The Saskatchewan government has acted on about two-thirds of 220 recommendations put forward by a committee appointed to find ways to revitalize rural Saskatchewan.
A monitoring committee formed from the larger Action Committee on the Rural Economy has examined progress to date and reported that 143 recommendations have been dealt with and should be taken off the books.
“It’s a pretty good start,” said ACRE co-chair Audrey Horkoff. “Even some of those 77 recommendations that have to be addressed yet are the type of recommendations that really you’re never finished with.”
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She said that’s because they deal with issues such as taxation and training.
Saskatchewan Party MLA Greg Brkich said he liked ACRE’s recommendations, but the government hadn’t moved fast or far enough on many of them.
“In my constituency, as throughout rural Saskatchewan, is life any better? No, it’s not,” he told reporters.
“Our infrastructure is poor, the highways are poor, unfortunately, (and) my cell phone still doesn’t work in the same places it (didn’t) in 1999.”
The outstanding recommendations have been grouped into seven categories: immigration; co-ordination and skill development; infrastructure; taxation; business and labour; crown land use and value-added agriculture.
Those related to crown lands include the idea of changing the Provincial Lands Act, which hasn’t been updated since 1960, and establishing policies to allow multiple uses of crown land.
Treaty land entitlements also figure into the mix. About 178,000 crown acres have been sold to First Nations to fulfill entitlement agreements.
The role of aboriginal people in the economy is a key part of the third phase of ACRE’s work, said deputy premier Clay Serby, who appointed the committee in 2000 when he was agriculture minister.
“There will be a great deal of emphasis placed on working with aboriginal people in both rural and urban communities,” he said, noting the committee’s mandate has been extended to 2008.
ACRE will look for ways to define and enhance communities, develop small businesses and entrepreneurs and identify gaps in existing programs and policies relating to small businesses, including co-ops.
“They’ll investigate best practices in other jurisdictions that could be adapted to meet Saskatchewan’s small business needs and they’ll be gathering information on current aboriginal participation in our economy,” Serby said.
Horkoff added that some recommendations are works in progress and need to be monitored further.
For example, the government has taken steps to provide education property tax relief.
She also said the monitoring committee will report annually to the government.
