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Regina and District Chamber of Commerce CEO John Hopkins says while 2019 was a positive year in his eyes, it didn’t come without challenges.
The Queen City hosted some of the world’s biggest musical acts, along with high-end sporting events in the past year.
Hopkins joined 980 CJME’s Greg Morgan Morning Show Monday to give a rundown on the year.
“There was some great things that happened in terms of the Garth Brooks show, the NHL game and those types of things,” he said. “It was also very challenging if you look at how the crop year ended, as well as looking at the canola standoff with China, so challenges there, along with the mini-trade war that we had with the United States and steel.”
Another issue Hopkins is concerned about is the federal carbon tax. The price on carbon is set to increase from $20 per tonne to $30 per tonne on Jan. 1.
“When you look at Manitoba, (they have) hydro-electricity so they’re not going to pay as much. Quebec will certainly not pay as much so it’s not really equitable across the country from our perspective. We’re quite concerned about that and the economic impact of that,” Hopkins said. “There’s a real concern out there about how equitable it is in Canada in terms of the price on carbon as well as equalization.”
Hopkins also pointed out the city’s retail environment is continuing to change, especially with online shopping becoming much more prevalent.
“This is just another sort of change that’s happening in the industry and it’s not going anywhere— online retailing is here to stay,” Hopkins said. “There also is an opportunity for people that are local and we encourage people to shop local whenever they can because you can look at it, you can touch it and you can feel it.”
Looking ahead to 2020, Hopkins said he believes China continues to loom as a large issue.
“What are we going to do there, and how do we diversify away from China, although that is a big, big thing to try and do. I don’t think people understand the magnitude of that. China is by far the biggest customer for Canadian canola so there’s a lot of challenge there.”
Hopkins also said a normal crop year would be a positive for Saskatchewan, noting it plays a major role in the province’s economy.
