Budget falls short for northern residents
By Evan Radford
Photo by Evan Radford. NDP critic Buckley Belanger says the 2014 Saskatchewan budget falls far short of addressing the needs of northern Saskatchewan residents.
Longtime Île-à-la-Crosse resident and miner Frank Morrison says he, his family and his neighbours are being “phased out” of their community.
Morrison’s comments come on the day the Saskatchewan government released its 2014-2015 budget.
Buckley Belanger is NDP critic for highways and infrastructure. He also represents Athabasca, Morrison’s constituency. In his reading of the budget, Belanger agreed the budget excludes people in northern Saskatchewan.
“Evidence will show the northern affairs budget is cut in almost every category. New highway construction is almost non-existent. Any kind of home development plans: not there. From the northern perspective, why should we support the budget when it doesn’t support us?” said Belanger.
Belanger said northern residents often tell him they support the government and industry developing the north’s resources. But he cautioned, “Northern people insist that you also develop the northern communities. That includes safe highways, jobs, training and opportunities for our young people.”
Minister of the Economy Bill Boyd took an opposite stance. “We have a lot of projects in northern Saskatchewan in mining and forestry that are obviously capital-intensive. A budget like this is balanced and helps a lot when it comes to attracting investment for Saskatchewan,” he said.
But Boyd didn’t say this investment is rooted in the province. “We wanted to make sure we continue to have an advantage when it comes to attracting capital from around the world,” he said.
The minister said this world capital provides securities and opportunities for “start-up businesses and existing businesses to supply the needs of the mining sector and the forestry sector.”
Belanger countered, “You’re not going to have any kind of world capital markets in northern Saskatchewan to invest if you don’t have a developed workforce, or basic decency for things like childcare and home ownership.”
Belanger said removing high rental costs is one step towards ensuring basic decency for northern residents.
“High rents: why don’t you let (people) own that house if they’ve got a job? Give them the opportunity to own that house. This government has taken away the rental purchase option on some of their government houses in the north,” he said.
Doyle Vermette, NDP critic for northern Saskatchewan and associate critic for First Nations and Métis relations, agreed with Belanger.
“What we’ve seen from this government is a cancellation of the Aboriginal Employment Development Program, and a cancelled northern rental purchase option for home ownership,” he said.
In Île-à-la-Crosse, Frank Morrison sees the direct affects of the cancellation, announced last year. “I work full-time for Cameco in CigarLake. We had been renting our house from Saskatchewan housing for the past 16 years. Last year they decided to cancel the purchase to own program,” he said.
Along with the cancellation, Morrison’s rent cap was removed. “They decided they’re going to charge 30 per cent of our gross income for rent. At the same time, they (froze) the program so you can’t even buy your house out,” he explained.
Morrison said the change has affected working families across northern Saskatchewan. “I’ve talked to a few people and we’re figuring out what can be done, because we’re more or less being phased out,” he said.
Morrison said he’s working with Belanger and regional mayors to find solutions.
Meanwhile, this year’s budget has no funding initiatives to address the housing issue that Morrison and his neighbours are experiencing.
Morrison said he knows two families who moved to Prince Albert due to lack of housing. They were forced to move away from an area that’s been home to many past relatives and ancestors, he said.
