The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce has adopted a “Northern Roads Expansion and Enhancement” policy.

The goal is to increase infrastructure in northern areas of the province to generate more economic activity.

The idea is that both business and existing communities will benefit from easier access to northern resources.

Chamber CEO Steve McLellan says they want to stay informed about the challenges and opportunities of doing business in the north.

“We would welcome anyone from the north that is a business or a community leader to express their areas of concern,” he says. “Or opportunity is what we are really looking for – what sort of business opportunity could happen, what partnerships are they looking for, what challenges are they facing that we might be able to assist with in terms of communicating more clearly to the provincial or federal government. But we’re invested in the north now and we will be for some time.”

The chamber says this policy will benefit tourism, forestry and local economic development while reducing operating costs for health care, education and other services.