 

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Wall eyes tax relief

REGINA -- The Saskatchewan Party government will address the province`s rising cost of living -- possibly with tax cuts as early as this fall -- as it doles out the cash filling provincial coffers, said Premier Brad Wall on Thursday.

The Opposition NDP has accused the government of ignoring issues around the affordability of housing, food and energy in the natural resource-driven boom as it focuses its attention on the provincial debt and infrastructure.

But Wall said that government MLAs at their two-day caucus retreat in Waskesiu have heard the message "loud and clearly" from the public.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...58-ffe436706609

 

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Hospitality industry applauds program for foreign workers

REGINA -- A pilot program to allow foreign workers to work temporarily in the hospitality industry in Saskatchewan and to potentially receive landed immigrant status has received business support but a skeptical response from labour.

Tom Mullin, the president of the Saskatchewan Hotel and Hospitality Association, said the program is a good one and he has received numerous inquiries from restaurant and hotel owners since the program was unveiled by federal and provincial officials on Tuesday.

But Larry Hubich, the president of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour, said the federation is worried about the possible exploitation of foreign workers from poor Third World countries.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...7e-619d4ce95665

 

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Labour seeks its piece of the potash boom
The soaring price of potash has made the top three executives who run Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. fantastically wealthy, with stock options worth a total of $846-million.

Now the workers who mine and produce the commodity, which is used to make fertilizer, want to tap those same windfall potash profits. Last Thursday, On Aug. 7, five hundred workers went on strike - the first in the history of Potash Corp. as a public company - walking the line in large part for what the union calls a "commodity-based bonus."

The demand is modelled after the Nickel Price Bonus Plan at Vale Inco Ltd.`s Greater Sudbury operations and several other Vale Inco sites. Originally won by Inco workers in 1988, such a bonus plan for miners remains a rarity, and is now under threat because Vale wants to get rid of it.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...PStory/Business

 

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Sask. housing starts buck region`s decline: CMHC

Saskatchewan is "enjoying its time in the sun" with housing starts forecast to hit a 25-year high in 2008, says an economist with the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

"The majority of economic indicators are currently in Saskatchewan`s favour," said Richard Corriveau.

"We`re forecasting a moderation in terms of housing starts and sales next year, but nonetheless we`re coming off extremely high levels."

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...00-65beba5c07d5

 

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Sales in Sask. jumped in June

Manufacturing sales in Saskatchewan -- perhaps surprisingly -- jumped by 6.5 per cent in June.

Doug Elliott, the publisher of the Sask Trends Monitor newsletter, said there are plenty of reasons -- primarily related to the slowdown in the national, U.S and international economies -- why it might make sense to assume that sales in Saskatchewan would be slumping.

"I`m a bit surprised how well the sector is doing,`` Elliott said, in a telephone interview.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...54-c44e509da5db

 

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SaskEnergy will pick up CEG customers

Private natural gas supplier CEG Energy Options is winding down contracts with more than 6,000 Saskatchewan customers after U.S. parent company SemGroup LP recently filed for bankruptcy protection.

SaskEnergy will step in to pick up the former CEG Energy Options customers, who will not see any interruption in their service, officials with both companies said Friday.

Saskatoon-based CEG Energy Options supplied natural gas to commercial, institutional and industrial gas users in Western Canada under long-term fixed contracts.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...f3-a4ebd5c7ebc1

 

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Gov`t hikes health sciences centre funding

It was supposed to be underway by now, and it was supposed to cost Saskatchewan taxpayers about $112 million.

But construction of the "D Wing" of the long-awaited Academic Health Sciences Centre at the University of Saskatchewan has not yet started, and the price has gone up by almost $45 million.

In a press release issued Friday morning, provincial officials announced a new, $100 million funding contribution for the project -- doubling the government`s spending on the building to date.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...20-a6cd204043f5