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January 10, 2012

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Events:

The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce

January

Political Forum

The 2011 Growth Strategy Report

April

Make a Connection

The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce Releases the 2011 Growth Strategy Report on Provincial Targets

May

Conference on Business Political Forum January 19, 2012 Buy tickets online today! www.saskchamber.com

In 2007 the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce launched the Sustainable Growth Strategy for the New Saskatchewan to support the strategic and sustainable growth of the province’s economy and population. Why is monitoring growth important? Without growth, Saskatchewan will not have the tax revenues necessary to sustain the level of public services residents have come to expect. This report allows us to see where the province stands economically, and as a direct result, socially. Why are these indicators important? These growth indicators are important because they provide a way for Saskatchewan people to monitor all aspects of growth so it is sustainable and strategic. Without having these kinds of growth benchmarks with which to monitor our province’s growth, it is very difficult to identify what the current and future impediments to growth are. It is a real world example of the old quote, “What gets measured, gets managed.” If we do not know what our weaknesses as a province are, how will we be able to work toward fixing them?

Inside this issue: Extreme Technology MakeOver Contest

2

Changes to the Canada Pension Plan

2

Policy Library

3

Third Quarter comes to a close

3

Legislative Report

4-5

Political Forum

5

Contact Us!

6

Where can I get more information? To read the 2011 Growth Strategy Report please visit www.saskchamber.com.

Welcome to our New Members! Terry Ortynsky's Royal Ford 117 Broadway St. East Yorkton SK S3N 2V7 1-888-231-9027

Steam-Est Industries Ltd 67 Devonian St Estevan, SK Tel: (306) 634-3144

McKim Cringan George 1939 Scarth Street, Suite 200 Regina, SK S4P 2H1

Wilhelm Construction Services Inc. #20 HWY 39E , Box 1657 Estevan, SK Canada S4A 1C8 306.637.3230

Phone 306-564-1375

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action! online Extreme Technology MakeOver Contest! What would the future look like for your company, if you were to get an Extreme Technology MakeOver and budget was not an issue? Now is the time to find out! Horizon, along with the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce have partnered to bring you the Extreme Technology MakeOver. A unique chance for Saskatchewan-based organizations to obtain a technology makeover at zero cost to the winner, and worth up to $50,000.

Does your office need an upgrade?

The contest is open to business or non-profit organizations of between 1-99 people based in Saskatchewan. The finalist will receive a complete technology assessment by Horizon and SaskTel, which will serve to develop a strategic plan to overhaul the winning firm’s IT infrastructure.

Contest closes March 15, 2012. Register online today!

Changes to the Canada Pension Plan that may affect your business Changes to the Canada Pension Plan and how it can affect your Retirement Plans The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) is changing to better reflect how Canadians choose to live, work, and retire. Because Canadians are living longer, the CPP is adapting to ensure it remains fair and sustainable, and that it responds to the evolving needs of Canada's aging population and to the changes in the economy and labour market. Here is what you should know:



You will not have to stop working to begin receiving the CPP retirement pension.

On January 1, 2012, the new Post-Retirement Benefit comes into effect which means that: If you are under age 65 and working while receiving the CPP retirement pension, both you and your employer will have to make CPP contributions (these contributions will go towards the new PostRetirement Benefit, which will be added to the CPP retirement pension). If you are at least 65 but under 70 and working while receiving your CPP retirement pension, you will make CPP contributions that will go towards the Post-Retirement Benefit (PRB) or you can elect not to contribute.



The monthly CPP retirement pension amount will increase by a larger percentage if taken after age 65.



The monthly CPP retirement pension amount will decrease by a larger percentage if taken before age 65.

The number of years of low or zero earnings that are automatically dropped from the calculation of the CPP retirement pension will increase. For more information visit Service Canada .

This will affect businesses whose employees are subject to these changes. If you or your employees are interested in finding out more the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the Canada Pension Plan, will offer a webinar if interest is expressed. If you are interested please contact Ashley Dopko by February 1, 2012.

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Policy Library Bridging the Aboriginal Education Gap in Saskatchewan Educational attainment is lower among Saskatchewan’s Aboriginal population than among non-Aboriginals. This negatively impacts the lifetime earnings of the Aboriginal population and the province’s economy. Bridging the Aboriginal Education Gap in Saskatchewan was written to quantify these impacts. The Importance to Business of Bridging the Aboriginal Education Gap Saskatchewan’s Aboriginal population is much younger than the non-Aboriginal population and this offers the province a workforce opportunity not found in other jurisdictions. At present however, the full potential of this demographic opportunity is not being realized because the educational attainment of Aboriginal youth is lagging significantly behind the rest of the population. The Bridging the Aboriginal Education Gap in Saskatchewan report notes that addressing the education gap among the Aboriginal population is the most significant economic challenge confronting Saskatchewan, as well as the province’s greatest economic opportunity.

To learn more about Bridging the Aboriginal Education Gap in Saskatchewan please visit the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce’s online Policy Library at www.saskchamber.com

ThirdQuarter comes to a close ThirdQuarter is a national project that matches workers aged 50-plus with businesses and organizations in 14 Canadian communities. The national collaboration involves the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, the British Columbia Chambers of Commerce, the Saskatchewan Chambers of Commerce and the Atlantic Provinces Chambers of Commerce. In Saskatchewan, we have had 2 communities running this pilot project since August 2010: Regina and Humboldt. Thank you to all of the businesses, organizations and people who have participated in the project; we hope you have benefitted from the program and found some employees along the way. The pilots are now coming to a close and the Saskatchewan Chamber’s part in ThirdQuarter came to an end on December 31, 2011. While the website www.thirdquarter.ca continues to function and new registrations are being accepted and firms can continue posting jobs, the work of the community coordinators has ended and support for the website will continue through the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce.

