The past year has been an exciting one says Yorkton MLA Greg Ottenbreit, as the province plans for growth and continues to meet the challenges that come with it.
Growth has been a big part of 2013, as goals for increased population have been exceeded and the economic growth continues to be among the best in the country. He says that the government can't take complete credit for the success the province is seeing, but he says that their goal was to get out and "tell our story" in order to make the province a prominent player in world markets.
"They're realizing we have what they need, food and energy specifically are what we can help them with. It's nice to see those relationships develop and those markets open up, increasing trade within and outside of our country," Ottenbreit states.
He also says that the economy itself is diversifying, and points to expanded manufacturing and increased research and innovation being a prominent part of the province. One example is a clean coal project, which has been one of the first viable carbon sequestration projects.
"If we can share this technology with India, China and some of the other jurisdictions that are really relying heavily on coal but are doing traditional coal power, this technology will really help them with some of the challenges they see in their environment."
He notes that even the province's mainstays are changing, with agriculture, for example, getting increasingly diverse with more crops, and more ways to use those crops, in particular in the Yorkton area.
"We have 10 per cent of the grains in the province moving through this area right now, we're looking at possibly 20 per cent coming through this area, so we have a lot of opportunity for not only grain handling but also value added."
The growth, Ottenbreit says, is not for its own sake, but to help pay for services and increase opportunities for people in the province. He says that the priority is always Saskatchewan residents, and they want to do work to continue to lower unemployment, as well as continue to encourage more jobs and training seats for the province's aboriginal population. He says that there simply are not enough people in the province to fill the jobs available, and immigration is key to continuing to keep the province moving.
But growth brings challenges, and the main one heard through cities through the provinces is infrastructure. Ottenbreit says that this is going to be the focus for the next few years, with higher capacity highways and facilities like schools being given priority around the province. He says that in the Yorkton area it's about dealing with traffic, especially as the city develops north. He uses the truck bypass route as an example of what has been needed in the past. He says much of what is needed is municipal in scope, and credits the city for helping encourage growth in the area.
Skills training will remain a priority for the province, and Ottenbreit says that the big news in the Yorkton area, that being the Parkland College expansion, will play a role in that push. He says that there is a labor gap in Saskatchewan, and a focus on training will be one of the important factors in continuing to deal with the problem.
"I'm really excited to see how the Parkland College's Trades and Technology Center will fit into that, and help with not only the labor challenges we have locally, but across the province."
There will be a need to house those students, but Ottenbreit is confident that changes to the Head Start on a Home program to encourage rental units in the region. He says the goal is to use programs to free up existing stock as well, with life leases and encouraging home ownership.
In education, Ottenbreit says that one of the major initiatives is the province's anti-bullying campaign, with the goal of giving kids a lifeline when they are feeling pressure at school. He notes that the system will be designed to help kids who would be otherwise unwilling to come forward, such as using online components to make them more comfortable. He hopes that the project will do good work and help kids who need it.
Healthcare will see a focus on better serving people, Ottenbreit says, with home visits for seniors who can otherwise be independent, or helping heavy users of the emergency system find targeted service that better fits their problems.
Ottenbreit believes that with the development happening, Yorkton is in a good position to benefit from the growth in the economy and the general good times the province is experiencing.
