One of the lessons we’ve learned from the situation at the Regina Exhibition or REAL, where Brandt is taking over its operations, is that public entities are pretty good at building stuff. They’re not so good at maintaining that stuff.
That finding is borne out in a new report on the state of Canada’s local infrastructure. Nationally, it’s worth about $2 trillion when you include everything from roads to sewer and water or recreational and cultural buildings.
The federal report looks at these assets from a state-of-repair perspective. Basically, it examines replacement cost and the condition of those assets.
In Saskatchewan, local governments own about $50 billion worth of roads. Or at least that’s what it would cost to replace them in 2024 dollars. About 15-percent or $6 billion are in good condition. Nearly 10-percent were in poor or very poor shape in 2024.
We don’t know the condition of most of our waste water and solid waste assets while less than half our recreational, sports and cultural facilities are considered in good to very good condition.
— For more than 50 years, Paul Martin has specialized in coverage of the business and political scenes. His career has spanned radio, television and print and electronic media.
