Economy of Saskatchewan
Encyclopedia
The economy of Saskatchewan has been associated with agriculture
resulting in the moniker Bread Basket of Canada and Bread Basket of the World. According to the Government of Saskatchewan, approximately 95% of all items produced in Saskatchewan, depend on the basic resources available within the province. Various grains, livestock, oil and gas, potash, uranium, wood and their spin off industries fuel the economy.
Saskatchewan's GDP in 2008 was approximately C$64.323 billion,
link between eastern Canada through the District of Assiniboia in 1885, the development of the high-yielding and early-maturing Marquis strain of wheat and establishment of an import market in the United Kingdom
supplied the first impetus for economic development and supported population settlement.
World War I
had a positive impact on Saskatchewan agriculture. The enlistment quota from Saskatchewan to the Canadian Expeditionary Force as the pre-requisite was for British subjects, and several ethnic bloc settlements were immigrants from Europe. There was a need for food production to be maintained, and farmers were exempt from conscription as well. The allies need for wheat production increased, and farm wages doubled. Following the war, the Soldier Settlement Act of 1917 established service men with agricultural land.
Saskatchewan's population peeked in 1936 at 931,200 persons. The Great Depression combined the 1929 stock market crash with the drought years of the 1930s causing devastating effects on the economy of Saskatchewan. The per capita income between 1928 and 1933 dropped 72%. The drought years of 1928, 1931 through 1934 and again in 1937 hit hard following the recession and the lowered demand for wheat exports. The Prairie Farm Rehabilitaton Administration PFRA established a work relief program developing community pastures, water and irrigation projects. Approximately 250,000 people left the provinces during the era of the Dirty Thirties when Saskatchewan became a virtual dust bowl. World War II
also held Saskatchewan's economy back, as overseas markets for wheat were virtually eliminated.
Saskatchewan agricultural land comprises 44% of the total Canadian farmland. Excluding a semi-arid area of the southwest used for grazing
the parkland and mixed prairie areas of the province are used for crop production, mixed farming and dairying. Grain
farming dominates the parkland area. Saskatchewan usually produces about 54% of Canada's wheat. The vast extensions of unbroken plain are well-suited to large-scale mechanized farming. Wheat
is the most familiar crop but other grains like canola
, alfalfa
, barley
flax
, mustard
, vegetable farms, forage seed, potatoes rapeseed
, rye
, oat
s, pea
s, lentil
s, canary seed, and barley
are also grown. Specialty crop production sown in 1981 amounted to 136000 to 2474000 ha (336,063 to 6,113,381.7 acre) in 2001. The farm and agricultural component is still a significant part of the economy the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool
(SWP), has been "the world's largest grain-handling co-operative". The SWP now named Vittera,is no longer the major industrial component provincially ranking eighth largest.
Meat processing is the largest industry here, followed by dairy production, breweries, and the subsidiary industry of agricultural implements. Saskatchewan
still has cattle ranching along the southwestern corner of the province. Mixed grain farming, dairy farms, mixed livestock and grazing lands dot the central lowlands region of this prairie province. Beef cattle production in the province is only exceeded by Alberta. Agricultural data for Saskatchewan has been collected since 1906. Saskatchewan has 41% of Canada's agricultural land, with an estimated 44,329 farms in 2006, generating a net farm income $CAN697.3 million in 2007.
numbers have increased to record levels cattle: up by 4.4%, pigs by 26.4%, and sheep by 46%. Beef cow numbers rose to 15.6 million head nationally. Saskatchewan had approximately 20% of the national herd with Alberta dominating at 43%. There were just more than 13.6% less dairy cows since 1996. There was an even bigger decline of 29.2% in the number of farms with dairy cows.
At the turn of the century, the early 1900s saw settlers who needed to import their butter. By the roaring twenties dairy production in Saskatchewan not only filled domestic needs, but Saskatchewan dairy farmers were able to export to Britain.
