Thursday, February 27, 2020
VOLUME 2 I ISSUE 35
MERIDIANSOURCE.CA
SEE INSIDE FOR Best on the border - Readers’ Choice Awards Pull Out Feature
Premier Moe tours local infrastructure GEOFF LEE
WRITER
.................................. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe gave a thumbs up to the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) process the City of Lloydminster is using to build its new wastewater treatment facility. The premier toured the plant and met with the IPD project team during a day-long tour of infrastructure projects the province has partly funded in the region. “It’s very innovative and I think it’s the first time it’s been used in this type of a project,” said Moe following a project briefing at the city’s Operations Centre on Wednesday. He said he wants to ensure it will be a good qu a l i t y - b u il t p r o j e c t that will last for years. He said “a great group of people” is working here on a very important piece of infrastructure for the city. Moe kicked off the day in Paradise Hill with a tour of a lagoon Saskatchewan invested in. He also announced
the province and the RM of Frenchman Butte are partnering to upgrade nine kilometres of the Frenchman Butte Access and 26 kilometres of Highway 21. The project is scheduled to begin this construction season. The tour stops were set up by Lloydminster MLA C o lleen Yo ung , who invited the premier during the second week of his tour across Saskatchewan. “We were looking at the investments the province has made in infrastructure, particularly within my constituency,” said Young, noting Saskatchewan was the first government to invest in Lloyd’s wastewater upgrade. She said the premier was interested in seeing what the new Lloydminster wastewater facility would look like with the province’s investment in it. “This is a very unique community, and Saskatchewan and Alberta share in the funding of every service and
every facility we have in this community,” said Young. “So, I think it is very important for the premiers to come to this community and see the investment that has been made by the government and what services are here.” Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers says the tour was an opportunity for the premier to see first hand where the dollars his government, the federal government and the taxpayers of Lloydminster, are investing in wastewater. “He saw the design work to build the most effective facility for the least amount of dollars. He was very impressed with that, he took a lot of notes and had a lot of questions,” said Aalbers. Aalbers says city councillors and staff talked about health care and police funding during a closed lunch meeting. He says the topics were EMS and the need to renew a new Memorandum of Agreement
and rectifying changes made years ago to police funding in the Border City. “We’ve asked the premier to restore that funding to keep us equal and whole with the rest of Saskatchewan,” said Aalbers. Moe also took time to talk with media about a possible teachers’ strike and his opposition to the carbon tax among other subjects before heading out for a visit at College Park School. Moe says it’s his hope teachers won’t go on strike or disrupt the school year, following a vote by the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation (STF) for possible job action. “We understand there’s been a strike vote that’s taken place and we respect the results of that vote,” said Moe. “We have been bargaining at the table in good faith and been bargaining collaboratively and we hope to continue that. We hope the STF would come back to the table to
Geoff Lee Meridian Source
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe checks the notes he took during a briefing on the city’s new wastewater treatment plant at the Operations Centre Wednesday with Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers on his left.
continue to bargain to ensure that is not the case.” Moe also thinks the federal carbon tax is unconstitutional, while stressing his government and industry are doing a lot to cut carbon emissions. “When it comes to the carbon tax, there is
no more ineffective way to try to reduce carbon emissions,” he said. Moe says the tax will cause investments to leave this jurisdiction along with our jobs. “It needs to be removed because it’s unconstitutional,” he said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3