CENTENNIAL SUMMIT WRAPS UP

The Saskatchewan Centennial Summit ended this morning, capping three days of extensive discussions by the province's leaders on Saskatchewan's future.

Participants heard presentations on Saskatchewan's resource strengths and market prospects, and challenges to be overcome in continuing to expand into global markets.

They listened to presentations from academics and forecasters on labour market trends and demographic challenges and then broke into discussion groups on such topics as labour market development, research and innovation, competitiveness and investment, opportunities and challenges facing the First Nations and Metis population, quality of life, attitude, and youth attraction/retention.

Premier Lorne Calvert pronounced the Summit a success, both in recognizing the province's economic progress and in encouraging plain talk about the need for change as the province enters its second century.

"A line that resonated with participants came from a presentation by Todd Hirsch of the Canada West Foundation," Calvert said. "In assessing our current economic performance and our future prospects, Hirsch said we have no right in Saskatchewan to think small.

"We agree, and I hope all our summit participants have left with the idea that we must continue to think big in this province if we are to effect economic change," Calvert said.

A summary of the summit's proceedings will be published shortly and the speaker presentations will be posted on the summit website (www.Summit2005.ir.gov.sk.ca). The deliberations will factor into an updated economic plan and into overall government planning.

"The ideas and the vision of our summit participants will be acted upon," Calvert concluded.

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