SK Invests $6M into Roads That Support Province’s Forestry Industry

The Saskatchewan Government has made a $6 million investment into the preservation and maintenance of northern roads that support the province’s forestry industry. The one-time investment will fund gravel work and brush clearing on several northern roads.

“Saskatchewan has the resources the world needs, and it is vital we get our goods to market safely and efficiently,” said Jeremy Cockrill, Saskatchewan’s Highways Minister. “As a landlocked province, we need a safe, reliable and sustainable transportation system to support economic growth.”

The funding is planned for roads that are expected to see an increase in traffic resulting from new and upgraded mills. Some of the key roads will be Highways 165, 912, 913, and 123. Crushing of gravel for these roads is expected to begin soon.

This year’s provincial highways budget invests $89.4 million to build, operate and maintain the transportation system in northern Saskatchewan including gravel road improvements on Highway 924 northeast of Green Lake, and continuing to work on Saskatchewan’s portion of the Garson Lake Road. 

“One of the goals announced in the Growth Plan is to double the size of Saskatchewan’s forestry sector,” Cockrill said. “This growth will have a significant impact on northern communities. In addition to more sales and exports, employment in the forestry sector will also increase.”

The Government of Saskatchewan has invested more than $12 billion in highways infrastructure since 2008, improving more than 19,400 kilometres of Saskatchewan highways.

SK Releases New Critical Minerals Strategy

In March 2023, the Government of Saskatchewan launched Securing the Future: Saskatchewan’s Critical Minerals Strategy to drive growth and development of the sector in the province.

“Saskatchewan is a critical minerals leader today and will be a critical minerals powerhouse tomorrow,” said Premier Scott Moe. “With our existing expertise in mining and processing, our province has the opportunity to become a critical minerals hub and meaningfully contribute to the global demand for these resources.”

The critical minerals strategy supports the objectives set out in the Saskatchewan Growth Plan. The strategy outlines four goals for the sector: to increase Saskatchewan’s share of Canadian mineral exploration spending to 15% by 2030, to double the number of critical minerals being produced in Saskatchewan by 2030, to grow Saskatchewan’s production of potash, uranium, and helium, and to establish Saskatchewan as a rare earth element hub.

Saskatchewan has 23 of the 31 minerals listed on the Canadian critical minerals list. Minerals are considered critical when they’re necessary for key products and industries and subject to supply chain disruptions. Uranium, potash, rare earth elements, lithium, and helium are just a few of the critical minerals found in abundance in Saskatchewan. 

Three government programs were also expanded in the 2023 Budget to pave the way for critical minerals development. The Saskatchewan Mineral Exploration Tax Credit was increased from 10% to 30% and the Targeted Mineral Exploration Incentive, which applies to exploration drilling of all hard-rock minerals, was increased from $750,000 to $4.0 million. In addition, $2.4 million will provide better systems for geoscience data collection and reporting, which explorers use when considering projects.

“As Saskatchewan competes for Canadian and international investments, the increases to the Targeted Mineral Exploration Incentive Program and to the Mineral Exploration Tax Credit, are very welcome,” said Pam Schwann, President of the Saskatchewan Mining Association. “They position Saskatchewan to be one of the leading Canadian mineral jurisdictions and will be effective in incentivizing additional investment into Saskatchewan.”