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Saskatchewan is the world’s largest potash producer. As Erin Weir indicates in his Dec. 24 letter, due to sanctions imposed on Russian and Belarusian potash because of the war in Ukraine, the price of potash has shot up in the last few years.
However, while the price increase has brought potash companies windfall profits, the people of Saskatchewan have benefited very little.
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As Weir states: “In the first nine months of 2024, Nutrien collected profits of $1.3 billion from Saskatchewan potash, but paid only one-fifth to the province: $62 million of royalties and $210 of mining taxes.” The problem, as Weir points out, is weak provincial potash royalties and taxes.
The natural resources of Saskatchewan belong to the people of Saskatchewan — including the many unhoused people in our cities and towns.
According to 2024 point-in-time or PiT counts, the number of people experiencing houselessness in Regina has nearly doubled since the 2021 count, while in Saskatoon, the number has tripled.
Saskatchewan is a rich province and yet we allow people to suffer and die on our streets. In the meantime, there are thousands of vacant Saskatchewan Housing Corporation units throughout the province.
Yes, some of them need repair. But with a fair return on our provincial potash resources, there would be ample money to undertake all needed renovations — with enough left over to build new affordable housing. Let’s raise potash taxes and royalties!
Otherwise, we are knowingly favouring mainly out-of-province shareholders, while depriving some of our fellow citizens of the necessities of life.
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Florence Stratton, Regina
Millionth resident has fond Sask. memories
A good friend of mine in Saskatchewan kindly forwarded the article from the Leader-Post which recalled the event in which my late wife, Lori, and I were deemed to be the province’s one millionth resident. Obviously, this was a big event in our lives and the years that we lived there were formative in our careers.
To this day, I have many good friends in Saskatchewan. The people and the province were very kind to us. We did move back to Winnipeg as our careers progressed, and we wanted to be closer to the family cabin in Ontario. We certainly did not move back for improved weather conditions.
We enjoyed our years in Saskatchewan. I am one of the few people in the world that had the good fortune to be both a Saskatchewan Roughriders and a Winnipeg Blue Bombers fan. Thank you to the province and the people of Saskatchewan for the 15 minutes of fame, which seem to continue 41 years later.
The memories are wonderful and have lasted a lifetime.
Stephen Dennis, East St Paul, Manitoba
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