It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone. I hope the holidays have been good to you and yours.
Looking back on 2019, it was certainly a year of challenges and accomplishments.
Despite economic headwinds, there were plenty of highlights at the provincial level. I’m reminded of continued job and population growth, as well as a balanced budget that was recently confirmed as being on track in the Mid-Year Financial Report.
Your Saskatchewan Party government proudly stood with farmers and ranchers, energy workers and all those negatively impacted by a costly and ineffective carbon tax.
We built upon and strengthened interprovincial relations when Premiers from coast-to-coast-to-coast met in Saskatoon for the Council of the Federation.
We advocated for Saskatchewan exports in Asian markets during a very successful 11-day trade mission to Japan and South Korea.
We made new commitments to develop Small Modular Nuclear Reactors that rely heavily on Saskatchewan-mined uranium.
And together through partnerships with First Nations we worked toward building a more compassionate, respectful and understanding Saskatchewan.
Major infrastructure projects to improve the quality of life for Saskatchewan people were completed in 2019, including the new Saskatchewan Hospital in North Battleford, the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon, and the Regina Bypass.
On a local note, I was thrilled with the announcement of a new consolidated joint-use school to replace four aging facilities on South Hill. Funding in this year’s budget was allocated for the design phase of the project. This new school is going to enhance children’s education for years to come and I want to thank both Holy Trinity Catholic and Prairie South School Divisions for working together to make it a reality.
This past fall, the planning phase for a new 350-megawatt natural gas-fired power station in Moose Jaw was confirmed to be moving forward. This is great news for our city and will provide economic and employment benefits for residents and a low-carbon and reliable addition to Saskatchewan’s energy infrastructure.
The successful completion of the Valley View transition was another noteworthy accomplishment of the past year.
With a new year – and a new decade – now here I’m reminded of how far we’ve come and the work that’s still ahead. As your representative, I will continue working as part of our provincial government to strengthen our economy, communities and families.
It doesn’t seem that long ago when former Premier Brad Wall released Saskatchewan’s Plan for Growth: Vision 2020 and Beyond. That visionary document laid the foundation for much of the growth and success our province and its people have seen.
Thanks to the strong leadership of Premier Scott Moe, I am proud to say that Saskatchewan is positioned for a new decade of growth.
Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan includes 20 actions for the 2020s and 30 goals for 2030, which include a population of 1.4 million people, 100,000 new jobs, increasing our exports by 50 per cent and increasing agriculture value-added revenue to $10 billion.
You can learn more about our plan online at saskgrowthplan.ca.
Our government will continue working to strengthen our economy, communities and families now and in the decade ahead. This starts with balanced budgets, lower taxes and priority investments to ensure Saskatchewan remains strong for years to come.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