The numbers of large animals for 2001 were:
The province also supported a large poultry industry with 9.7 million birds.
Diversification in livestock prouduction has seen sheep, and lamb, goat, rabbit, and fox farms, Exotic animals such as bison, deer, elk and llama farms. Specialised livestock may include ratites which would be ostrich, emu, rhea farms.
Most farms were grain and oilseed, however, the trend is to diversify with speciality crops and animals.
Of these farms, 15.7% were cropped as wheat and 57.3% were typed as oilseed crops. The Crop Development Centre (CDC) established in 1971, helped establish the pulse industry in Saskatchewan. Oilseeds, pulses and speciality crops continued to increase as farmers diversified their crop production.
Saskatchewan accounts for 20% of all Canadian farmers and has the largest farms with an average farm size of 1283 acres (up from 1152 acres (5 km²) in the last census). The province had nearly 40% of the agricultural land in Canada, nearly 13 million acres (53,000 km²) more than second-place Alberta.
About 64.9 million acres (263,000 km²) of the province is farmland. Thirty-eight million acres (154,000 km²) were cropped in 2001.
Distribution of farmland:
Spring wheat still dominated the prairie landscape, though the crop is losing ground to oilseeds and specialty crops.
The five major crops in 2001 were:
Farm Cash receipts
Farm cash receipts accumulated to C$6,643,622 in 2006, and C$6,490,850 thousand in 2001. Wheat accounted for 26% of the total and cattle 19% in 2001. In 2006, there were 25.4% less wheat farms which amounted to 6,938, and a 06% increase in cattle farms amounting to 12,249 in 2006. 2001 census reported that Canola
was the most significant crop after wheat and the pulse percentage and speciality crops were increasing. Dairy making continued in decline, while hog production was increasing. Whereas the 2006 census showed a rise in beef cattle, chicken egg production, broiler production, poultry hatcheries, combination poultry & egg production, apiculture, horse, livestock
combination, soybean, oilseed, fruit, and nursery & tree production.
Saskatchewan (GPD) (2002)
In 2002, Agriculture, fishing
, and hunting
accumulated for 6% of the Province's $28.1 billion GPD. The importance of agriculture however laid in the provinces exports. Without exports Saskatchewan would have the economy
of a third world country. More than 73% of the GPD came from exports of goods and services.
Agriculture-food exports
Saskatchewan exported $4,152.2 million of agriculture and food products in 2000 making 32% of the total exports ($12,950.6 million). Agriculture and Food Products were declining majority as a contributor to exports (i.e. in 1997 over 50% of exports were agricultural). The USA, Japan
, EU, and China
dominated the list for 50% of their Agriculture-Food exports. The USA alone accounted for 23%.
s immediately adjacent to Regina and Saskatoon Universities host several science and technology companies which conduct research activities in conjunction with University departments. Given Saskatchewan's booming economy and recent change of government, the shape of higher education in the province may be changing. Modern diversification has meant that now agriculture, forestry
, fishing
, and hunting
together make up only 6.8% of the province's GDP. Not until the 1970s did the economy begin to shift from agri-base to industrial-based activity, although agriculture continues to dominate the economy of the city and province. Saskatchewan predominates as the largest producer of biofuels. Ethanol, biodiesel, and biogas are produced from Canola, barley, and wheat.
A third innovation place research park has earned the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) award at the Prince Albert
location named Forest Centre. The three parks contribute approximately $592 million to the provincial economy annually.
