August, 2012


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action! online August, 2012

Get your tickets today at www.saskchamber.com

The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce Update

ABEX Awards

presented by Conexus Credit Union

October 20, 2012 Regina, SK

Premier Brad Wall’s State of the Province Address

Presented by Sask Chamber

October 16, 2012 TCU Place, Saskatoon

“There are three ingredients in the good life: learning, earning and yearning.” – Christopher Morley

Inside This Issue: SCC Advocacy Update     _______________ 2 Red Tape Initiative _______ 3 Adopt an RCMP Musical Ride Horse    ________________  4 Legislative Report    _______________  5 CWB Perspective_________ 6 Shelterbelt Petition  ______ 6 Members in the News  ____ 7

Dr. Larry Rosia began as SIAST’s new President and Chief Executive Officer July 1, 2012.

New SIAST President sees opportunities for students and industry There’s a new face in the halls of SIAST this summer, and a focused vision for the future to go along with it. Dr. Larry Rosia assumed the position of President and Chief Executive Officer July 1, after Dr. Robert McCulloch retired. He took time from his busy schedule to speak to the Sask Chamber recently. Dr. Rosia noted that there was no shortage of things to do during his first few weeks. “It was kind of like the analogy of drinking from a fire hose,” he said, alluding to the intense flow of information as he got acclimatized. “But I love it – I don’t want to stop at the end of the day.” The fire hose analogy is apt, as well, for Saskatchewan’s business climate. “I see Saskatchewan as having a unique opportunity. It is being driven by a resource-based economy, something that is placing it nationally, or even cont’d on page 2

New SIAST President cont’d from page 1

globally, as a strong leader. This is something we must take advantage of,” he said. “It is a very exciting time,” he added. “The key is to sustain that growth. We need a technologically proficient, educated workforce in order to do that, more than has ever been the case in this province’s history. SIAST will be working for both the students, employers and the industry.” Another opportunity Dr. Rosia sees is the potential for strong partnerships between SIAST and private sector and industry. “People are going to realize we’re part of the solution as the province moves forward,” he predicted. In order to keep up with a growing demand, he said that SIAST will have to reposition its programs and facilities to make it attractive to the next generation of learners. As Saskatchewan’s primary provider of technical education and skills training, SIAST turns out more under grads annually than any other post-secondary organization in the province. Almost 4,000 students graduate from SIAST annually, and the institute trains 5,000 apprentices each year. Those numbers have been growing: Enrolment has increased approximately 30 percent over four years.

SIAST’s vision is sharply focused on three main areas: being a global leader in innovative education, helping students achieve success, and creating economic and social benefits for the province. While he doesn’t hail from Saskatchewan originally (having left his position as Dean of the School of Construction at SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary), Dr. Rosia is embracing his new province. “I even donned a green and white jersey for the last two Riders games,” he smiled. His background is in telecommunications engineering, adult education and educational policy and administration, and in 2006 he completed his PhD in academic leadership at the University of Calgary, and attended the Executive Leadership Program at Harvard University. Dr. Rosia noted his deep gratitude to SIAST’s past leadership and staff, who created an innovative education delivery system. “Now we will have to make physical changes to accommodate the increase in students who want these classes,” he said. A recent study indicated that all SIAST campuses have maxed out available space. That study indicated, for instance, a 475-seat shortfall at SIAST Kelsey Campus in Saskatoon.

Dr. Rosia admitted that such exponential growth can present challenges, but he said he prefers to view them from a positive angle, as “opportunities” instead. One opportunity Dr. Rosia sees is the potential for strong partnerships between SIAST and the private sector and industry. “People are going to realize we’re part of the solution as the province moves forward,” he predicted.

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“Bob (McCulloch) left a great legacy behind,” he said, referring to SIAST’s past decade of remarkable growth. “Now we have the chance to capitalize on some of the opportunities this has created.” Welcome, Dr. Rosia! (And keep on wearing that green and white!)

events! of interest Tired of being turned down by investors? Why not plan to attend The Perfect Pitch workshop with investor pitch expert Linda Plano? Enterprise Saskatchewan, Regina Regional Opportunities Commission and Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority are holding two workshops this September. September 11, 2012 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Radisson Saskatoon Hotel Michaelangelo Room 405 20th St. E., Saskatoon September 13, 2012 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Conexus Arts Centre Schumiatcher Room 200 Lakeshore Dr., Regina Tickets, which are $50 each, can be found at:www.progress2capital.com

