The last decade has been a good time to be in the sign business, especially if one of your clients has been the local credit union.
Most recently, Estevan-based Spectra Credit Union stated in a press release its board of directors unanimously passed a motion to seek a merger partner and/or co-operative partnership opportunities. Proposals will be requested that will ultimately result in province wide service for members, while maintaining a strong credit union presence in southeastern Saskatchewan.
Indeed, it wasn't that long ago a sign proclaiming Spectra Place was placed on the new arena in Estevan. I wonder what they're going to call it now?
This is part of a wave of corporatization that has swept Saskatchewan over the last 20 years, and has accelerated in the last 10. At first it was the growth of the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, who grew so big for their britches, they had to drop "Saskatchewan" "Wheat" and "Pool," each for different reasons, and call themselves Viterra.
This went hand-in-hand with the rise of the corporate farm. I've personally interviewed a farmer whose family, through their corporation, cultivates more than 17,000 acres. There's little room left for the little guy, with tighter margins requiring more land to make a go of it.
Local health boards became health districts and now health regions. A similar sweeping consolidation dramatically reduced the number of school divisions in this province. The first was accomplished by the NDP, the second by the Sask. Party.
What remains? Local co-ops and rural municipalities are on deck.
There has been some consolidation of co-ops over the years, but not nearly to the extent the credit unions or wheat pools (Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba) have seen. It seems inevitable this, too, will come to pass.
As for municipalities, the provincial government has been slowly prodding the RMs to merge on their own accord, well back into the NDP days. However, there are still far too many municipalities for a province this size.
I was speaking to a vice-president of a small, private oil company recently about the numerous hoops set up by differing municipalities and how that impacts running a business. Each RM is trying to find its way in dealing with the increased costs of road maintenance due to increasing oilfield truck traffic. Often they are seeking road maintenance agreements, getting the oil companies to pay. But for the oil companies, it's a pain in the neck to deal with when your operation spans hundreds of miles, but the rules change every 18 miles. Larger units, like, oh, say the counties in Alberta, would make things a lot easier.
If you overlaid the school division map with the health region map, you'll see how these counties could take shape. But with overwhelming support in the countryside for the Saskatchewan Party, don't expect them to shake this up any time soon.
It has to be tough for the self-respecting, card-carrying CCF-types to deal with this corporate consolidation. There is no longer a place for someone who might have been a wheat pool delegate, co-op member and board member of the local credit union for years. Maybe commiserate with the recently un-elected NDP candidate at the co-op cafeteria.
Credit unions have stepped up to the plate across the province in supporting community initiatives, buying naming rights everywhere. You can see a concert at the Conexus Arts (Regina), watch a game at the Credit Union Centre (Saskatoon), hear the opera at TCU Place ( also Saskatoon), stroll through a trade show at Spectra Place (Estevan), or eventually go swimming at the Credit Union CUPlex (North Battleford).
What happens when these all merge into the Saskatchewan Credit Union? For one, they're going to have a hard time differentiating venues when everything is Saskatchewan Credit Union Arts Centre/Place/Arena/Plex/etc.
For the sign guy, it will mean at least one more round of new sales. He probably can't wait.
- Brian Zinchuk is editor of Pipeline News. He can be reached at [email protected].