is also a major industry in the province, with Saskatchewan being the world leader in potash
and uranium
exports. Saskatchewan is rich in minerals. Oil
and natural gas
found beneath the prairie, prove to be one of the province's most important minerals. The area north of Lake Athabaska has been exploited for ores yielding uranium
. In 1995 Saskatchewan uranium amounted to 30% of world uranium reserves. The Paleoproterozoic
greenstone belt
around Flin Flon
, in the northeast, is mined for copper
, gold
, and zinc
. In the southwest and Estevan area, coal
has been mined since 1880. In the early twentieth century lignite coal for power and heating was Saskatchewan's chief mineral. Clay products and ceramics were viewed as the next valuable resource in the early twentieth century. Potash mining began in the 1950s near Saskatoon
and Esterhazy
, and Canada is currently a leading producer of the mineral. The majority of the province's industries process raw materials. The world's largest publicly traded uranium
company, Cameco
, and the world's largest potash
producer, PotashCorp, have corporate headquarters in Saskatoon. Nearly two-thirds of the world's recoverable potash reserves are located in central Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan "has an estimated 75% of the world’s potash reserves" kaolin, sodium sulphite and bentonite
contribute to Saskatchewan's economy.
and natural gas
production is also a very important part of Saskatchewan's economy, producing more oil than gas. Only Alberta exceeds the province in overall oil production. The first oil well was drilled as early as 1874 at Fort Pelly
. Heavy crude is extracted in the Lloydminster-Kerrobert-Kindersley areas. Light crude is found in the Kindersley-Swift Current areas as well as the Weyburn-Estevan fields. Natural gas is found almost entirely in the western part of Saskatchewan, from the Primrose Lake area through Lloydminster, Unity, Kindersley, Leader, and around Maple Creek areas. Saskatchewan supplies about 10% of Canadian oil reserves and 25% of the nation's natural gas reserves.
, SaskTel
, SaskEnergy
(the province's main supplier of natural gas), and SaskPower
. Bombardier runs the NATO Flying Training Centre at 15 Wing, near Moose Jaw. Bombardier was awarded a long-term contract in the late 1990s for $2.8 billion from the federal government
for the purchase of military aircraft and the running of the training facility.
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
resulting in the moniker Bread Basket of Canada and Bread Basket of the World. According to the Government of Saskatchewan, approximately 95% of all items produced in Saskatchewan, depend on the basic resources available within the province. Various grains, livestock, oil and gas, potash, uranium, wood and their spin off industries fuel the economy.
Saskatchewan's GDP in 2008 was approximately C$64.323 billion,
Agriculture
The Dominion Lands Act was passed in 1872 to encourage an agricultural settlement for a united British North America. The completion of the trainCanadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
link between eastern Canada through the District of Assiniboia in 1885, the development of the high-yielding and early-maturing Marquis strain of wheat and establishment of an import market in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
supplied the first impetus for economic development and supported population settlement.
World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
had a positive impact on Saskatchewan agriculture. The enlistment quota from Saskatchewan to the Canadian Expeditionary Force as the pre-requisite was for British subjects, and several ethnic bloc settlements were immigrants from Europe. There was a need for food production to be maintained, and farmers were exempt from conscription as well. The allies need for wheat production increased, and farm wages doubled. Following the war, the Soldier Settlement Act of 1917 established service men with agricultural land.
Saskatchewan's population peeked in 1936 at 931,200 persons. The Great Depression combined the 1929 stock market crash with the drought years of the 1930s causing devastating effects on the economy of Saskatchewan. The per capita income between 1928 and 1933 dropped 72%. The drought years of 1928, 1931 through 1934 and again in 1937 hit hard following the recession and the lowered demand for wheat exports. The Prairie Farm Rehabilitaton Administration PFRA established a work relief program developing community pastures, water and irrigation projects. Approximately 250,000 people left the provinces during the era of the Dirty Thirties when Saskatchewan became a virtual dust bowl. World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
also held Saskatchewan's economy back, as overseas markets for wheat were virtually eliminated.
