Saskatchewan a jobs 'hot spot' in Canada - CNN.com
Saskatchewan a jobs 'hot spot' in Canada
(CNN) -- Normally, "hot spot" isn't the first phrase that comes to mind when talking
about Saskatchewan, Canada.
But with most of Canada suffering from devastating job losses, this cold province is
becoming exactly that.
It's an asterisk to the entire country when it comes to the economic climate, and
Premier Brad Wall is shouting it as loud as he can.
"It's a great time to come to Saskatchewan," said Wall, who even called the
Toronto Star newspaper to tout his province's economic success and let Ontarians
know there were jobs for the taking.
"For those who are losing their jobs, we need them to know we have thousands of
jobs open right now in both the private and public sector," Wall said. "We have a
powerful story to tell, a story of success and that's something we want to share
with those who are struggling."
Wall's province is one of the exceptions to the unemployment increases battering
provinces across Canada.
Saskatchewan's unemployment rate fell to 4.1 percent in
January from 4.2 percent in December, making it the only province recording a
decline. In Ontario and the city of Toronto, unemployment rates rose to 7.2
percent and 8.5 percent respectively. To the west, British Columbia shed 68,000
full-time jobs in January.
More Saskatchewan jobs should be on the way. To stave off any possible recession,
Wall announced a $500 million infrastructure "booster shot" to help keep the
economy strong.
"All across the country, industries are getting quite ill," Wall said. "We aren't
immune to it. We see some impacts in terms of layoffs and new vehicle purchases
slowing off, and so we want to be proactive in staying ahead of the curve."
On Tuesday, the Conference Board of Canada released a report that said
Saskatchewan will likely continue to lead the nation in economic growth in 2009
because of the infrastructure investment and tax reductions.
The province has also been reaping the benefits of an influx from nearby Alberta.
When the government in Alberta decided to raise the oil royalty rates, oil
exploration and expedition companies decided to move their operations to
Saskatchewan in hopes of making more money.
With the province's growing opportunities, David Montgomery, president of
Calgary's Qwest Haven Relocation Services, said he is moving more people to
Saskatchewan each day.
"Alberta has always been the gravy train of oil," said Montgomery, who is also a
former resident of Regina, the capitol and second-largest city in Saskatchewan.
"But with the new royalties, oil companies are saying 'Why stay here and make less
when the opportunities right next door are even better?' Many other companies
may start to follow suit."
Montgomery said people looking to move have said that cheaper land and insurance
prices are among the other reasons they are headed to Saskatchewan.
"There, government insurance is cheaper than anywhere else in the country and it
comes with your license plates," he said. "With the amount of jobs, cheaper
opportunities and great way of life, the government there has made it very
attractive to move there."
That means more business for Wall's province and more jobs coming to the area.
Not that there's a shortage of jobs. On Tuesday night there were nearly 6,000
private- and public-sector jobs on the Web site Saskjobs.com.
A constant stream of revenue from
oil production and exports also buoys the
economy in the province.
Saskatchewan is the largest producer of oil in
Canada and exports more oil to the
United States than Kuwait. It is the leader in uranium production and produces a
third of the world's potash.
The province continues to keep ahead of the curve, Wall said, finding ways to
diversify its resources and embark on ambitious green projects and new oil
projects. The province is working with Montana on a $212 million climate change
initiative that would create the first major greenhouse gas storage project in
North America. The carbon dioxide from coal-fueled power plants would be stored
in the ground in Montana and later be withdrawn for use in oil production.
Wall also said what may be the largest discovery of sweet, light crude oil in the
southeast part of the province means it could have even more oil to work with.
The Bakken Formation could potentially have 413 billion barrels of oil, according to
the U.S. Geological Survey. That would be another huge untapped revenue gold
mine.
Despite the growth of nearly all sectors across the board, Wall cautioned that it is
possible his province may see economic stress, just later in the game than other
places.
"We need to be circumspect and prudent about promoting our province," he said.
"We are not immune; we do see the impacts. It isn't some sort of panacea or
answer to economic questions that don't exist elsewhere. We are a bit of an
asterisk that says there is some stress, but it's relatively calm here."
Wall encouraged people not to count out a move to the province based on
stereotypes that it is "only winter here," and "all of the land is just rolling hills."
"'It's a beautiful, big place where life is great and right now there's also
opportunity," he said. "I'm very, very biased, but I can't imagine a place I'd rather
be, especially with what's going on economically around the world."
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"Saskatchewan is the largest producer of oil in Canada and exports more oil to the United States than Kuwait." (???) Isn't Alberta producing many times the
oil that Saskatchewan does still???
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