Hermanson Promises Better Northern Infrastructure

Hermanson Promises Better Northern Infrastructure

Thursday, October 23, 2003 at 13:33

Elwin Hermanson used his visit to the North yesterday to pitch the Saskatchewan Party’s plan to create jobs in the North and improve northern infrastructure.

Hermanson says in spite of the ongoing softwood lumber dispute with the U.S., there are things a provincial government can do to help out those in the forestry industry. He says his party’s planned strategic tax reductions will help logging companies and small operators cope with the lumber dispute.

Hermanson also promises to give northern infrastructure a boost if elected by re-directing money the Crowns are currently investing outside the province.

Hermanson also pledges his party will make the transition easier for northern Grade 12 grads who are entering post-secondary schools or universities in southern Saskatchewan. Hermanson says he continues to hear that the northern education system isn’t always enough for students to be accepted in institutions down south, and promises to bring northern education levels up to standard.

But Athabasca NDP candidate Buckley Belanger takes offense to Hermanson’s criticism of the North’s elementary and secondary school system, and says the Saskatchewan Party is offering no solutions to the challenges in northern education.