Saskatchewan agricultural land comprises 44% of the total Canadian farmland. Excluding a semi-arid area of the southwest used for grazing
Grazing
Grazing generally describes a type of feeding, in which a herbivore feeds on plants , and also on other multicellular autotrophs...
the parkland and mixed prairie areas of the province are used for crop production, mixed farming and dairying. Grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
farming dominates the parkland area. Saskatchewan usually produces about 54% of Canada's wheat. The vast extensions of unbroken plain are well-suited to large-scale mechanized farming. Wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
is the most familiar crop but other grains like canola
Canola
Canola refers to a cultivar of either Rapeseed or Field Mustard . Its seeds are used to produce edible oil suitable for consumption by humans and livestock. The oil is also suitable for use as biodiesel.Originally, Canola was bred naturally from rapeseed in Canada by Keith Downey and Baldur R...
, alfalfa
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in the US, Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa, and many other countries. It is known as lucerne in the UK, France, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and known as...
, barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
flax
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
, mustard
Mustard plant
Mustards are several plant species in the genera Brassica and Sinapis whose small mustard seeds are used as a spice and, by grinding and mixing them with water, vinegar or other liquids, are turned into the condiment known as mustard or prepared mustard...
, vegetable farms, forage seed, potatoes rapeseed
Rapeseed
Rapeseed , also known as rape, oilseed rape, rapa, rappi, rapaseed is a bright yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae...
, rye
Rye
Rye is a grass grown extensively as a grain and as a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe and is closely related to barley and wheat. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some whiskeys, some vodkas, and animal fodder...
, oat
Oat
The common oat is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name . While oats are suitable for human consumption as oatmeal and rolled oats, one of the most common uses is as livestock feed...
s, pea
Pea
A pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the pod fruit Pisum sativum. Each pod contains several peas. Peapods are botanically a fruit, since they contain seeds developed from the ovary of a flower. However, peas are considered to be a vegetable in cooking...
s, lentil
Lentil
The lentil is an edible pulse. It is a bushy annual plant of the legume family, grown for its lens-shaped seeds...
s, canary seed, and barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
are also grown. Specialty crop production sown in 1981 amounted to 136000 to 2474000 ha (336,063 to 6,113,381.7 acre) in 2001. The farm and agricultural component is still a significant part of the economy the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool
Saskatchewan Wheat Pool
The Saskatchewan Wheat Pool was a grain handling, agri-food processing and marketing company based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Pool created a network of marketing alliances in North America and internationally which made it the largest agricultural grain handling operation in the province of...
(SWP), has been "the world's largest grain-handling co-operative". The SWP now named Vittera,is no longer the major industrial component provincially ranking eighth largest.
Meat processing is the largest industry here, followed by dairy production, breweries, and the subsidiary industry of agricultural implements. Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
still has cattle ranching along the southwestern corner of the province. Mixed grain farming, dairy farms, mixed livestock and grazing lands dot the central lowlands region of this prairie province. Beef cattle production in the province is only exceeded by Alberta. Agricultural data for Saskatchewan has been collected since 1906. Saskatchewan has 41% of Canada's agricultural land, with an estimated 44,329 farms in 2006, generating a net farm income $CAN697.3 million in 2007.
Livestock
Since 1996 and 2001 census showed that livestockLivestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
numbers have increased to record levels cattle: up by 4.4%, pigs by 26.4%, and sheep by 46%. Beef cow numbers rose to 15.6 million head nationally. Saskatchewan had approximately 20% of the national herd with Alberta dominating at 43%. There were just more than 13.6% less dairy cows since 1996. There was an even bigger decline of 29.2% in the number of farms with dairy cows.
At the turn of the century, the early 1900s saw settlers who needed to import their butter. By the roaring twenties dairy production in Saskatchewan not only filled domestic needs, but Saskatchewan dairy farmers were able to export to Britain.
The numbers of large animals for 2001 were:
- Cattle and calves (2.9 million)
- Sheep and lambs (149,000)
- Pigs (1.1 million)
- Other animals (184,000)
The province also supported a large poultry industry with 9.7 million birds.
Diversification in livestock prouduction has seen sheep, and lamb, goat, rabbit, and fox farms, Exotic animals such as bison, deer, elk and llama farms. Specialised livestock may include ratites which would be ostrich, emu, rhea farms.