Saskatchewan Chamber Advocacy Update At the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce, one of the most important things we do for our members is advocacy work on your behalf. The Saskatchewan Chamber Advocacy Update will be a recurring feature, to keep our members abreast of the work being done on their behalf by the SCC advocacy team. In June and July, our foremost project in the advocacy area concerned the Government of Saskatchewan’s labour legislation review consultation process. When the government opened consultations to allow all Saskatchewan stakeholders to provide input into the labour legislation renewal (specifically, employment standards, labour relations, collective bargaining in education and the public sector, essential services, appeals, penalties and administration), the SCC began a concerted effort to communicate with its members, to find out their individual concerns and to create a cohesive message, as the “Voice of Business”, to submit to the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety. The government’s aim is to modernize, simplify and possibly amalgamate labour legislation, and to explore the creation of a Saskatchewan Emloyment Code - something for which the SCC has been advocating. A series of roundtable discussions was held in Prince Albert, Saskatoon and Regina, and an online survey was provided for those who were not able to attend. A conference call and one-on-one interviews were also conducted to generate discussion points to include in the SCC’s submission. Overall, the response was positive and consistent, and from it the SCC was able to formulate a series of 10 recommendations concerning legislation amalgamation, greater flexibility in work hours, greater transparency in union finances, increased freedom of choice for unionized workers, ease of union decertification, avoidance of minimum wage indexation, maintenance of current vacation time and statutory holidays, notice requirements for group terminations, increased clarity on essential services legislation, and general overall modernization of all of the concerned pieces of legislation. In conclusion, the submission underlined the need to maintain balanced employment and labour legislation that is fair and equitable to both employers and employees. In late July and early August, SCC CEO Steve McLellan and Director of Government Relations Curtis Hemming traveled to northern Saskatchewan to review existing northern infrastructure, see future infrastructure projects which are being planned, meet some of the businesspeople in remote northern communities, and get an idea of how better linkage of these communities to the rest of the provincial economy through improved infrastructure would make living and doing business in northern Saskatchewan more achievable. Along with other key stakeholders, Steve and Curtis visited Points North, Wollaston Lake, Fond-du-lac, Stony Rapids and the Hatchet Lake Lodge, as well as flew over the connector road to get an aerial view of the project area. To inquire about the Saskatchewan Chamber’s advocacy work, contact Curtis Hemming at chemming@saskchamber. com or call 306.352.2671.

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Chamber’s work toward Red Tape Review Initiative Continues In order to help the provincial government as it continues to streamline processes and lessen regulatory burdens, the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce invites members to submit examples of potential inefficiencies to our new email address: [email protected] These suggestions will be reviewed, then passed along to the Red Tape Review panel members for examination and appropriate action. The Saskatchewan Chamber strongly believes the continuation of the Red Tape Review process is an important element of the overall mandate of the Ministry of Economy, and that it has the potential to provide enhanced business productivity for Saskatchewan.

RCMP Musical Ride Adopt a Horse When the RCMP Heriutage Centre hosts its Musical Ride August 11 at the Brandt Centre in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee, why not make it a bit more personal by adopting one of the Musical Ride horses during the Regina visit? By making a $1,000 donation to the RCMP Heritage Centre for this limited opportunity, you will receive an $800 charitable tax receipt. As well, you (or your child or grandchild) will receive recognition on stable door signage (you get to keep the sign), a chance to meet the horse and rider personally, special photo opportunities during the visit and at the end of the show, a certificate of adoption, a ‘trading card’ of your horse and rider, two free tickets to the Musical Ride and reduced price on other tickets, an invitation to a special pre-show VIP reception at the RCMP Heritage Centre, and a free Diamond Jubilee annual family pass to the RCMP Heritage Centre including discounts. Only 36 horses are eligible to be adopted. Details on the horses are at www. rcmp-grc.gc.ca. Call Wanda today at 306.522.7333, ext. 3015 to start your once-in-a-lifetime adoption process, or email her at wanda.blake@rcmphc. com.

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Legislative Report Saskatchewan goes to Aa1 Positive Last month Moody’s Investors Services changed the outlook on Saskatchewan’s credit rating to Aa1 (positive) from Aa1 (stable). “The change in the outlook for Saskatchewan’s Aa1 rating reflects the ongoing improvement in the province’s financial position that is expected to continue,” the agency said. Wholesale trade continues to improve Statistics Canada today released trade figures that indicate Saskatchewan’s wholesale trade increased 13.2 per cent in May 2012 over May 2011, the third highest growth rate in Canada. Wholesale trade totalled $1.985 billion in May 2012 (seasonally adjusted). Wholesale trade was up 6.2 per cent nationally during this period. “With wholesale trade hitting almost $2 billion, it is fair to say our economy has the essential ingredients to continue moving forward,” Economy Minister Bill Boyd said. “We are over double the national increase, and that speaks volumes about the economic growth happening here in Saskatchewan.” Trade figures also improved on a monthly basis, up 1.7 per cent between April 2012 and May 2012 which is almost double the 0.9 per cent recorded nationally. Government approves $200,000 for research on improving Metis education Education Minister Russ Marchuk today announced $200,000 in funding for the Métis Nation Saskatchewan (MNS) to support research on improving Métis education and employment outcomes. This research supports the work done by the Joint Task Force on First Nations and Métis Education and Employment (JTF) and will inform an engagement strategy for Métis communities and stakeholder organizations. With the recent government reorganization the Ministry of Education has been assigned as the lead ministry representing the Government of Saskatchewan in the work done by the JTF. The Ministries of Advanced Education and Government Relations are supporting this initiative as well. The JTF’s work focuses on several key goals including: •Improved early childhood outcomes and transition to school; •Increased high school and post-secondary completion rates; •Improved participation in the labour force and employment; and •Greater quality of life and enhanced self-sufficiency. The task force began its broad public consultations in early spring 2012, with the task force report to be complete early in 2013.

