It wasn’t as bad a year for Saskatchewan business as some would suggest.

Steve McLellan is the CEO of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce.

He says Saskatchewan business could have been a lot better, but it could have been a lot worse too.

“Despite some of the negative stories out there, there were a lot of bright lights in 2018.” McLellan stated. “There was a lot of work done on a lot of files, but there were good things. The agriculture industry led the way as did manufacturing, our potash production is up as well. There are challenges as well though certainly surrounding uranium and oil and gas that we need to keep working on.

When it comes to agriculture, McLellan says there is no doubt it is the number one thing driving the provincial economy.

“It is in so many ways.” McLellan said. “It is the heart and soul if you will from an economic perspective. The reality is if we have a good crop, people are in a good mood and if we don’t, they aren’t no matter what else is happening.”

While there is a mood of uncertainty out there, McLellan adds there is an optimistic tone as well going into 2019,

“Everytime I talk to a new investor looking to come into Saskatchewan, they have a keen eye on both the challenges and opportunities that are presented.” McLellan said. “In this province, no matter how things bad may get in one or two sectors, the list of opportunities are far greater than the list of challenges.”

(ckrm)