Leading off.Saskatchewan, like our sister province, Alberta, is on the brink of a year-long celebration commemorating com·mem·o·rate tr.v. com·mem·o·rat·ed, com·mem·o·rat·ing, com·mem·o·rates 1. To honor the memory of with a ceremony. See Synonyms at observe. 2. To serve as a memorial to. our 100th anniversary as a province. Therefore, as we close the chapter on our first century of existence, it seems only fitting to look at what might become of us as we journey into our second. As we do so, it makes comparisons to our sister province inevitable. What does Alberta have going for it? In short, its oil. Well, truth to be told, their oil is finite and has long-term susceptibility susceptibility the state of being susceptible. Refers usually to infectious disease but may be to physical factors such as wetting or to psychological factors such as harassment. ; if the Kyoto Accord ever truly does kick in, the supply and demand principles will lay a licking Licking, river, c.320 mi (515 km) long, rising in E Ky. and flowing NW to the Ohio River opposite Cincinnati; the North and South Forks are its chief tributaries. on the petroleum industry. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] On the other hand, Saskatchewan can counter with rich uranium deposits, which could potentially generate power for centuries into the future. Beyond that, haven't we already learned our lesson about shipping out raw products (and jobs) through the many examples within the agricultural sector? Why aren't we capitalizing on our plentiful plen·ti·ful adj. 1. Existing in great quantity or ample supply. 2. Providing or producing an abundance: a plentiful harvest. uranium resources, which stands at one-third of the world's known resources, by establishing ourselves as the North American North American named after North America. North American blastomycosis see North American blastomycosis. North American cattle tick see boophilusannulatus. centre for clean energy? Speaking of natural resources, as I learned while researching the forestry feature appearing in this issue, Saskatchewan's forestry sector is on the verge On the Verge (or The Geography of Yearning) is a play written by Eric Overmyer. It makes extensive use of esoteric language and pop culture references from the late nineteenth century to 1955. of great things. Whether it's value-added or agroforestry ag·ro·for·est·ry n. A system of land use in which harvestable trees or shrubs are grown among or around crops or on pastureland, as a means of preserving or enhancing the productivity of the land. , this is an industry that is vibrant and proactive. I found it interesting to learn that the Weyburn district is highly interested in pursuing agroforestry--a practice of planting and growing trees for the purpose of harvesting them in the future. But then the people of Weyburn are as innovative and business savvy as you'll find in this province--look no further than to the highly successful Weyburn Inland Terminal for proof of this fact. This brings me to my next point regarding Saskatchewan strengths--our ingenuity--which when coupled with our legendary work ethic work ethic n. A set of values based on the moral virtues of hard work and diligence. work ethic Noun a belief in the moral value of work , is a highly esteemed entity; not to be duplicated anywhere--Alberta or otherwise. Another Alberta strength often boasted about is its mountains. Without a doubt, they're majestic and beautiful as well as a great source for a vibrant tourism industry. Well, once again I'd like to suggest that Saskatchewan has an equally blessed natural resource--our 100,000-plus lakes. Our northern wilderness region has vastly more potential from a tourism perspective than do their ski hills. Indeed the time for Saskatchewan to grow and prosper is now. Is it a coincidence that the Canadian Light Source synchrotron The Canadian Light Source (CLS) is a third-generation 2.9 GeV synchrotron located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. It opened on October 22, 2004 after three years of construction and cost C$173.5 million. is set to begin its historic efforts as we begin our new century? I think not. It's the hallmark for the dawn of a new age, a beacon for a province whose time has come. Indeed for everything Alberta has, I suggest that we have the same, or better. We've got so much potential to be realized, that dare I say it, as these sister provinces' second century comes to a close, it will be Albertans looking eastward with envy and admiration. Keith Moen, Editor |
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