Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba sign agreement to spur economic …
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“We rely on dependable, robust, road, rail, air and port networks to ship our food, fuel and fertilizer across North America and around the globe.”
The MOU commits the three provinces to co-operate on improving the efficiency of interprovincial highway and rail networks, and harmonizing regulations to support businesses, industries and shippers. Photo by BRANDON HARDER /Regina Leader-Post
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An agreement signed by Saskatchewan and its neighbours to both sides will put in place infrastructure networks meant to boost trade and economic growth across the prairies and the globe, the province’s highways minister says.
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While Tuesday’s announcement didn’t include any specific funding, the memorandum of understanding (MOU) will see Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba try to cut back on regulatory hurdles, attract private sector investment and work with Indigenous communitie[3]s on major infrastructure projects.
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Saskatchewan Highways[4] Minister Jeremy Cockrill said 70 per cent of the province’s GDP relies on exports, including food, fuel and fertilizer.
In 2021, Saskatchewan exported £37 billion in goods, an increase of around 24 per cent from the previous year and an all-time high. “The world needs what Saskatchewan has to offer,” Cockrill said. “We rely on dependable, robust, road, rail, air and port networks to ship our food, fuel and fertilizer across North America and around the globe.
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“A safe, reliable, sustainable transportation system isn’t just nice to have in our province.
It’s essential to our way of life.” Cockrill also said the three provinces have more work to do to harmonize regulations, especially in the trucking industry. “This is a great example today of three provinces working together and looking to add more provinces, as well, to that effort,” he said.
Devin Dreeshen, Alberta’s Transportation and Economic Corridors Minister, said at the announcement Tuesday with his provincial counterparts that the move aims to spur the development of economic corridors, including roads, utilities, pipelines and railways. “(It’s) about changing that narrative of ‘Canada’s closed for business’ to ‘Canada’s open for business’ and we actually have levels of government working together to make sure that we can actually advance nation building projects,” Dreeshen said.
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“Alberta is proud to partner with Saskatchewan and Manitoba, taking a leadership role in building new trade corridors that will help our provinces and our country.”
Doyle Piwniuk, Manitoba’s Transportation and Infrastructure Minister, emphasized the need to work with First Nations.
“This is part of reconciliation.[5] This is about doing action, and this could be an opportunity to work with our First Nations in all three provinces and throughout Canada,” he said. Piwniuk noted that the three provinces have similar trade and transport access, “such as distance to markets, reliance on international ports and railway services, and similar commodity basis, Saskatchewan and Alberta are natural key partners to work with on improving trade-enablement through transportation.”
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According to the Saskatchewan government, the MOU commits the three provinces to co-operate on improving the efficiency of interprovincial highway and rail networks, encouraging the federal government for infrastructure funding and national supply chain solutions, keeping economies competitive and growing capital investment, and harmonizing regulations to support businesses, industries and shippers.
Saskatchewan, in its growth plan for the next decade, pledged to increase exports by 50 per cent and expand its export infrastructure to increase the mobility of Saskatchewan’s products to international markets. In its most recent budget, the federal government has promised to unveil a plan to speed up the time it takes to approve and build major infrastructure projects before the end of the year. “It’s encouraging language to hear, I guess we’ll see — the devil is always in the details,” said Dreeshen, adding that a full repeal of Bill C-69 would not only speed up approvals but improve investor confidence.
— With files from Saskatoon StarPhoenix
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References
- ^ National (thestarphoenix.com)
- ^ Local News (thestarphoenix.com)
- ^ Indigenous communitie (thestarphoenix.com)
- ^ Saskatchewan Highways (thestarphoenix.com)
- ^ reconciliation. (thestarphoenix.com)
- ^ Safe Travels: Examining 5 years of fatal crashes on Sask.’s most dangerous roads (thestarphoenix.com)
- ^ Saskatchewan government releases new strategy on critical minerals (thestarphoenix.com)
- ^ Community Guidelines (thestarphoenix.com)
- ^ email settings (thestarphoenix.com)