Legislative Report (15 April 2009)

Chair For Public Consultations On Uranium Report Appointed

Our government has appointed one of the most respected civil servants in Saskatchewan as the chair of the public consultation process reviewing the findings and recommendations of the Uranium Development Partnership (UDP) report. Dan Perrins served 36 years in the public service in many senior positions, including Deputy Minister to the Premier from 2001 to 2007. Perrins has extensive experience in high-level public consultation and facilitation.

Mr. Perrins will be responsible for supervising all aspects of "The Future of Uranium in Saskatchewan" public consultations, which will include:

1. Chairing the half-day stakeholder consultation meeting, and a minimum of:
2. Nine community consultation meetings across the province;
3. two full-day meetings for presentations by individual stakeholder organizations; and
4. one full-day meeting for presentations by First Nations and Métis representatives;
5. Managing the facilitation process at community consultation meetings;
6. Acting as spokesperson for the public consultation process; and,
7. Writing and submitting to the Minister of Enterprise and Innovation a report no later than August 31, 2009, summarizing public input and feedback from stakeholders and citizens gathered through the public consultation process.

No final decision on the future of uranium development in Saskatchewan will be made until after the public consultation process is complete. Nuclear power is also not the only option being considered. Our government is committed to exploring all forms of energy generation, including solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, clean coal and nuclear, as we look to the future power needs of Saskatchewan people.

All Saskatchewan residents are encouraged to participate in the public consultation process. Get informed and get involved in regards to this very important issue.

The full UDP report is available online. Individuals and organizations can also provide input now by going to the website or by sending comments and submissions to P.O. Box 7, Regina, SK, S4P 2Z5. Copies of the Executive Summary are also available by calling toll-free to 1-877-791-4667.

HIGHWAY REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE SEASON

Our government will move quickly this spring to address potholes and surface breaks, in addition to damage to highways, bridges and culverts in areas where high spring runoff is expected. We have increased this year’s highways repair and maintenance budget to $224 million, a 10 per cent increase over last year. Our government’s strategy to deal with spring conditions and highway damage includes:

1. Using data from the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority to identify high run-off areas which are more at risk;
2. Conducting aggressive surveillance for trouble spots which enables crews to quickly provide warnings to motorists and provide short term repairs. This includes using the Highway Hotline webpage as a centralized point of contact for the general public and municipalities to report trouble spots;
3. Clearing culverts, bridges and other drainage structures so they can handle runoff at their design capacity;
4. Calling back seasonal staff early where necessary; and
5. Performing temporary repairs and marking hazards until long-term repairs can be made.

Travelers are reminded to slow down to 60km/h in construction Orange Zones for the safety of both drivers and workers. For more information on spring maintenance plans, safety in the Orange Zone or upcoming highway construction, go to Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure Website.

ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR REPLACEMENT OF BATTLEFORDS HOSPITAL

Our government is committed to ensuring Saskatchewan people with mental health issues receive the care and support they need. We are providing the Prairie North Health Region with funding which will allow them to proceed with plans to replace the 100-year-old Saskatchewan Hospital in North Battleford. The health region will use the $450,000 to fund capital planning which will clarify the scope of work needed to replace the provincial psychiatric rehabilitation facility, and the estimated costs. This is an important step in advancing the project to the next phase. By investing in planning, our government is taking concrete steps toward addressing an issue that has gone unaddressed for far too long.

SUPPORTING OUR FORESTRY SECTOR

Our government is commissioning a new research program to help develop global markets and new value-added products for Saskatchewan’s forestry industry. We have contracted Canada’s best not-for-profit research institute, FPInnovations, to analyse the best matches between Saskatchewan’s existing and potential wood markets and those in demand in global markets. FPInnovations will also make recommendations on value-added opportunities that utilize Saskatchewan’s timber resource. The contract is worth $3.2 million over three years. The money comes out of the Community Development Trust Fund, which the federal government established to deal with challenges from the downturn in Canada’s forestry industry. Forestry is clearly in transition as a result of industry wide challenges in the global marketplace, particularly the downturn in the U.S. housing market. Our government is taking action to connect the many value-added opportunities which still exist in non-U.S. markets, to our forest companies and our excellent forest resource.

Past Legislative Reports