LINGENFELTER PROMOTES SASKATCHEWAN AT NATIONAL REAL ESTATE FORUM

Released on December 5, 1996

Deputy Premier and Economic Development Minister Dwain Lingenfelter
today described Saskatchewan's bright economic outlook to 450 delegates
attending the national Real Estate Forum in Toronto. The minister
spoke during a panel discussion at the forum, with the theme The New
Attitude of Government: Implications for the Real Estate Industry.

"We've had five years of continued economic growth and three straight
years of population growth," Lingenfelter said. "Saskatchewan's
unemployment rate is the lowest in the country and our lowest in 15
years. This means more people working, more families purchasing homes,
more businesses starting up or expanding and looking for land and
facilities."

Lingenfelter told delegates at the forum that the Government of
Saskatchewan in the 90s has been a leader in implementing the New
Attitude of Government, including being the first government in Canada
to eliminate its deficit and introduce a long-term debt reduction plan.

"We also introduced the Partnership for Growth strategy, which is still
the only such economic plan in Canada prepared in consultation with all
stakeholders, containing concrete goals and actual, publicly-stated
deadlines," Lingenfelter said.

The minister told forum participants that Saskatchewan's vision for an
alternative national agenda would include:

a national commitment to a strong social safety net;

a co-operative national debt management plan;

a national training and investment strategy;

a comprehensive taxation review;

levelling up working conditions; and

modernizing the Canadian federation to provide for effective
administrative arrangements among governments and which recognize
Quebec's unique linguistic and cultural identity while being fair
to all provinces.

Lingenfelter attended the forum in support of the department's
Saskatchewan display at The Real Estate Show, billed as Canada's
largest real estate show with more than 700 exhibits. Its attendance
of 16,000 includes corporate real estate executives, real estate
brokers, pension fund and investment managers, real estate developers,
executives from financial institutions, property and facility managers,
government representatives and consultants from across Canada.

"These are key people who influence the location and investment
decisions of major corporations and investment pools throughout
Canada," Lingenfelter said. "Our growing provincial economy needs
capital, so it is crucial we raise Saskatchewan's profile in this
arena."

In addition to the forum, Lingenfelter met with senior executives of
major Ontario firms currently doing business and research in
Saskatchewan.

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For more information, contact:

Debbie Wilkie
Economic Development
Regina Phone: (306) 787-7982