With an election call likely just days away, the announcements coming out of the Saskatchewan Party provincial government have been fast and furious. In the space of seven days, there were numerous announcements regarding new schools, new urgent care centres, infrastructure spending and more from the ruling party, while the opposition NDP focused more on policy concerns.
Government announcements
On Monday, Sept. 21, there were announcements form the government for a new $15 million provincial “Urgent Care Centre” in Regina and another one in Saskatoon, also $15 million.
Yorkton Regional High School had an announcement for a $19 million for a major renovations project and facility maintenance.
In another announcement, International trade and investment offices will be established in India, Singapore and Japan in early 2021.
A joint press release with the federal government announced $4.3 million for six housing projects in four Saskatchewan communities, most of which are in the north.
Eight regional colleges will receive $24.4 million for skills training programs.
All those announcements were in just one day.
The previous week saw Regina get $6.4 million under the Municipal Economic Enhancement Program (MEEP) on Friday, Sept. 18. The same day had a call-out for communities to submit applications for the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, targeting “COVID-19 resilience infrastructure” and landfill decommissioning.
A new joint-use project, École St. Pius X and Argyle Elementary Schools costing $47 million, was announced for Regina.
The Gabriel Dumont Institute in Saskatoon got $3.2 million for skills training program.
On Thursday, Sept. 17, Moose Jaw got $4.8 million under MEEP for the City High Service Reservoir. More than 100 kilometres of roads leading to five provincial parks are supposed to be paved next year, for a cost of $2 million.
The Innovation and Science Fund awarded nearly $1.8 million to university research projects.
Moose Jaw also got a new joint-use school in its Westheath neighbourhood, at a cost of $50 million.
On Wednesday, Sept. 16, Regina’s Harbour Landing saw a new $40 million joint-use school announced. Saskatchewan Polytechnic saw an announcement of $7.8 million for skills training programs.
More than 120 Saskatchewan infrastructure projects were submitted to the federal government for final approval under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, representing $192 million in provincial funding.
On Tuesday, Sept. 15, new passing lanes on Highway 7 near Kindersley were announced open. “Community-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) services” were expanded in Saskatoon. The Bridge City would also see a $29 million new elementary school announced for Saskatoon City Centre.
That day also saw Premier Scott Moe pen a letter to the prime minister regarding the carbon tax, climate change, approval of infrastructure projects, and the “inequity of federal transfers.” New regulations and industry options were also announced for Saskatchewan’s climate change strategy.
NDP announcements
In the same period of time, the New Democratic Party has announced an investment into kids’ mental health. They made a commitment to develop geothermal electrical power and more energy jobs. Another announcement was for legislation that would “protect the province from privatized health care and reverse steps towards a two-tiered system.” It also called on the government to act on surgical wait times.
