North To Get Three Enterprise Regions

North To Get Three Enterprise Regions

Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 14:12

 

 

The chairman of the Athabasca Regional Development Corporation is applauding the provincial government’s decision to create three Enterprise Regions in northern Saskatchewan.

 

The original plan called for two regions, but the government says public consultations convinced it to add another one in the province’s far north.

 

Glen Strong says the presence of this agency in the Athabasca basin can only help spur development and cooperation between local business and government.

 

The government says the northern Enterprise Regions located in the west, east/central and Athabasca areas of the north will receive greater resources than were previously provided to the Regional Development Corporations.

 

Government officials also say the Enterprise Regions will be more responsive to economic development because they follow natural trading patterns.

 

The government plans to axe the Regional Development Corporation program by April 1st.

 

Strong says he expects his group will survive — it will just be in a different form.

 

So far, a timetable for the creation of the new Enterprise Regions hasn’t been released.

 

They have already been established in southern Saskatchewan.