SK Economic Fundamentals 2009-01

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0109MSJW
Housing market in Moose Jaw moderating in 2009; average price was still $172,000 in Nov.

Moose Jaw`s housing market will moderate in 2009, slowing down from the heady days of 2007, according to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
Prices moderated but did not reverse and housing starts and sales remained strong in 2008.

http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/index.cfm?sid=211741&sc=520

 

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0109SASK
With Obama at helm, Wall sees benefits for province

Premier Brad Wall appears to have taken the "audacity of hope" to heart as he considers the potential impact on Saskatchewan of Barack Obama, who will be sworn in today as the United States` 44th president and the first African-American to hold that office.

Obama is hugely popular throughout Canada, there have also been concerns in Saskatchewan and elsewhere that he would lead a more protectionist administration that would restrict the flow of Canadian goods to the United States or that his concerns about "dirty oil" and advocacy of a "cap-and-trade" greenhouse gas emissions system would hurt western Canada`s natural resource-based economy.

http://www.leaderpost.com/Technology/With+...6624/story.html

 

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0109SASK
Sask. cities lead GDP growth

Regina placed second in the country for GDP growth in 2008 and is projected to retain the second-place position for 2009, according to the Conference Board of Canada.

Regina`s GDP grew by 4.9 per cent in 2008 -- the best performance in 11 years -- and is anticipated to grow another 3.2 per cent in 2009, said the Conference Board`s metropolitan outlook report for winter 2009, released Monday.

http://www.leaderpost.com/Business/Sask+ci...6636/story.html

 

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0109SASK
Sask. oilpatch to slow in 2009

Saskatchewan`s oilpatch is going to feel the impact of plunging world oil prices in 2009, but exactly how much remains to be seen, industry experts said Monday.

"Saskatchewan is a very oil-weighted energy producer,`` said Gary Leach, executive director of the Small Explorers and Producers Association of Canada (SEPAC). "Oil prices have been way more volatile (than natural gas), they rocketed way up, then way down,`` Leach said referring to the all-time high of $147 US per barrel in June and the sub-$40 US per barrel price of recent weeks.

http://www.leaderpost.com/Business/Sask+oi...6639/story.html

 

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0109SASK
Value of exports up

The value of Saskatchewan`s exports grew nearly 64 per cent in November 2008 over the same month in 2007, a new report says.

Exports in November totalled $2.8 billion, Industry Canada data shows. The figure is a 63.8-per-cent increase over the $1.7-billion worth of goods Saskatchewan exported in November 2007.

The value of exports was up 60.5 per cent to $29 billion between January and November 2008 from $18 billion during the same time period a year earlier.

http://www.leaderpost.com/Business/Value+e...0798/story.html

 

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0109SASK
Sask. manufacturing not being affected, yet

Saskatchewan`s manufacturers held their own in November, posting a slight 0.3 per-cent decline in sales to $1.044 billion from $1.048 billion in October, Statistics Canada reported Tuesday.

And, on a year-over-year basis, manufacturing shipments increased 8.6 per cent in November, the second-highest increase in the nation. Only Newfoundland and Labrador, with a 30.6-per-cent increase, saw a higher year-over-year increase.

http://www.leaderpost.com/Business/Sask+ma...0789/story.html

 

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0109SKTN
City tackles Montgomery runoff woes

The longtime spring runoff problems that turn some Montgomery Place yards into lakes will be addressed this year.

An engineering company hired by the city has identified three key drainage routes that need work to keep more yards dry in Saskatoon`s only residential neighbourhood with ditches to control runoff.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix...5e-9c5299e77c11

 

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0109SASK
Property tax relief not a given

There may not be long-term property tax relief in the March provincial budget, says Saskatchewan Finance Minister Rod Gantefoer.

In fact, the Saskatchewan Party government said Wednesday that taxpayers won`t even see what options for long-term property tax relief are being considered until after the March 18 provincial budget because the government is withholding the public release of Biggar MLA Jim Reiter`s property tax reform report until then.

http://www.leaderpost.com/Homes/Property+r...4596/story.html

 

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0109SASK
Oilsands giants asked to reduce water use

Low flow levels in the Athabasca River have prompted the provincial government to ask four major oilsands operators to reduce the amount of water taken from the river -- a first since Alberta Environment`s water-management framework was implemented in 2007.

http://www.leaderpost.com/Technology/Oilsa...4630/story.html