Finance Minister Donna Harpauer and Premier Scott Moe were hosted by the Prince Albert Chamber of Commerce for an annual post-budget lunch. To Moe's left is Patty Hughes, Chamber manager. (Susan McNeil/paNOW Staff)

By Susan McNeil

PA Chamber hosts Premier, Finance Minister

Premier asked about solving labour shortage at PA Chamber lunch

Apr 4, 2024 | 5:00 PM

Following a presentation of the highlights of the new budget by Finance Minister Donna Harpauer, Premier Scott Moe was asked what is being done about a lack of skilled workers in Prince Albert.

The Chamber of Commerce found in a recent poll of its members that a skilled labour shortage is a major concern and put the question to the premier.

Finance Minister Donna Harpauer gave the Prince Albert Chamber of Commerce an in-person rundown of her final budget. She is not seeking re-election this fall (Susan McNeil/paNOW Staff)

“Again, a challenge but a good challenge,” Moe said, adding that the issue is being felt across Canada and has come up at meetings of the 13 premiers.

“The human resource challenge is not in any way specific or exclusive to Saskatchewan. The challenge that we collectively have attracting nurses, attracting lab techs, attracting physicians into our communities and our facilities.”

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The expansion of the Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert will begin soon and when it is done, it will need an additional 500 workers in an area that has seen a shortage for years, acutely so since the pandemic.

Moe said the province has had success in hiring nurses in particular, including 400 Filipino grads with 170 already working.

In the recent budget announcement, the province said it would increase the number of training seats for skilled labour.

Prince Albert’s youth psychiatric services closed two years ago due to a lack of psychiatric doctors and nurses and patients are now diverted to Saskatoon or Regina.

READ MORE: Prince Albert’s youth psychiatric services paused in 2022 because of a lack of staff.

Moe pointed out that until recently, there were no seats to train psychiatric nurses in the province but that has been changed, part of a second part of the approach for the labour shortage, which is to train existing residents.

“I won’t say it isn’t going to be a challenge but I do have a strong level of confidence that the human resources that we have put together, the health human resource recruiting plan…is starting to show results.”

He pointed to a 23 per cent reduction in wait times for surgeries as proof that the strategy is working, while saying there is still work to be done.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com