Business and markets
The total market value of Saskatchewan's farms estimated in 2001 was $33,463,911,487 in 2001 compared to the amount of $196,868,929,481 for all of Canada.Farms and people
In 1996, the average farm size in Saskatchewan was 1152 acres (5 km²). As the farm population continued to declined, in 1996 only 14% of the Province's population lived on a farm.| 2001 | 1996 | 1991 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saskatchewan | 50,598 | 56,995 | 60,840 |
| Canada | 246,923 | 276,548 | 280,043 |
Most farms were grain and oilseed, however, the trend is to diversify with speciality crops and animals.
Land and crops
There were 44,329 farms in Saskatchewan as of May 15, 2006.Crops
The 2006 census shows 44,329 farms, which declined in the last five years by 12.6%. According to the 2001 census the number of farms in Saskatchewan (50, 598) declined by 11.2% from the amounts reported from the prior census in 1996. Farms were fewer by 24.8 % a decade ago (1991). In 1936, about seven decades ago the highest census for farms occurred and the number was 142,391.Saskatchewan accounts for 20% of all Canadian farmers and has the largest farms with an average farm size of 1283 acres (up from 1152 acres (5 km²) in the last census). The province had nearly 40% of the agricultural land in Canada, nearly 13 million acres (53,000 km²) more than second-place Alberta.
About 64.9 million acres (263,000 km²) of the province is farmland. Thirty-eight million acres (154,000 km²) were cropped in 2001.
Distribution of farmland:
- Cropped: 38 million acres (154,000 km²)
- Summer fallowSummer fallowSummer fallow, sometimes called fallow cropland, is cropland that is purposely kept out of production during a regular growing season. Resting the ground in this manner allows one crop to be grown using the moisture and nutrients of more than one crop cycle...
: 7.7 million acres (31,000 km²) - Tame (seeded) pasture: 3.5 million acres (14,000 km²)
- Natural pasture: 12.7 million acres (51,000 km²)
- Other: 3.0 million acres (12,000 km²)
Spring wheat still dominated the prairie landscape, though the crop is losing ground to oilseeds and specialty crops.
The five major crops in 2001 were:
- Spring wheat (10.7 million acres)
- Barley (4.7 million acres)
- Durum wheat (4.6 million acres)
- Canola (4.3 million acres)
- Alfalfa/alfalfa mixtures (2.8 million acres)
Farm Cash receipts
Farm cash receipts accumulated to C$6,643,622 in 2006, and C$6,490,850 thousand in 2001. Wheat accounted for 26% of the total and cattle 19% in 2001. In 2006, there were 25.4% less wheat farms which amounted to 6,938, and a 06% increase in cattle farms amounting to 12,249 in 2006. 2001 census reported that Canola
Canola
Canola refers to a cultivar of either Rapeseed or Field Mustard . Its seeds are used to produce edible oil suitable for consumption by humans and livestock. The oil is also suitable for use as biodiesel.Originally, Canola was bred naturally from rapeseed in Canada by Keith Downey and Baldur R...
was the most significant crop after wheat and the pulse percentage and speciality crops were increasing. Dairy making continued in decline, while hog production was increasing. Whereas the 2006 census showed a rise in beef cattle, chicken egg production, broiler production, poultry hatcheries, combination poultry & egg production, apiculture, horse, livestock
combination, soybean, oilseed, fruit, and nursery & tree production.
Saskatchewan (GPD) (2002)
In 2002, Agriculture, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, and hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
accumulated for 6% of the Province's $28.1 billion GPD. The importance of agriculture however laid in the provinces exports. Without exports Saskatchewan would have the economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
of a third world country. More than 73% of the GPD came from exports of goods and services.
Agriculture-food exports
Saskatchewan exported $4,152.2 million of agriculture and food products in 2000 making 32% of the total exports ($12,950.6 million). Agriculture and Food Products were declining majority as a contributor to exports (i.e. in 1997 over 50% of exports were agricultural). The USA, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, EU, and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
dominated the list for 50% of their Agriculture-Food exports. The USA alone accounted for 23%.
