FEATURE
An Interview
with the Minister
On April 4, the Saskatchewan Party was voted
back into office for a third consecutive term,
winning 51 out of 61 seats. Among the returning
MLAs and re-appointments to previous posts was
Hon. Nancy Heppner, Minister of Highways and
Infrastructure. In an interview with Think BIG, she
discusses what the provincial government has in
store for the next four years.
By Patrick Rediger
Think BIG (TB): What will this government’s historic third majority mean for the heavy con-struction
industry in Saskatchewan over the next four years?
Hon. Nancy Heppner (NH): First, I would like to extend our thanks to the people of
Saskatchewan for putting their trust in us to govern the province for a third term. It’s an
honour that we don’t take lightly.
Premier Wall has said the best indicator of future behaviour is past behaviour. One thing
we’ve demonstrated over the first two terms of our government is our investment into in-frastructure
in this province – not just highways, but schools, hospitals and long-term care
homes. We’re literally rebuilding this province. That’s the continued direction of our govern-ment
going forward.
Guided by our Growth Agenda, we are taking measures to control spending while still
making strategic investments in the economy. We believe this balanced approach will al-low
us to best position Saskatchewan for future growth. Our government recognizes that in-vesting
in infrastructure is key to keeping Saskatchewan strong. The $1.15 billion Ministry
of Highways and Infrastructure (MHI) budget is evidence of our commitment to improving
highways across the province. This investment will improve the quality of living, safety and
economic opportunities for people across the province.
TB: How will the budget impact this year’s construction season and the next?
NH: Based on this year’s budget, we’re preparing for some busy construction seasons ahead.
With this investment, our government will be able to improve and upgrade 1,300 kilometres
of Saskatchewan highways, including:
• 100 kilometres of improvements to rural highways
• 200 kilometres of repaving
• 400 kilometres of microsurfacing
• 600 kilometres of sealing
The big-ticket project is the Regina Bypass and work is well underway and will contin-ue
for the next few years. This is the biggest construction project in the province’s history
when it comes to transportation and I’m happy to report it’s on time and on budget. It’s ex-citing
to go out there and see all the dirt being moved. A lot of Saskatchewan companies are
involved in the process. It’s such a massive project and it was hard to really visualize in the
PHOTO: GOVERNMENT OF SASKATCHEWAN
saskheavy.ca | Quarter 3 2016 | Think BIG 49
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