The Saskatchewan Government want to get moving on as many infrastructure projects as possible before the end of construction season and are asking for federal cooperation.
Saskatchewan was promised over 800-million-dollars from Ottawa for numerous projects, 300-million alone was set aside for Regina and Saskatoon.
Deputy Premier Gord Wyant said the cities of Saskatoon and Regina have agreed to move funding for their cultural projects to a category just for them so other projects from around the province can get funding themselves.
Wyant said without the transfer, the remaining 800 municipalities and First Nations communities would be left out.
“Though to reallocate funds from the transit stream to the community culture stream, it effectively takes all the money out of the cultural stream which prevents us in the future from funding other projects around the province,” Wyant said.
Work on cultural projects slated for the big cities are for the Globe Theatre in Regina as well as Gordie Howe Bowl and Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.
Related:
Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale responded by saying the agreement for this money was signed last October.
Goodale said Ottawa never lead the province to believe it would be willing to move transit money to cultural and recreation projects immediately, always maintaining the funding was to be distributed over a ten year period.
He also said they have given more than enough money for this to be worrisome.
“There is enough federal funding in that fund to cover every eligible project, every eligible community, culture, recreation project that has been identified by the province, and there’s enough money in that fund to cover what Regina has been advocating for, which is the two swimming pools,” Goodale said on Tuesday.
(CJWW)