The ThirdQuarter project is currently in discussions with the Federal Government as to the future of the project beyond its scheduled end in April 2012. We hope to learn its future near the end of January. Until then, please continue using the website www.thirdquarter.ca and we will communicate to you the final decision when it is made. Thank you again for your support on this project.

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Legislative Report New Legislation Introduced to Streamline Business Registrations and Reporting Saskatchewan has taken a step toward streamlining business registration and reporting requirements across the three westernmost provinces as part of the New West Partnership Trade Agreement. The recently introduced Miscellaneous Business Statutes Amendment Act, 2011 is intended to help businesses that register and report as a corporation in Saskatchewan to also operate in Alberta or British Columbia. Under the New West Partnership Trade Agreement, the governments of Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia agreed to reconcile business registration and reporting requirements. Effective July 1, 2012, businesses registering as a corporation will no longer need to register separately in each of the three jurisdictions.

Justice Minister Introduces Motion to Study Provincial Lobbyist Legislation At the request of Premier Brad Wall, Justice Minister and Attorney General Don Morgan has introduced a motion to refer the issue of lobbyist legislation to the Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs and Justice for review and to report back to the Legislative Assembly. The committee will review how lobbying is addressed in other provinces and by the federal government. The committee will also conduct public hearings to receive representation from interested individuals and groups.

Education Minister Announces Funding for New Category of Independent Schools The Minister of Education has announced that the government will provide funding to a new category of independent schools, called Qualified Independent Schools in the new school year. Qualified Independent Schools will be required to comply with a strict set of criteria to be eligible for funding of 50 per cent of the provincial per-student average. As part of the criteria to receive this new funding, Qualified Independent Schools will be required to participate in the provincial student assessment program.

Legislation Introduced to Expand Degree Granting Authority The Government of Saskatchewan has introduced The Degree Authorization Act, to expand degree-granting authority in the province. Currently, only the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina can grant degrees in Saskatchewan. The new act allows for the potential expansion of degree-granting authority to other post-secondary institutions in the province, provided the degree receives approval through a rigorous quality assurance process. The Act will apply to all educational institutions involved in offering part or all of a degree program and deemed to have a physical presence in Saskatchewan, and to any degree program that is specifically targeted to Saskatchewan students through advertising. The Act does not apply to the University of Saskatchewan or University of Regina programs, or their partnerships with other institutions.

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Legislative Report Continued... Saskjobs.ca Website Continues to Boom Saskjobs.ca continues to be Saskatchewan's largest career matching website with more jobs posted in 2011 than ever before. In 2011, there were more than 150,000 vacancies posted to the site, an increase of more than 39,000 positions compared to the 2010 postings. The site hosted a record 9.8 million visits in 2011 compared to 8.9 million visits in 2010.

Saskatchewan Economy Sets Records Saskatchewan's economy had a banner year in 2011 and the New Year is projected to be even better. The province set records for investment and population growth in 2011 and two independent forecasters are predicting that Saskatchewan will continue to lead Canada and set records in 2012. Private and public investment is expected to reach $17 billion in 2011, an all-time record for the province. Population levels are growing at rates the province has not experienced for decades and hit record levels in 2011, with 1,063,535 people now living in Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan’s Population Grows at a Record Rate Saskatchewan's Population is now at an all-time high of 1,063,535 people. According to Statistics Canada, the number of people living in the province increased by 5,651 between July 1, 2011, and October 1, 2011. That's the most growth ever recorded in any quarter since StatsCan started keeping quarterly records in 1971, eclipsing the record of 5,444 set in the previous quarter of this year. Saskatchewan had the fastest growth rate in of any province in the past quarter and the second-fastest, behind only Alberta, in the past year. Saskatchewan's population has now increased in every quarter since April of 2006 and has grown by more than 70,000 people since that time.

January 19th, 2012 Hotel Saskatchewan 2125 Victoria Avenue Regina, SK

Political Forum January 19, 2012 The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce Political Forum is your best chance to discuss the issues that matter to you and your business with our province's elected officials. Connect with key Ministers and Critics in an exclusive gathering and help make the Voice Of Business heard in Saskatchewan. Small group discussions will be held on issues relating to*:  Finance  Investment and Growth  Environment  Human Resources * Group discussions subject to Minister and Critic availability and maximum capacity in each room Note: Political Forum is only open to members of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce.

For more information please visit www.saskchamber.com or call 306.352.2671

Agenda: 4:00 pm - Welcome the Official Opposition 4:15 pm - Small Group Discussions 5:15 pm - Question & Answer Session 5:30 pm - Reception (host bar) 6:00 pm - Welcome to the Government 6:15 pm - Dinner & Small Group Discussions 8:15 pm - Question & Answer Session 9:00 pm - Adjournment

Contact Us 1630-1920 Broad Street Regina, SK S4P 3V2 306.352.2671 Steve McLellan, CEO [email protected] LaTonya Luhr, Administrative Assistant [email protected] Ashley Dopko, Communications Coordinator [email protected] Curtis Hemming, Director of Government Relations [email protected] Kristin McKee, Director of Policy Development [email protected]

Saskatchewan Construction Awards of Excellence The first annual Saskatchewan Construction Awards of Excellence are set to take place April 19 at the Willows Golf and Country Club in Saskatoon. These awards have been initiated to recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements of our province's open shop contractors. Nominations for the 6 different categories of awards are now open. All qualifying and application criteria have been posted at www.scae.ca.

Jesse Chatterson, Director of Member Services [email protected] Cindy Wright, Event Coordinator [email protected] Dawn Boxall, Manager of Finance & Special Projects [email protected]

Advertise with us! action! online is sent to 1500 business leaders who want to know about you! Contact Jesse Chatterson for more information. [email protected] 306.352.2671