Technology
The two Innovation Place Research ParkInnovation Place Research Park
Innovation Place is the registered business name of the Saskatchewan Opportunities Corporation , a crown corporation in Saskatchewan. SOCO operates a network of three research parks: one located near the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, the second near the University of Regina...
s immediately adjacent to Regina and Saskatoon Universities host several science and technology companies which conduct research activities in conjunction with University departments. Given Saskatchewan's booming economy and recent change of government, the shape of higher education in the province may be changing. Modern diversification has meant that now agriculture, forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, and hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
together make up only 6.8% of the province's GDP. Not until the 1970s did the economy begin to shift from agri-base to industrial-based activity, although agriculture continues to dominate the economy of the city and province. Saskatchewan predominates as the largest producer of biofuels. Ethanol, biodiesel, and biogas are produced from Canola, barley, and wheat.
A third innovation place research park has earned the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) award at the Prince Albert
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is situated in the centre of the province on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The city is known as the "Gateway to the North" because it is the last major centre along the route to the resources of northern Saskatchewan...
location named Forest Centre. The three parks contribute approximately $592 million to the provincial economy annually.
Minerals
MiningMining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
is also a major industry in the province, with Saskatchewan being the world leader in potash
Potash
Potash is the common name for various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. In some rare cases, potash can be formed with traces of organic materials such as plant remains, and this was the major historical source for it before the industrial era...
and uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
exports. Saskatchewan is rich in minerals. Oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
and natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
found beneath the prairie, prove to be one of the province's most important minerals. The area north of Lake Athabaska has been exploited for ores yielding uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
. In 1995 Saskatchewan uranium amounted to 30% of world uranium reserves. The Paleoproterozoic
Paleoproterozoic
The Paleoproterozoic is the first of the three sub-divisions of the Proterozoic occurring between . This is when the continents first stabilized...
greenstone belt
Greenstone belt
Greenstone belts are zones of variably metamorphosed mafic to ultramafic volcanic sequences with associated sedimentary rocks that occur within Archaean and Proterozoic cratons between granite and gneiss bodies....
around Flin Flon
Flin Flon
Flin Flon is a Canadian mining city located on the border of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with the majority of the city located within Manitoba.- Founding :...
, in the northeast, is mined for copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, and zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
. In the southwest and Estevan area, coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
has been mined since 1880. In the early twentieth century lignite coal for power and heating was Saskatchewan's chief mineral. Clay products and ceramics were viewed as the next valuable resource in the early twentieth century. Potash mining began in the 1950s near Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
and Esterhazy
Esterhazy, Saskatchewan
Esterhazy is a town in the southeastern portion of the province of Saskatchewan, Canada, located 83 km southeast of Yorkton along Highways 22 and 80. The town is located within the rural municipality of Fertile Belt No...
, and Canada is currently a leading producer of the mineral. The majority of the province's industries process raw materials. The world's largest publicly traded uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
company, Cameco
Cameco
Cameco Corporation is the world's largest publicly traded uranium company, based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. In 2009, it was the world's second largest uranium producer, accounting for 16% of world production.-History:...
, and the world's largest potash
Potash
Potash is the common name for various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. In some rare cases, potash can be formed with traces of organic materials such as plant remains, and this was the major historical source for it before the industrial era...
producer, PotashCorp, have corporate headquarters in Saskatoon. Nearly two-thirds of the world's recoverable potash reserves are located in central Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan "has an estimated 75% of the world’s potash reserves" kaolin, sodium sulphite and bentonite
Bentonite
Bentonite is an absorbent aluminium phyllosilicate, essentially impure clay consisting mostly of montmorillonite. There are different types of bentonite, each named after the respective dominant element, such as potassium , sodium , calcium , and aluminum . Experts debate a number of nomenclatorial...
contribute to Saskatchewan's economy.
