Car sales, wholesale keeping Sask. economy strong

After weathering the economic storm for several years, Saskatchewan’s economy continues to rise. At car dealerships across the province, business over the last couple years has been good.

“Maybe there was a little bit of a pullback in 2009 where people were worried about what might happen,” said Trevor Boquist, owner of Bennett Dunlop Ford, “but now that the storm clouds have cleared for the rest of North America, I think people are just stepping up.”

More people are stepping up into new trucks, which Boquist says has been the biggest seller.

“F-150’s are rolling out of here as fast as they’re coming in,” he said.

Overall, across Saskatchewan new vehicle sales are over 30 per cent higher this year compared to last.

“Our economy’s doing very well and people are out spending money,” Boquist explained.

While the car business is definitely helping Saskatchewan’s economy, the province’s wholesale trade industry is also growing. Norbert Beaujot, owner of SeedMaster says his company has grown about 20 per cent this year, thanks to strong sales in Canada, the United States and Australia.

“This year’s been very solid for us,” Beaujot said.

Strong car and wholesale markets are important to improving the economy, but Saskatchewan is still seeing natural resources recovering much slower. Experts say that’s the only thing stopping the province from completely dominating the country’s economic recovery. The Saskatchewan government thinks another season of change is right around the corner.

“We realize that when you’re commodity based, you have to be able to live through the ebbs and flows,” said Enterprise Minister Ken Cheveldayoff. “We know we have some of the best people in the world running those companies and they will contribute to our economy.”