Saskatchewan Minute: Pharmacist Pilot, Timber Allocation, and Tech Sector Growth

Saskatchewan Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Saskatchewan politics.

This Week In Saskatchewan:

• Saskatchewan will launch a pilot project allowing selected pharmacies to test for strep throat and ear infections, expanding the role of pharmacists. This initiative aims to alleviate the burden on doctors and improve healthcare access, particularly in rural areas. The project will involve 10 pharmacies conducting both strep throat and ear infection assessments, while 50 others will focus only on ear infections.
  
  
• A new report, commissioned by Innovation Saskatchewan, highlights significant growth in the province’s tech sector. The number of tech jobs has more than doubled since 2019, with over 5,000 people employed in 2023. The province now hosts 347 tech companies, an increase from 333 in 2019, and tech revenues exceeded $845 million in 2022. Although profits have decreased, this is attributed to heavy reinvestment in the sector. The report also notes that the majority of tech activity is centered in Saskatoon and Regina, but future growth is expected to spread to smaller communities, driven by innovations in agriculture and other sectors.
  
  
• Dry conditions in Saskatchewan are allowing farmers to make significant progress with their harvests, and 61% of crops are now collected. The southwest leads with 85% harvested, while the northeast lags behind at 34%. Farmers are closely monitoring stored grain to prevent bin heating. Scattered rainfall has caused varied crop quality, with some crops like peas performing above average, while others, such as durum wheat and barley, are slightly below their 10-year averages.

Last Week In Saskatchewan:

• Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck has promised to eliminate the provincial sales tax (PST) on children's clothing if her party wins the upcoming election. The NDP said this tax costs buyers over $20 million annually and that removing it would help families save money, but research studies show that the added complexity actually just ends up costing more. The NDP are also proposing a Landlord and Tenant Protection Act, which aims to prevent excessive rent hikes and a reintroduction of direct payments to landlords for social services clients. The Saskatchewan election is scheduled to be held on or before October 28th.
  
  
• The Saskatchewan government has allocated 1.2 million cubic metres of timber to One Sky Forest Products for a new oriented strand board mill in Prince Albert. The $400 million project is set to start construction in 2025 and is expected to create around 800 jobs. The new mill will focus on producing engineered wood panels for home construction. This allocation aims to support the mill while ensuring sustainable forest management practices.
  
  
• The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan has decided against merging with the Buffalo Party, citing fundamental disagreements. PC Leader Rose Buscholl said the parties had some common ground but could not reconcile differences, particularly regarding federal and international issues. Despite the decision, Buscholl did not rule out future discussions. Buffalo Party Leader Phillip Zajac expressed disappointment but remains optimistic about the upcoming election and the party’s growth.