Sustaining Saskatchewan’s Growth
Attitude is Everything
Institute of Certified Management Consultants of Saskatchewan
In Cooperation with the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy
The World’s Premier
Management Consulting
Certification
Contributing Firms & Consultants
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b Creative Group
Conroy Ross Partners
Deloitte
Mandate Consulting
McNair Business Development
Paradigm
Perspect Management Consulting
Praxis
Saskatchewan CMC Institute
Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy
Study Objective: How to Sustain our Growth
Sustain
Saskatchewan’s
Growth
State of the
Economy
(Statistical Analysis)
Attitudes
Survey
(Public Opinion)
Challenges and
Opportunities
(Business Leaders)
Residents believe the Future is Bright
+ = 85%
Source: Praxis Analytics 2013 household survey

Thinking about the next four years, how do you
expect Saskatchewan’s economy will perform? Do
you think it will …
Most Think They Will Be Doing As Well or
Better in Four Years
And are Largely Pro-Business
Economic Conditions Shape Attitudes
Pioneers
Building Together.
Land of Opportunity
Outward looking,
Confidence in the future.
Innovative.
Welcoming immigration.
Abundance of potential
Population growth.
Create a better life.
Post Great Depression
Risk averse, cautious,
Success is envied; not
applauded
Adversarial: winners & losers
Redistribution
Dependent on Government
Tolerate our hardship,
Inward looking, better next
year.
Rural vs. Urban
Shrinking & Stagnating
Opportunity is elsewhere
Out-migration.
2006: A Return to Pioneering Values
Building Together.
Regional interdependency.
Community is the region.
Partnerships for win/win.
Land of Opportunity
World needs what we have
Outward looking,
Confidence in the future.
Global opportunities.
within our reach.
Innovative.
Entrepreneurial.
Welcoming immigration.
International Immigration
driving population growth.
Outlook of abundance
The place to invest
Population growth.
Population growth resumed.
Create a better life.
A prosperous future.
Why the Change in Attitudes in Sask?
Buoyant Economic Conditions = Optimism
Income Levels Have Also Grown
Economic Growth Driving Employment
Growth
Why all the Economic Growth?
Exports!
Growth of
Exports
2003 to 2012
Source: Statistics Canada
Population Gains relate to Global
Commodity Super Cycles
80 % of Population Growth is in Sask Cities
Communities Close to Regina & Saskatoon
Growing Much Faster
New Canadians are Driving Population Growth—Most
Coming to Regina & Saskatoon
Contribution of International Migration to Annual Population
Change
% of population
at start of year
Regina CMA, 201112, 1.9%
Saskatoon CMA,
2011-12, 1.8%
Regina CMA
Saskatoon CMA
Regina CMA, 2010Saskatoon
CMA,
1.3%
Regina11,
CMA,
20092010-11,
1.2%
Saskatchewan,
2011Saskatoon
CMA,
10, 1.2%
Saskatoon
CMA,
12, 1.1%
Saskatoon
CMA, 2009-10,
1.1%
1.0%
2007-08, 2008-09,
1.0%
Regina CMA, 200809,Saskatchewan,
0.9%
Saskatchewan, 2010200911,
0.7%
0.7%
Saskatchewan,10,
2008Saskatoon
CMA,CMA,
Regina
200709,
0.6%
2006-07,
0.6%
Regina
CMA,
2006Saskatchewan,
08, 0.6% 2007Saskatoon
CMA,
Saskatoon
CMA,
07,
0.5%
Saskatoon
CMA,
0.5%
Saskatchewan,08,
2006Saskatoon CMA, Regina CMA,
2004-05,
0.4%
Regina
CMA,
200420032005-06,
0.4%
2003-04,
Saskatoon
CMA, 0.4%
07, 0.3%
2001-02,
0.3%
0.3% 2004Regina
CMA, 2005Regina
CMA,
200104, Saskatchewan,
0.3% 05,
Regina
CMA,
2002Saskatchewan,
2003Saskatchewan,
20052002-03,
0.3%
Saskatchewan,
2001200202, Saskatchewan,
0.2% 03, 0.2% 04,
0.2% 05, 0.2%06,
06,0.2%
0.2%
02, 0.2% 03, 0.2%
Saskatchewan
All of the Job Growth Also in the Cities
Because Employment Intensive Industries
are Urban Based
Cities are Critical for Continued Population
and Employment Growth
Observations
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Saskatchewan’s recent success is due to both rural and
urban economies:
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Exports originate in rural Sask.
Most of the main supporting services, employment and housing
growth is in the cities
Sustaining the interdependency between rural and urban
Sask is vital to Saskatchewan’s continued growth via:
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sustaining competitive resource industries, and
Growing the cities since cities are the primary destinations to
attract population, employment growth and investments in high
value added production.
Higher Value Added Needed—Cities Critical
So Why The Need for Regional
Cooperation?
Sustaining Saskatchewan’s Growth and Competitiveness
Sustained Growth is not Guaranteed
Pursuing Opportunities, Addressing Challenges
Cities Have the Ability to Become Globally
Competitive at 500,000

Cities of 500,000 or more have avoided outmigration in
the Northern Plains region of North America
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Cities become regional and national ‘engines of growth’ as
they attract economic activity.
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Other than Atlantic Canada, Saskatchewan is the only
Canadian province without a city of 500,000.
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Sustaining Saskatchewan’s growth requires larger cities.
Challenges to Maintaining Growth
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Business leaders see four major challenges
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Increasing access to skilled labour and professionals
Improving growth enabling infrastructure
Addressing the rising cost of living and doing business
Continuing to improve and evolve the policy environment
Addressing these challenges is largely an urban based agenda
because of the role of cities in:
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Attracting skilled trades persons and professionals to Saskatchewan
Providing infrastructure and services to support business growth
Creating local economies with sufficient scale to support growing
business.
Today’s
Add
Growth
in300,000
500,000
RM
Population
inGrowth
Towns
189
160
159
158
Thank You
A higher level of management Consulting
Study Findings – Attitude is Everything
Findings:
 Unprecedented levels of growth and investment
 A material shift in public attitudes: ‘positive about the future’
 Businesses are planning extensive developments and investments
 Cities capturing all the growth; larger cities are key to sustaining growth
 Only larger cities are able to attract and retain new skilled professionals
Opportunities:
 Add more value to resources: manufacturing, processing, technologies, services
 Grow the population: Increase immigration, greater participation of First Nations
 Sustain the right policy environment: trade, taxation, training, promotion
Barriers to Continued Growth:
 Shortages of: infrastructure, skilled labor, value added production, cultural industries
 Need more growth of cultural industries
 Fragmentation of governance, insufficient capacity of institutions