With a booming economy and a growing reputation as Western Canada’s rising economic star, Saskatchewan needs both skilled workers and manufacturers capable of sliding seamlessly into new and expanding industrial sectors.

“We don’t see our boom abating in the near future and now is the time for us to take advantage of it by continuing to add to and diversify our economy,” Lyle Stewart, Saskatchewan’s Minister of Enterprise and Innovation, said during a brief trip to Windsor Monday.

“We can’t afford to wait for it to slow down and then try to restart it,” said Stewart. “We need to maintain the momentum.”

A website touting employment opportunities in Saskatchewan has more than 9,000 listings, according to deputy minister Dale Botting. “That really only scratches the surface of what’s available.”

Among the sectors currently experiencing a boom are agriculture, electronics and instrumentation, information and communications technology, transportation equipment and systems, aerospace, manufacturing of mining equipment, specialty vehicles, furniture, cabinets and millwork, as well as satellite technology. The demand has provincial manufacturers seeking added shop capacity.

And unlike Alberta, where rents, housing costs and living expenses have soared since the oilsands boom began, Botting said Saskatchewan still boasts a relatively low cost of living.

Several thousand London-area job seekers attended a job fair in that city last week.

Stewart also said a suggestion by Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis that unemployed Windsor workers might consider commuting to jobs in the west every month or so was a feasible idea and a way “to open doors to the west.

“But ultimately we’re hoping people consider Saskatchewan for permanent residency and employment,” said Stewart.

Beyond seeking workers, Stewart said manufacturers in Saskatchewan also need to develop a new supplier base and he believes Windsor can help fill that need.

“We’re willing to work with suppliers here in Windsor and customers in Saskatchewan to build partnerships and joint ventures which can be beneficial to both parties,” said Stewart.

“We know there is a huge body of skilled workers and a tremendous amount of technical expertise in Windsor which our companies desperately need.

“If we don’t find a solution to our needs, it definitely has the potential to slow down our boom and that is something we wish to avoid at all costs,” said Stewart.

Over the past year, the value of manufactured products in Saskatchewan has increased by more than eight per cent. In Ontario, it has dropped by 12 per cent.

“Our manufacturers are turning work away work for lack of capacity on the supply chain side of our economy,” said Botting. “They’re having trouble filling orders because most of our customers are also in a growth mode.”

Other growth areas in Saskatchewan are in uranium and potash production and a newly-discovered diamond field in northern Saskatchewan has the potential to be one of the largest in the world.

Botting said that Windsor-area companies seeking to tap into the booming Saskatchewan economy can visit his ministry’s website at www.ei.gov.sk.ca.

Stewart also said that trade missions and tours are always welcomed and available for Windsor manufacturers seeking to make personal contacts with potential customers.

“I don’t see any major issues getting in the way of these partnerships,” said Stewart. “It might take a short period of confidence-building between the parties but clearly the expertise exists here in Windsor, so quality and capabilities wouldn’t be an issue.”

During their three-day visit to Windsor, Stewart and Botting will meet with officials from the Windsor-Essex Development Commission and Francis, and will tour a few manufacturing plants.

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