A plan to build a $25-million Kal Tire plant just outside of Regina has been scrapped.

The facility, which would have been located near the Global Transportation Hub west of the city, was the subject of a zoning dispute, among other issues. The RM of Sherwood gave Kal Tire the green light, however Regina Mayor Michael Fougere said he wanted a comprehensive development plan in place before projects started going up in that area.

Not being able to find the right kinds of employees is putting a strain on small businesses in Saskatchewan.

It’s been well publicized lately how difficult it is for employers to find skilled workers in this province, and a new report by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business is reinforcing that. (You can see the report at cfib.ca)

SaskTel is reporting a very good year of business, thanks to many people in Saskatchewan hanging up their home phones and switching to solely using their cell phones.

The crown reports at $129 million net income in 2012, with operating revenues of $1.2 billion, up five per cent from the year before.  Max Entertainment Services revenues were above budget thanks to unexpected customer growth.

Because of the high numbers, SaskTel is handing over a dividend of $84 million to the government.

2012 Highlights:

If you plan on doing any renovations around the house, or perhaps putting in a new deck in this summer, you'll want to buy your building supplies sooner rather than later. The cost of construction materials are about to go up. Drywall and lumber will be hit particularly hard.

It comes down to simple economics. Materials are in short supply, and demand is up in Saskatchewan. The source of the price increase can actually be traced all the way back to the U.S. housing crisis.

As Saskatoon continues to grow, the city’s airport will grow right alongside it.

Airport authority CEO Stephen Maybury announced the first phase of the facility’s $53 million expansion will wrap up this September.

Maybury made the announcement at a media tour of the unfinished terminal on Friday.

“In a word [it’s] exciting,” Maybury said. “This is truly a brand new element to the experience at the Saskatoon airport.”

Casinos Regina and Moose Jaw saw record number of people through their doors last year with a total of 3.6 million guest visits.

SaskGaming Corporation brought in $52.6 million in net profits last year, that’s up by $900,000 from 2011.

With about 185 Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority franchise locations operating in rural areas across the province, the Town of Hepburn may be one of the last without a liquor store.

That could change after May 1 when ratepayers vote in a referendum on whether to allow a liquor outlet in town.

Authority spokesman David Morris explained franchises aren't directly run by SLGA, but are local businesses licensed by the authority.

The Hepburn Co-Op applied to start selling liquor last fall.

An oil spill from Thursday by Buffalo Pound Lake is still being cleaned up as crews try to take the inclement weather into account.
 
The Ministry of Environment can't pinpoint how long the full cleanup is going to take at the site along the cause-way by Highway 2.
 
"It all is weather dependent. Some work we may be able to do while the snow is still on the ground, and moving snow," said Wes Kotyk, the Executive Director of the environmental protection branch of the Ministry of the Environment, noting that they are still assessing the situation.

Highway 2 from Moose Jaw to Chamberlain is set to close once again this morning.

A portion of the highway from Tuxford to the intersection with Chamberlain remained closed all day on Friday as clean up continued after a truck flipped, spilling oil near Buffalo Pound Lake, but was reopened in the evening for traffic.

That stretch of highway 2 will be closed again Saturday as of 8 a.m. as crews continue to clean up the spil.

Spring seeding could be delayed for farmers in Saskatchewan, another impact the abundance of snow this winter is having.

Jamie Hodson grows wheat, pulse crops and oilseeds on a farm near Grand Coulee.

“As far back as I can remember I haven’t seen a winter drag on like this. Nothing of this significance that most of us can recall and so I’m sure going forward looking into spring it’s going to cause some issues,” he said.