With the election coming, the issues most important to people in the area need to be examined. The Yorkton Chamber of Commerce asked its members to select the issues most important to them.
The work force of the province was overwhelmingly the most important issue for members in Yorkton. When it comes to local issues, 89 per cent of respondents indicated that a commitment to support the Parkland College's planned Technology and Trades Centre of Excellence was a key issue for the area. This theme continued on a provincial level, with 89 per cent saying a commitment to recruit and educate a skilled labor force for the province was the most important issue.
Other local issues getting a large response were a commitment of funds to build a new regional hospital, which was indicated by 79 per cent of respondents to be the second biggest issue. A commitment to increase economic development in the city was indicated by 73 per cent to be the third most important issue.
Provincially, 73 per cent said that adequate funding for Crown Corporations for the purposes of infrastructure needs was the second biggest issue, and 70 per cent ranked proper stewardship of the provincial budget third.
The survey was an email survey which asked members to rank the issues in the order they saw most important, explains Ron Irvine, chair of the Public Policy Committee.
The results of the survey were not a surprise for Irvine, since recruitment has been a big issue for business around the area.
"When you talk to people that's their number one challenge when they're running business, finding skilled and qualified labour. So as the city and the province has been booming, finding a skilled workforce has been a challenge, and it really wasn't a surprise that was the number one issue chosen," Irvine says.
The expansion of the Parkland College, which is a part of getting a trained and qualified work force, is something that would benefit the regional economy, but also provincially, as it allows more people to be trained in the province.
"Having the ability to train people here is going to be essential to attract and to keep people," Irvine notes.
The survey was used to guide the questions for candidates at the all candidates forum, and people are encouraged to ask the candidates about these issues during the campaign.
