YORKTON - Yorkton Mayor Mitch Hippsley said in studying the recent Saskatchewan Throne Speech he was not surprised.
Of course Hippsley added the Throne Speech is basically a loose framework of what is planned without a lot of specifics in terms of timing.
Locally that another $500K was mentioned as allocated toward a new regional hospital in Yorkton, is big news.
“The government would not be spending that kind of money if it’s not going forward,” said Hippsley. He said it’s no longer an ‘if’ in his mind, but when, adding he believes the when will be within four years.
From the perspective of sitting on the city mayor’s group looking at the issues of mental health and addictions, Hippsley said it was good to see the issues mentioned.
“It seems like they’re starting to respond,” he said, adding announcing a planned 500 new addiction treatment beds is a huge positive, adding they are all going in Saskatoon and Regina so that too is a positive.
“I hope that holds true,” he said.
Generally, the province appears to be doing well financially, said Hippsley, and that is allowing for investments in key areas such as new child care spaces and funding for nurses, again not just focused in Saskatoon and Regina.
“There’s some good news, good positive news,” he said.
Hippsley said it’s significant that today the province is increasingly being seen as “the place to be” which has not always been the case.
“The world is discovering we have everything,” he said.
