SK Economic Fundamentals 2008-10

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1008SASK
Career and investment opportunities abound in Saskatchewan

Investors from Canada and throughout the world agree - Saskatchewan`s business development climate is positive, to say the least.

"People are looking at Saskatchewan in a much different way than they have in the past," said Bill Boyd, Saskatchewan`s minister of Energy and Resources.

According to Boyd, development in all sectors - not just oil and gas - is at an all-time high.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...06-f487715f18c8

 

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1008RGNA
Reassessment may evoke big hikes

While most commercial properties will see their taxes decrease in 2009, several will see significant hikes in their tax bills following reassessment.

Don Barr, the City of Regina`s director of assessment and property taxation department, said some commercial properties will see considerable increases as part of the legislated reassessment in 2009. The commercial group is made up of about 2,900 properties but of those, 375 account for 75 per cent of the property taxes for the whole group.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...ef-a5533bac4862

 

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1008RGNA
AA+ again

The City of Regina has once again received a AA+ credit rating from Standard & Poor`s rating service.

Standard & Poor said the rating is based on the city`s healthy operating and after-capital expenditure surpluses, as well as its good economic performance. The AA+ rating also takes into account the city`s low debt and net creditor position.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...65-ea1b25fed75c

 

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1008RGNA
SaskPower plans transmission project

REGINA (SNN) -- SaskPower is proposing to develop a transmission project to improve service to customers in the west-central area of the province.

The proposed project includes constructing a substation near Hoosier supplied by a new 138-kilovolt (kV) transmission line from the Marengo area, converting the existing Kindersley-Marengo transmission line to 138 kV, converting the existing Kindersley, Coleville and Marengo substations to 138 kV and rebuilding the existing 72-kV line from Kindersley to Coleville with a new 138-kV transmission line.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...43-d8d675745e96

 

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SK Small Town Updates: 2008-10-26

 

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Sorry no news items today.

 

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1008RGNA
New gas plant construction delayed

The construction of an innovative new plant that will turn Regina`s landfill gas into hydrogen is temporarily delayed.

Terry Stott, chief operating officer for Saskatoon-based SHEC Energy, said the solar hydrogen production station that is to be constructed just north of the landfill likely won`t be up and running until early next summer, roughly a year later than was initially expected. The delay is due to securing funding for the project, which Stott said is nearly complete.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...b3-3aff4bc8e91d

 

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1008RGNA
New terminal long overdue: minister

Saskatchewan Transportation Company is putting the finishing touches on its shiny new $26.2-million bus depot in downtown Regina, which will be ready to roll Nov. 4.

The media got a sneak peek at STC`s new bus terminal and head office at 1717 Saskatchewan Dr. on Monday, eight days before its grand opening.

What the public will see next Tuesday is a modern, airy, state-of-the-art facility, in which the passenger waiting area replicates a streetscape with streetlights and skylights.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...4e-e4e2ca5aebdb

 

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1008SASK
Farmland value continues to grow in Saskatchewan

The average value of farmland in Saskatchewan increased by 5.6 per cent in the first half of 2008, continuing an upward trend that began 18 months ago, according to Farm Credit Canada (FCC).

Saskatchewan farmland increased three per cent in value in the first half of 2007 followed by a 7.8- per-cent increase in the last half of last year, said FCC`s fall farmland values report released Monday.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...48-64cfe70aafda

 

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1008SKTN
Rail line in jeopardy

SASKATOON -- The shortline Carlton Trail Railway connecting North Battleford and Meadow Lake is running the route these days, but come spring the service may fall off the tracks.

Omnitrax Inc., which owns the rail line, recently filed papers with the provincial government to discontinue operations of the railway and abandon it, leaving the forestry industry in Meadow Lake scrambling to find a way to keep the line working. If the application is approved, Omnitrax Canada won`t run the railway past April 2009, said managing director Mike Ogborn.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...3d-43354a768070

 

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1008SKTN
Modular finds a home in Saskatoon

Modular homes have been popping up all over for years -- in towns, at resorts, in rural areas. Now, Saskatoon will get its first modular house.