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CWB Perspective - Part 1 By John De Pape, CWB Monitor When the federal government passed the Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers Act (Bill C-18), ending the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly on August 1, 2012, it was felt by its supporters that this would usher in a new era of increased investment and activity in grain marketing and processing. Notable deals to date include the still-pending purchase of Viterra by Swissbased Glencore International. After the deal to buy Viterra goes through, Glencore will be divesting the major portion of Viterra’s crop input business to Calgary-based Agrium and a number of grain elevators to Richardson International (Pioneer Grain). The deal was overwhelmingly supported by Viterra shareholders with 99.8% voting in favour of the $6.1 billion deal. Other lesser-known names in the grain marketing world are also starting to be heard in and around Saskatchewan. Lansing Grain, based in Kansas, and Olam International of Singapore have announced a new joint-venture foray into Western Canada to be called Lansing Olam Canada. According to the firms, their intent is to “establish a meaningful position in the liberalized Western Canadian Grains market place.” Others that have increased their activity include CHS Inc. from Minneapolis and Gavilon Inc. from Omaha, Nebraska (the third largest U.S. grain merchant, just behind Cargill and ADM). And it’s not just the big players that are stepping in. Many smaller grain dealers and brokers are eyeing the opportunities of the open market; it seems few are wary of the obviously increased competition, even though many don’t have handling facilities. Yet.

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Petition to save Prairie Shelterbelt Program There is a petition circulating to the Prime Minister of Canada, calling for the reversal of his decision to discontinue funding of the Prairie Shelterbelt Program, and to continue contributing to the sustainability of Canada’s agriculture and environment. Those wishing to support this endeavour should send a declaration of support along with their name, address including postal code, and signature to: “Save the Prairie Shelterbelt Program”, Box 122, Indian Head, SK S0G 2K0

Welcome to our new members! New Moon Minerals, Winnipeg www.newmoonminerals.com Traveland RV, Regina www.travelandrv.net Stark & Marsh Chartered Accountants, LLP, Swift Current www.starkmarsh.com For membership information, or to refer your leads, contact Jesse Chatterson at 306.352.2671 or [email protected].

Saskatchewan Chamber Members in the news The Radisson Plaza Hotel Saskatchewan played proud host to Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall on Tuesday, May 23rd. Interestingly, the visit coincided with the anniversary of the hotel’s official opening day 85 years earlier. The Prince was made aware of the anniversary and congratulated the team upon his departure. The hotel team was kept busy for weeks in advance preparing for the Royals. Canada’s Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Stephen Harper and his wife, Mrs. Harper as well as the country’s Governor General, His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston and his wife, Mrs. Johnston, were all visiting at the same time. KPMG LLP (KPMG) has announced it has acquired SECOR Inc. (SECOR), Canada’s largest independent strategic management consulting firm, with offices in Montréal, Toronto, Québec City, and Vancouver. “We are thrilled to have SECOR join KPMG,” said Jeffrey Smith, Canadian Managing Partner, Advisory, KPMG. “Like KPMG, they are dedicated to understanding what our clients face every day and we believe this is an ideal business fit for our professionals and for our clients.” Founded in 1975, and with over 125 employees and 18 partners across the country, SECOR is a cornerstone of the Canadian management consulting market. The firm has shaped the strategy of major Canadian corporations, helping clients identify and evaluate opportunities beyond the scope of current operations, and providing implementation and organizational support during periods of change.

action! online is a monthly membership publication of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce. Steve McLellan, CEO [email protected]

Dawn M. Barker, Director of Communications [email protected]

Curtis Hemming Director of Government Relations [email protected]

Loretta McClinton Director of Finance & Special Projects [email protected]

Jesse Chatterson, Director of Member Services [email protected]

Kristin McKee, Director of Policy Development [email protected]

Cindy Wright, Event Coordinator [email protected] Contact Us 1630 - 1920 Broad Street Regina, SK S4P 3V2 306.352.2671 www.saskchamber.com -7-