There is a palpable feeling of unease drifting across southeast Saskatchewan.
As a result of extensive, rapid growth, it has become apparent that one body in particular has been caught off guard, and that is our provincial government.
A rapid increase in economic activity, population and infrastructure requirements have caught the governing party three steps behind the rest of the team.
Some evidence of that surfaced last week when Bill Boyd, arguably the No. 2 man in the government's cabinet, came to Estevan to speak to the confirmed at the Sask. Party Estevan Constituency dinner.
Boyd said thank you, as well he should, since it is this corner of the province, with its 70,000 people and economic clout that has delivered to this government about 20 per cent of its total revenues.
One might have expected some type of semi-exciting announcement regarding impending support for the district that has done so much to keep his party on the top rung.
There was acknowledgement of the fact that support for the Sask. Party is unending in southern Saskatchewan. Not that the party has done that much to earn it. But what they have done, is 110 per cent more than what the former NDP government provided for the burgeoning southeast sector when it had the opportunity to cuddle and coddle us.
Â鶹´«Ã½AVeast Saskatchewan has become a political minefield as far as citizens' needs are concerned.
We were ignored by the NDP when they had a 15 year window of opportunity to curry our favour and now we're being taken for granted by the Sask. Party since they have simply ascertained that what they've been doing is the lesser of two evils.
But now a simple thank you, and nothing more, is starting to ring hollow.
You're welcome, Mr. Boyd and Mr. Wall, but
We need a regional hospital here, with a CT scanner in place. The local community has said they'd buy the darn scanner if you'd just let them, just like they bought the dialysis equipment. So what's the holdup?
The southeast has aspirations of becoming a medical imaging centre of excellence. That might be news to the Health Ministry.
We'd like at least one decent highway to drive on. We'd like to discuss the painful need for the twinned lanes on Highways 39 and 6 south, but we understand that the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure is trapped in linear thinking mode. They can only tackle one big project at a time, and we're not it. They already have our vote. They need to build new highways where they need the votes. We get it, but when then?
Educational requirements are growing. A few hundred more students and plenty more on the way once the Bakken boom settles into Bakken development. We require some attention here. First Nations programs, post-secondary vocational training like the Energy Training Institute beg expansion even before they open.
What about protection? Police, fire fighters, what's the plan? We're asking for three new police officers in Estevan alone, today.
Clean coal. We need not say much more. This one has been hammered to death.
This could be the next big project, something we haven't seen around here since the Rafferty and Alameda Dams were built.
A major commitment to coal would provide the impetus for sustainable growth in engineering and scientific communities which would foster renewed interest in educational and medical communities which would stimulate further economic interest in oil and gas.
But we wonder who's getting it? Who is listening? Who is observing?
The business community is watching and reacting. Six large new hotels in three communities within two years should tell them something, shouldn't it?
This is something that requires an action plan. The time for "thinking about it," is long over. We need action, before our infrastructure requirements lead to reaction plans, which nobody wants.
