Advisers to the Saskatchewan government plan to release later this month new recommendations on how to revitalize rural regions.
The Advisory Committee on the Rural Economy, or ACRE, said the province has made significant progress on many of the 185 recommendations ACRE has made so far, but there is still work to be done.
“We appreciate everything they’ve done,” said ACRE co-chair Audrey Horkoff. “They did a really good job, made some really good starts, but there are some gaps we continue to work on.”
Clay Serby, minister in charge of rural revitalization and the committee co-chair, said the government’s goal has always been to take the recommendations seriously and act on them.
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The government has already responded to requests for things like increased access to high speed internet, new farmland ownership rules and venture capital funds.
Serby said it’s time to start looking at future capital investment and reviewing other legislation.
Horkoff said the new recommendations will focus on infrastructure, crown land, employment and business development. ACRE will consult with rural residents on these recommendations in December.
ACRE also wants the government to look at reducing or eliminating SaskPower’s demand charges for rural recreational facilities.
The committee was formed in 1999 and has a mandate to meet until March 2005. Serby said people shouldn’t be surprised if that term is extended.
“It took us 50 years to get to where we are,” he said. “It will take longer than five years to find our way back.”
