REMEMBERING LYLE STEWART
We are deeply saddened by the passing of our colleague, Lyle Stewart. His dedicated service to our province and his cherished friendship will be profoundly missed. Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to his family during this difficult time. Rest in Peace Lyle.
Lyle was first elected to the Assembly in 1999 and represented areas of Thunder Creek and Lumsden-More for 23 years. Prior to being known as the Minster of Agriculture from 2012-2018, Lyle served as the interim leader of the Saskatchewan Party.
Lyle Stewart leaves a legacy of honesty, integrity, and kindness. It was indeed a privilege to serve with him.
Tributes continue to pour in for Lyle. The flags at the Saskatchewan Legislature will be lowered to half-mast.
Premier Scott Moe, "Another difficult day as we have lost another friend and colleague. Lyle Stewart, long-time Saskatchewan Party MLA and former Agriculture Minister has passed away at the age of 73 following a lengthy battle with cancer.
Lyle was the MLA for Thunder Creek and Lumsden-Morse and a key member of our team for nearly 24 years, from 1999 until his retirement from politics last year. Lyle was a man of few words, which is unusual for a politician, but you always knew where he stood. His quiet strength and dedication to the people he served were an example to all of us who served with him.
Lyle was a good friend and I will miss him a lot.
On behalf of our government and the province, I want to express my deepest condolences to the family and many friends of Lyle Stewart. Flags at the Legislature will be lowered to half-mast in his honour."
Brad Wall, "Lyle was one of Saskatchewan’s most consequential Ag ministers. He led crop insurance expansion, was a great provincial rep negotiating the suite of fed prov programs and was a tireless trade mission traveler to both steward and open new markets for our producers. He was a dedicated MLA - proud to represent the people of ThunderCreek and Lumsden Morse. He was generous including to hitch hikers …but Clint Eastwood when they turned out to be would-be car jackers. He was a confidant who gave me valued, honest and wise counsel. He was my friend. I am going to miss him. Rest in peace my friend."
HAPPY SASKATCHEWAN DAY WEEKEND!
Saskatchewan Day - The civic holiday on the first Monday of August means different things in each province, but how are we supposed to celebrate it?
The name of the holiday is different all over Canada. It's New Brunswick Day in New Brunswick, Terry Fox Day in Manitoba and Saskatchewan Day here.
Hopefully it will also inspire us to pause, Mr. Speaker, and reflect upon our own good fortune to share in that peaceful prosperous land that we call Saskatchewan.- G.T. Snyder
YOUR LEGISLATIVE REPORT
Saskatchewan’s economy is stable and our province remains one of the most affordable places in the nation to invest, live, work and raise a family. Saskatchewan saw a 12.9 per cent increase in building construction investments from May 2023 to May 2024, seasonally-adjusted. The province also ranked first in the nation for growth in retail trade, increasing by 6.1 per cent from May 2023 to May 2024. The total value of retail trade sales in May 2024 was $2.2 billion.
Morningstar DBRS recently affirmed the province’s AA (low) credit rating and stable outlook. Saskatchewan currently has the second-highest credit rating among the provinces when all three major rating agencies (Moody's, Morningstar DBRS, and S&P) are considered. In June 2024, S&P Global Ratings gave Saskatchewan the highest credit rating among Canadian provinces.
Statistics Canada's latest GDP numbers indicate that Saskatchewan's 2023 real GDP reached an all-time high of $77.9 billion, increasing by $1.2 billion, or 1.6 per cent. This places Saskatchewan second in the nation for real GDP growth, above the national average of 1.2 per cent.
A strong and growing economy allows us to invest in the programs and services that matter most to Saskatchewan people, such as healthcare. The province’s Health Human Resources (HHR) Action Plan to recruit, train, incentivize and retain health care workers continues to show strong results across the province.
The first of 27 new permanent Nurse Practitioner positions available across rural, remote and regional areas was filled in Maple Creek. The application and hiring process for the remaining positions is ongoing, and qualified NPs are encouraged to apply.
More than 330 hard-to-recruit positions have been filled through the Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive program. Another 237 Internationally-Educated Health Professionals from the Philippines are now working throughout the province. In addition, applications are still being accepted for the Final Clinical Placement Bursaries. Ten new psychiatrists have accepted letters of offer and are moving through the onboarding process.
Our government, along with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) are pleased to announce the successful recruitment of pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. Rabin Persad, who will begin practicing in the province on October 1, 2024. Children with gastrointestinal issues and their families will soon have local access to care in the province, reducing wait times and travel.
Details on health care opportunities, how to access them and information on Saskatchewan’s HHR Action Plan are available at www.Saskatchewan.ca/HHR.
Our government is committed to investing in Saskatchewan communities to ensure they remain the best place to live, work and raise a family. Under the Targeted Sector Support (TSS) initiative, $620,000 was recently invested in 22 projects to strengthen municipal service delivery and enhance governance and administrative capacity. Since inception, over $9 million has been allocated to the TSS Initiative.
Saskatchewan is grown through investment in projects that support the longevity and vibrancy of communities and improve the lives of residents. The specialized TSS funding provided in partnership with Saskatchewan's municipal associations supports municipalities to work together to better serve their citizens.
To further strengthen our province’s communities, Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan provided $1.16 million in charitable gaming grants in the first quarter of 2024-25, benefiting more than 750 groups and organizations across the province. The grants support hundreds of charitable and nonprofit groups throughout Saskatchewan, including those focused on amateur sport, culture, the arts, animal rescue, service clubs and much more.
Over the next two years, our government is providing $2 million to Food Banks of Saskatchewan to help Saskatchewan families and food banks with high food costs. Food Banks of Saskatchewan will receive $1 million in August and another $1 million in 2025-26.
As our government continues this work, we look forward to hearing from you. If you have questions, concerns or comments, you can reach out to my constituency office at ken.cheveldayoff.mla@sasktel.net or call 306.651.7100.
WOULD YOUR CHILDREN LIKE TO RIDE ON THE FIRETRUCK IN THE EXHIBITION DAY PARADE?
Let me know if your children are interested in riding on the iconic Firetruck in the exhibition parade to be held August 6th beginning at 10 am.
Call me for details: Ken Cheveldayoff, 306.227.4200 and I'll send you the information.
The Saskatoon EX is rolling into town next week!
Get ready for #The6BestDaysofSummer packed with heart-pounding rides, mouthwatering eats, and non-stop fun!
Check out the schedule here and start planning your epic adventure: SaskatoonEX.com/schedule/