Mid Canada Modular Homes Inc. plans to demonstrate the affordability of modular housing when it erects a 1,400-square-foot, two-storey home in the coming weeks. It will be the first such house to land a city building permit.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...a9-bf4a75e51228

 

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1008SASK
Sask. to sell outside investments

The Saskatchewan government is looking to unload many of its Crown corporations` investments outside the province as part of its "Saskatchewan First" investment policy.

"There`s not going to be any fire sale of these resources whatsoever," Crowns Minister Ken Cheveldayoff said Tuesday at a news conference.

"This is not the best time to be entering into the market to sell off assets and we will be looking at this over a long-term basis through our boards, the Crown boards we`ve put in place."

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...28-3f88c36dd932

 

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1008RGNA
Land company expands in Regina

Scott Land & Lease Ltd. has doubled the size of its Regina office and hired another eight people to try to keep with the demand for resource properties, especially in the burgeoning Bakken play in southeast Saskatchewan.

And Scott Land`s president says the Regina office expansion is just the beginning for the Calgary-based company`s plans for the province.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...41-249a30482e2b

 

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1008SASK
Grain boom may not be dead, but the future is murky

Is this the end of the highly publicized grain boom or is this just a lull before the gravy train resumes?

Six months ago, there were analysts predicting the good times for grain producers were here to stay. Increasing consumption in China and India and growing use of grain to produce ethanol practically guaranteed a bright future, said some analysts.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...46-90f4b78240e6

 

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1008RGNA
Company proposes wind power project near Gardiner Dam

REGINA -- A Vancouver-based company wants to build a 140-megawatt (MW) wind power project in the Birsay area near the Gardiner Dam, which the company`s president says has one of the best "wind regimes" in Canada.

All Sky Harvest Windpower Corp. needs now is the green light from SaskPower and the roughly $400 million required to build about 75 wind turbines.

Chris Craddock, president of Sky Harvest, said he has been working on the Birsay project for three years, including environmental assessments, wind studies and land acquisition.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...87-a49d3952222f

 

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1008SASK
New data proves Sask. continues to boom

Saskatchewan`s booming economy scored a triple play Wednesday, finishing in first place in a comparison with other provinces on three sets of economic statistics.

Wages are up, the number of people working are up and the number of people receiving employment insurance benefits is down.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...77-8be1b80318db

 

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1008SASK
Renovate is the key word in Sask.

SASKATOON -- Residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba are slightly less likely to renovate their homes this year than last, says a survey by Ipsos Reid for the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC).

The percentage of people planning to renovate is 71 per cent, down four points from 2007.

"Despite a slight decrease, the appetite for home makeovers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan remains healthy and in line with the national average," said Richard Schwann, regional vice-president of career sales for the two provinces, in a news release.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...a0-1bbd0cf99d7c

 

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1008SASK
Bigger, better crops in 2008

Farmers harvested an above-average crop this year in terms of both yield and quality, Saskatchewan Agriculture said in its final crop report of 2008.

"We`re looking at an above-average crop this year in comparison to last year,`` said Dan Schmeiser, manager of economic and commodity analysis for Saskatchewan Agriculture.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/new...56-57cf7691b4dd

 

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1008SASK
Hothouse real estate market in Sask. loses steam

The days of double-digit increases in Saskatchewan housing prices appear to be over, at least for the near future, housing experts say.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) said Thursday the average price of a Saskatchewan home will rise two per cent next year, after jumping 28 per cent this year and a record 32 per cent in 2007.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...a9-7719e915b008

 

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1008SKTN
Calgary energy company opens Saskatoon office

Strike Electric and Instrumentation has opened an office in Saskatoon.

The company, which offers services to the energy industry in Western Canada, has chosen Chad Stolte for the position of area manager at its first location in Saskatchewan.

"Strike is very pleased to have Chad leading our team in Saskatoon," said Strike`s general manager Robert Webster. "We have no doubt that the addition of this location, along with Chad`s solid qualifications, will help round out the organization and allow us to continue our growth in the energy industry."

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...7e-f8fa241780d4