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Saskatchewan invests $6M in transportation to support growth of forest industry

A $6.0 million investment is being made for the preservation and maintenance of northern roads that support the Saskatchewan’s forest industry. This one-time investment will fund gravel work and brush clearing on several northern roads.

“Saskatchewan has the resources the world needs and it is vital we get our goods to market safely and efficiently,” Highways Minister Jeremy Cockrill said. “As a landlocked province, we need a safe, reliable and sustainable transportation system to support economic growth.”

The money will preserve and maintain forestry-dependent roads in the north. The funding is planned for roads that are expected to see an increase in traffic resulting from new and upgraded mills.

“The future looks bright for the Saskatchewan forestry industry,” Edgewood Forest Products in Carrot River general manager Trevor Reid said. “This industry is poised for growth, and we’re pleased to see the provincial government supporting forestry.”

“Saskatchewan forest companies operate in a global marketplace,” Paper Excellence vice-president supply chain Hamish Doughty said. “Transportation is a significant part of our business, and investing in roads reduces our costs, which makes us more competitive.”

Some of the key roads will be Highways 165, 912, 913, and 123. Crushing of gravel for these roads is expected to begin soon.

This year’s provincial highways budget invests $89.4 million to build, operate and maintain the transportation system in northern Saskatchewan including:

• Gravel road improvements on Highway 924 northeast of Green Lake;
• Continuing to work on Saskatchewan’s portion of the Garson Lake Road.

“One of the goals announced in the Growth Plan is to double the size of Saskatchewan’s forestry sector,” Cockrill said. “This growth will have a significant impact on northern communities. In addition to more sales and exports, employment in the forestry sector will also increase.”

The Government of Saskatchewan has invested more than $12 billion in highways infrastructure since 2008, improving more than 19,400 kilometres of Saskatchewan highways.