| Preliminary Estimate of the Mineral Production of SK 2006 | ||
| Metallic minerals | ||
| Copper | 1,242 | tonnes |
| Copper | 9,601 | $'000 |
| Gold | 1,505 | kilograms |
| Gold | 32,706 | $'000 |
| Selenium | 3 | tonnes |
| Selenium | 172 | $'000 |
| Silver | 119 | $'000 |
| Tellurium | 28 | $'000 |
| Uranium (U) | 9,781 | tonnes |
| Uranium (U) | 1,430,463 | $'000 |
| Zinc | 541 | tonnes |
| Zinc | 1,901 | $'000 |
| Total, metallic minerals | 1,474,990 | $'000 |
| Non-metallic minerals | ||
| Salt | 1,132 | kilotonnes |
| Salt | 47,456 | $'000 |
| Sand and gravel (3), (5) | 9,446 | kilotonnes |
| Sand and gravel | 37,071 | $'000 |
| Sulphur, elemental | 165 | kilotonnes |
| Sulphur, elemental | 2,327 | $'000 |
| Total, non-metallic minerals | x | $'000 |
| Fuels (6) | ||
| Coal | 10,441 | kilotonnes |
Oil and gas
OilOil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
and natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
production is also a very important part of Saskatchewan's economy, producing more oil than gas. Only Alberta exceeds the province in overall oil production. The first oil well was drilled as early as 1874 at Fort Pelly
Fort Pelly
Fort Pelly was a Hudson's Bay Company fur trading post located in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The fort was probably named after Sir John Pelly, governor of the Hudson's Bay Company...
. Heavy crude is extracted in the Lloydminster-Kerrobert-Kindersley areas. Light crude is found in the Kindersley-Swift Current areas as well as the Weyburn-Estevan fields. Natural gas is found almost entirely in the western part of Saskatchewan, from the Primrose Lake area through Lloydminster, Unity, Kindersley, Leader, and around Maple Creek areas. Saskatchewan supplies about 10% of Canadian oil reserves and 25% of the nation's natural gas reserves.
Forestry
In the northern part of the province, forestry is significant. North of the treeline in Saskatchewan are 350000 square kilometres (135,135.8 sq mi) of forests which provide resources for the Saskatchewan forestry industry. The forestry industry comprises lumber and sodium sulphate for pulp and paper resources.Fisheries, hunting, trapping and fur farming
The historic process of fur trapping is still practiced. The Saskatchewan annual production from fisheries, fur farming and trapping rank below the forestry sector in provincial economy.Employment
A list of the top 100 companies includes The Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, Federated Cooperatives Ltd. and IPSCO. Major Saskatchewan-based Crown corporations are Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI)Saskatchewan Government Insurance
Created in 1945, Saskatchewan Government Insurance is a provincial Crown corporation that has been developed over the years into two linked operations....
, SaskTel
SaskTel
Saskatchewan Telecommunications is a provincial Crown Corporation operating under the authority of the Saskatchewan Telecommunications Act. It is the only remaining Crown Corporation in the Canadian telecommunications industry....
, SaskEnergy
SaskEnergy
SaskEnergy is a Crown corporation of the Saskatchewan government which delivers natural gas to 92% of the province through a 67,000 kilometre distribution system to over 347,000 customers...
(the province's main supplier of natural gas), and SaskPower
SaskPower
Since 1929, SaskPower has been the principal supplier of electricity in Saskatchewan, Canada. Today, it serves more than 473,000 customers and manages $5.3 billion in assets...
. Bombardier runs the NATO Flying Training Centre at 15 Wing, near Moose Jaw. Bombardier was awarded a long-term contract in the late 1990s for $2.8 billion from the federal government
Politics of Canada
The politics of Canada function within a framework of parliamentary democracy and a federal system of parliamentary government with strong democratic traditions. Canada is a constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is head of state...
for the purchase of military aircraft and the running of the training facility.
