REGINA – Saskatchewan is seeing a serious infrastructure deficit across the board.
Aging infrastructure has the government pouring $3 billion into rebuilding our province. Two-thirds of that will be spent on upgrades to crown corporation facilities.
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re talking to municipal, or school boards, or hospitals. Everyone is asking for rebuilds and renovations and new facilities,” said Finance Minister Ken Krawetz on Wednesday.
That is exactly what the province is spending nearly $887 million on this year. Just under half of that, will go to transportation projects, including the Regina bypass and twinning Highway 16 from Saskatoon.
“We’ve seen the trials and tribulations of trying to get our agricultural products out of the province this past winter. And I’m sure they’re mindful of that when they’re making their investments,” said Debra Button, SUMA president.
The budget also allocates $103 million to education infrastructure – four schools, including Connaught Community School and Sacred Heart in Regina will be completely rebuilt using the P3 funding model. It’s something the NDP is still opposed to.
“Just from very common sense grounds, of P3s costing more, delaying construction, forfeiting control and also shutting out local construction industry contractors, we oppose the rent-a-school scheme approach,” said Trent Wotherspoon, NDP Education Critic.
The last $16 million needed to build a new hospital in Moose Jaw is also in this budget.
But while the province’s investment in infrastructure is substantial this year, money in the municipal revenue sharing fund has been pulled back.
“This is not a hidden secret to municipalities. If they look already into this document, they will see that next year’s anticipated PST is up over $1.003 billion, which means that the revenue sharing for next year will jump back up by about $11 million more,” said Krawetz.
Comments