When you look back on the Great Recession of 2008-09, you see that Canada did a better job of weathering the economic storm than most countries.
One of the reasons was a massive economic stimulus program that saw billions of dollars invested into projects to get people working again and to get projects constructed.
The provincial government took that step last week with the introduction of an additional $2 billion in capital spending over the next two years to support health care, education and highways projects, as well as municipal infrastructure.
Like many government projects, the stimulus package was high on promises and talk, but low on specifics. We know that there will be big money poured into health care facilities, but we don’t know how much. We know the government will spend on schools, but the amount is unknown.
For those who have been involved with projects that have been shelved for a long time, this is great news. It might even be a glimmer of hope for those involved with Estevan’s new regional nursing home.
We’ve been waiting more than half a decade for our turn for this project. A celebration was held in January 2015 to mark the end of the Hearthstone Community Campaign, the multi-year fundraising initiative that raised more than $8 million for the new nursing home.
Since the $8 million represented 20 per cent of the projected $40 million cost, the new nursing home was inserted into the queue for new long-term care facilities.
It’s still in the queue.
The new nursing home committee has tried multiple measures to get the building constructed, including the latest move to significantly reduce the costs by redesigning the project and its amenities. The projected expense is now $32 million instead of $40 million.
Until construction on a new nursing home begins, it means all of that time and effort spent on the campaign, and all of the money donated, is merely gathering interest.
Meanwhile, the residents of the current nursing home are forced to live in a facility that is well below the current standard. The staff at the current facility does their best, but they deserve better, too.
It’s hard to believe there are long-term care facilities in Saskatchewan now in worse shape than what we have in Estevan.
We’ll see what else is of interest. Don’t expect to see the government throw around money to retrofit the Shand Power Station and Unit 6 at the Boundary Dam Power Station with carbon capture and storage technology; that decision is still years away.
Also don’t expect to see money for an expansion and renovation of the Estevan Comprehensive School. That project is still in its initial stages, although it might be up for consideration for next year.
If you’re hoping to see the government step forward with money to twin Highways 39 and 6 from Estevan to Regina, keep dreaming. But don’t be surprised if the passing lanes are fast-tracked with this money, or if other highway projects in the region get the green light. (Highway 47 north of Estevan could use some fresh asphalt).
As for the municipal component, Estevan city council eliminated any suspense when it said it wants to use its share for the expansion of the Estevan Police Service’s building. If the project is eligible for the stimulus package, then it eases the financial burden of one much-needed but divisive project in the community.
There’s the obvious question of where all this money is going to come from, who’s going to wind up paying for these projects and how that will happen. Eventually, the bills are going to come in.
And we saw with the federal stimulus of more than a decade ago that the stimulus packages were soon followed by austerity budgets that significantly slashed spending.
Still, for those who have been waiting years for their project to go ahead, such as Estevan’s new nursing home, this spending could be very good news.
Or it could lead to further frustration and anguish that will only prolong the waiting game.