Government involvement
Legislation regarding environmental concerns and the economy of Saskatchewan are regulated by Saskatchewan Environment.Saskatchewan economists
Dr. Merril Menzies wrote his doctoral thesis on the grain trade in Canada becoming Prime Minister Diefenbaker's assistant and economic advisor.See also
- Agriculture in SaskatchewanAgriculture in SaskatchewanAgriculture in Saskatchewan is the production of various food, feed, or fiber commodities to fulfill domestic and international human and animal sustenance needs. The newest agricultural economy to be developed in renewable biofuel production or agricultural biomass which is marketed as ethanol...
- Crown corporations of Saskatchewan
- Crow RateCrow RateThe "Crow Rate" or "Crow's Nest Freight Rate" was a rail transportation subsidy imposed on the Canadian Pacific Railway by the Canadian government, benefiting farmers on the Canadian Prairies and manufacturers in central Canada.-Origin:...
- Culture of SaskatchewanCulture of SaskatchewanCulture of Saskatchewan views the patterns of human activity in the central prairie province of Canada examing the way people live in the geography, climate, and social context of Saskatchewan. Cultural activities involve technology, science, as well as moral systems and the characteristic...
- Diffusion of technology in CanadaDiffusion of technology in CanadaThe technological and industrial history of Canada encompasses the country's development in the areas of transportation, communication, energy, materials, public works, public services , domestic/consumer and defense technologies. Most technologies diffused in Canada came from other places; only a...
- Economic history of CanadaEconomic history of CanadaCanadian historians until the 1980s tended to focus on economic history, including labour history. In part this is because Canada has had far fewer political or military conflicts than other societies. This was especially true in the first half of the twentieth century when economic history was...
- Higher education in SaskatchewanHigher education in SaskatchewanHistorically, Saskatchewan's higher education system has been "significantly shaped" by demographics In 1901, six years prior to the 1907 founding of a university in Saskatchewan, the urban population in Saskatchewan was 14,266 while the rural population was 77,013...
- History of Regina, Saskatchewan
- List of minimum wages in Canada
- Regina, SaskatchewanRegina, SaskatchewanRegina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
- Saskatchewan Research CouncilSaskatchewan Research CouncilThe Saskatchewan Research Council is a provincial treasury board crown corporation conducting research and business on behalf of the provincial government and private industry. It focuses on applied research and development projects that generate profit...
- Scientific research in CanadaScientific research in CanadaThis article outlines the history of natural scientific research in Canada, including mathematics, physics, astronomy, space science, geology, oceanography, chemistry, biology, medical research and psychology...
- Seager WheelerSeager WheelerSeager Wheeler, MBE an agronomist by profession, was designated as a person of national historic significance in 1988 by the Canadian federal government and inducted into the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame. Wheeler produced viable economic wheat and fruit strains for a short prairie...
- Tourism in SaskatchewanTourism in SaskatchewanThere are numerous heritages and cultural attractions in the province of Saskatchewan. Museums, dinosaur digs, aboriginal cultural and heritage sites, art galleries, professional sport venues, spas, handcraft, antique and tea shops, agricultural tours, theatre and archaeological sites comprise over...
- Transportation in SaskatchewanTransportation in SaskatchewanTransportation in Saskatchewan is the movement of people and goods from one place to another within the province. The term is derived from the Latin trans and portare...
- Western Economic Diversification CanadaWestern Economic Diversification CanadaWestern Economic Diversification Canada is a Canadian federal department that works towards building strong, competitive and innovative businesses and communities in Western Canada...
- Seager Wheeler's Maple Grove FarmSeager Wheeler's Maple Grove FarmSeager Wheeler's Maple Grove Farm is a National Historic Site of Canada. Seager Wheeler's Maple Grove Farm was a farm owned and operated by agronomist Seager Wheeler "Wheat King of the prairies or "The Wheat Wizard of Rosthern who developed dry land farming techniques as well as fruit and...
- SaskatoonSaskatoonSaskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....