Twenty-one Viterra jobs have gone to Calgary, allegedly so they could be closer to the leadership.
I thought this was a Saskatchewan-based organization. Why the president had to go to Calgary, he will have to explain for himself.
The board of directors has ultimate responsibility for deciding where the chief executive officer is located. Mind you, do they have any interest in Regina or Saskatchewan any longer?
Their only concern is profits for the shareholders, who are no longer Saskatchewan-based but for the most part are tucked away in the investment houses of far-off places.
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I hear that Calgary is doing very well and really isn’t in need of more jobs.
Gradually more jobs will drift Calgary way. Eventually the focus of Viterra will shift to that city. This is part of a larger trend.
Evraz, the steel producer, is now headquartered in Portland, Oregon. This Russian based entity acquired IPSCO, the company that was created through the joint efforts of government and private enterprise to create a steel industry on the bald prairies of Saskatchewan, an almost unbelievable feat.
Everybody thought Potash Corp. was firmly headquartered in Saskatchewan but half of the head office was quietly hived off to Chicago. The only reason it was caught was because of the BHP Billiton bid to buy it out.
Both IPSCO and Potash Corp. gave Saskatchewan economic strength.
Viterra grew out of the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, a farmer owned and controlled co-operative that was designed to serve farmer needs. Some hot shots thought they had a better way of doing things and in the process destroyed the heart and soul of another pillar that made this province a great place.
The then-board of directors blindly followed the tune of the piper and the bulk of the membership were not far behind. Now we can see what we lost and there is more in store if we don’t take action soon.
As one famous Saskatchewan citizen said, “it’s never too late to build the promised land”.
John S. Burton,Regina, Sask.
