There needs to be “a huge injection of money” and a shorter federal approval process if rural high-speed internet is to be expanded in a timely fashion across the Prairies, said a rural leader. “I literally know just the solution to Alberta is $1.2 billion,” said Paul McLauchlin, president of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta. […] Read more
Tag Archives infrastructure funding
Sask. RMs get good news-bad news message
Province warns rural municipalities that while infrastructure funding is coming, future revenue sharing will be down
Rural municipalities received good news and bad from the Saskatchewan government last week. New funding is on its way to help with infrastructure projects but government relations minister Don McMorris warned that revenue sharing will be down in the future. The province commits .75 percent of PST revenue to municipal revenue sharing, based on previous […] Read more
Federal program targets irrigation, broadband spending
Saskatchewan’s proposed irrigation plan will benefit from a $10 billion Canada Infrastructure Bank program announced Oct. 1. The CIB intends to spend $1.5 billion for agriculture infrastructure. According to a backgrounder issued with the federal government’s news release, that includes “transformative irrigation infrastructure” in Western Canada. “The benefits of this new initiative include the addition […] Read more
Should Sask. scrap some rural roads?
Report on rural communities recommends reducing municipal governments and abandoning some rural roads
A new report on the health of Canada’s rural communities says Saskatchewan should reduce the number of municipal governments in the province and rationalize its vast network of rural roads. Those measures, combined with the adoption of new technologies that improve rural communication, promote entrepreneurship and enhance the delivery of health care and education, will […] Read more
China not welcome as irrigation investor
The Western Producer editorial of Jan. 15 advocating the infusion of foreign and pension fund investment in Saskatchewan’s irrigation infrastructure requires some re-thinking. Undoubtedly, Saskatchewan’s potential for expanded irrigation is an opportunity that must be pursued. That logic is self-evident. How it can be achieved is the issue. First, let’s set aside any involvement by […] Read more
