Rural Saskatchewan is ready for change, says the co-chair of a
committee that spent nearly two years seeking ways to revitalize the
province outside of its two largest cities.
“Our take on the situation is the majority of the people in the
province realize we have to do something,” Audrey Horkoff told an April
29 news conference to mark the release of the Action Committee on the
Rural Economy’s final report.
“We concluded beyond doubt that the status quo was not an option.”
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The committee recommended a variety of ways to increase economic
activity, including tax incentives, infrastructure improvement and the
development of stronger livestock and organic industries.
For example, ACRE urged the provincial government to explore the
potential of a special youth tax structure.
The idea is to help young people struggling with the burden of student
loans, starting a business or having a young family, but who want to
stay in the province or move here.
“We felt if they could feel that Saskatchewan was a tax-friendly place
and with the job opportunities that we hope to create here, it would
look attractive,” Horkoff said.
Other taxation recommendations include the establishment of a credit
for value-added processing, consistent taxation in all rural
municipalities, use of fuel tax exclusively for road maintenance and
construction, and alleviation of the education tax burden on farmland.
The committee also recommended an attitude adjustment.
Its report said people view Saskatchewan as “a dead end with no future
and a terrible place to be” and chastises the media for highlighting
negative stories, such as 30 farmers occupying the legislative
building, and ignoring positive ones, like the attendance of 1,400
farmers at a soil conservation conference. Both events occurred around
the same time.
The final report highlights 40 priority recommendations made by eight
sub-committees in six areas: competitiveness; skills development;
infrastructure; sector specific; facilitating change; and research and
development.
About 150 other recommendations will be examined later.
A call on the province to remove residency requirements for Canadian
citizens who want to own Saskatchewan farmland did not make the
priority list.
Agriculture minister Clay Serby said the government would use the ACRE
recommendations as the basis for a strategy it will announce this
summer.
“Since ACRE’s recommendations touched on virtually all of government,
we have established a working group in government that will represent
all of the key department and agencies,” he said.
He noted the strategy will be long-term.
“I don’t think anyone is under the impression that rural revitalization
will be an easy task or one that will happen overnight.”
But Horkoff said some things do have to happen quickly, which is why
many of the recommendations focus on simplifying processes.
“It’s taking us too long and it’s costing too much money to get a plan
off the ground,” she said.
The ACRE process cost $640,000. The committee had a four-year budget of
$800,000, but fast-tracked its work at Serby’s request.
