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Northcote Voice

May 9, 2012 | 1:46 PM

MLA Prince Albert Northcote

Prince Albert moved forward last week with the official ground breaking ceremony for the new Pineview Terrace Lodge. Representatives from all levels of government and many local residents were in attendance to launch the construction phase of this $24 million project. Local communities have negotiated to fund $4.5 million over the next three years.

As Saskatchewan Health Minister Don McMorris said,” It's a great day for people that will move from the current, outdated facility, and that we're able to provide them with much better living accommodations into the future.”

Our government is also addressing the challenges of finding affordable housing for other Saskatchewan residents by working on many fronts to increase rental housing in Saskatchewan.
Our Government is taking another step forward to providing quality rental housing across the province. The new Corporate Income Tax Rebate deals with one of the concerns regarding the current corporate income tax structure. This has been identified as a barrier to the development of new rental housing in our province. The rebate will help add 10,000 new rental units to the province by the end of 2016 at a cost of $34 million for the first five years. Corporations eligible for this rebate will receive the two per cent small business tax rate instead of the 12 per cent general Corporate Income Tax rate. Applications for registering eligible new residential rental housing are available by visiting the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation website , calling toll-free 1-800-667-7567 or contacting the SHC office in Regina at 306-787-4177.

Finding innovative solutions to common housing issues is the goal of the Canadian Housing Renewal Association's 44th Annual Congress on Housing and Homelessness held recently in Newfoundland. June Draude, Minister responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation, was a part of those discussions. While our government has made significant progress ensuring everyone benefits from the Saskatchewan Advantage, but there is still more work to do.

There was more good economic news this week about the Saskatchewan Advantage. Statistics Canada reported our economic growth in 2011 was at its fastest in almost 15 years, at 4.8 per cent. That’s the best performance since StatsCan began recording this statistic in 1997; and currently second highest in the nation. The Saskatchewan economy is strong and growing and our government will continue to take action to ensure it stays that way.

Royal watchers can connect with the upcoming visit of Their Royal Highnesses, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, by downloading the Crown in Canada iPhone application. If you have a Blackberry or Android smartphone, you can access that content at m.canadiancrown.gc.ca. You can also follow the latest updates on the 2012 Royal Tour Facebook page “The Crown in Canada” and on Twitter @TheCrownCa.

The royal couple will be visiting Regina on May 22nd and 23rd to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen's Diamond Jubilee with the people of Saskatchewan. On May 23rd, they will visit the Legislative Building to celebrate its 100th anniversary, then tour the First Nations University of Canada, and finish the day by attending a performance by the Regina Symphony Orchestra.