New Services March 2009:

Property and Business Sourcing

• We can now source any property or business throughout Canada
• We can source any property throughout the USA
• We will shortly be able to source any property throughout Australia and New Zealand

We have now launched an "equity release" scheme to either help sell or raise finance on a UK property to enable emigration

Saskatchewan Busting Its Economic Buttons

By The Canadian Press 30 March 09 - Employment is strong and a booming economy has made Saskatchewan a rags-to-riches story. While economic storm clouds are raining bad news down upon the rest of the country, experts are confident that Saskatchewan will be a relative bright spot in 2009. "We still think it's going to be the strongest province in the country over the next year," says Robert Kavcic, an economic analyst with BMO Capital Markets. "That doesn't mean it's not going to slow and we're expecting it to slow actually quite sharply, but it still should be the strongest province in Canada."

There's reason for optimism. Statistics Canada figures show that Saskatchewan's population growth in 2007-08 was the strongest since the early 1970s. For the first time, the province led the pack when it came to interprovincial migration. It also had the lowest unemployment rate in all of Canada in November, with 14,800 more people working than in November 2007. Sales of Crown petroleum and natural gas rights helped swell provincial coffers by a record $1.12 billion during the past year. Both the National Energy Board and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resources say the province has more than enough conventional gas to keep that industry active for many years.

The Conference Board of Canada forecasts that Saskatchewan will lead the country in economic growth in 2009. In its autumn 2008 outlook, it said "Saskatchewan is in a league of its own; booming conditions are anticipated to persist well into 2009." It's a lot of attention for a province often considered little more than a boring drive between Winnipeg and Calgary. And Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall is crowing. "Our standing has increased right across the country and in North America," he said during an interview with The Canadian Press. "Even more important than what everyone else is thinking about us, is what we're thinking about us . . . Saskatchewan people are feeling more and more hopeful,” says the 43-year-old premier, who has been in office for a little more than a year.

The icing on the cake is the $2.3-billion provincial budget surplus. That extra cash gave Wall's government room to make a significant income tax cut in the past year and reduce the provincial debt by about 40 percent, to $4.2 billion. Wall says his next budget, to be delivered in March, will be the "best chance to peer into the future" to see when the government might be able to eliminate its debt.

Saskatoon Employment Rises 3.3% in January 2009

The Saskatchewan government remained upbeat after learning employment here grew 3.3 per cent last month compared to a year earlier.

“What we are seeing in Saskatchewan obviously stands in stark contrast to what many jurisdictions across North America are experiencing. We know we are not immune to what is going on around us, but at the same time these are pretty promising numbers in Saskatchewan,” said Advanced Education, Employment and Labour Minister Rob Norris.

Standing in the middle of an unfinished living room of a Saskatoon home under construction, Norris spoke Friday of the good news that came with Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey. The seasonally unadjusted employment increase of 3.3 per cent from January 2007 to 2008 means 16, 600 more people are now working in the province. Of the new jobs, 13, 000 have been filled by women, aboriginal employment grew by 3, 600 jobs and 2, 300 of the positions have been taken by the construction industry, he said. Saskatchewan has the lowest unemployment rate in the country at 4.1 per cent, Norris added, and payroll earnings continue to rise.

“I think increasingly what we are seeing is other jurisdictions are certainly looking at Saskatchewan with a degree of envy. We see what B.C. is going through; we see what Quebec is going through and Ontario. And, importantly, what we can reflect on over the last week is we rolled out the booster shot, that is the ($500-million) stimulus package the premier has put out,” he said. “We are doing well and we want to make sure we are sustaining this growth.”

Taken from The StarPhoenix Written by: Cassandra Kyle Date: February 9, 2009

Saskatoon’s GDP growth to top nation again in 2009

20/January/2009

The Conference Board of Canada (CBoC) predicted Monday in its metropolitan outlook that Saskatoon will see a 3.3 per cent growth in its GDP in 2009, followed closely by Regina at 3.2 per cent. The province’s largest city noted an estimated GDP growth of 5.4 per cent in 2008, the highest rate in the country.

“Persistent in-migration will help ease worker shortages, allowing greater employment growth in 2010,” read the report.

Alan Migneault, CEO of the Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority (SREDA), said the report highlights what people in the region already know. “Our growth last year was outstanding and based on the strength and diversity of our economy and the resilience of our business community, it’s no surprise that we’re expected to do great things in 2009,” he stated.

The CBoC report says Saskatoon’s GDP rate will moderate to an average of 2.7 per cent for the years 2010 to 2013. © Copyright (c) The StarPhoenix

Survey: Canadian Banks Are Safest 31/Oct/2008

By Rob Taylor-Reuters-CANBERRA (Reuters) -

Canada has the world's safest banking system, closely followed by Sweden, Luxembourg and Australia, a survey by the World Economic Forum has found as bank failures shake confidence in financial markets. But Britain, which once ranked in the top five, has slipped to 44th place behind El Salvador and Peru, after a 50 billion pound ($86.5 billion) pledge this week by the government to bolster bank balance sheets.

The United States, where some of Wall Street's biggest financial names have collapsed in recent weeks, rated only 40, just behind Germany at 39, and smaller states such as Barbados, Estonia and even Namibia, in southern Africa. The United States was on Thursday considering buying a slice of debt-laden banks to inject trust back into lending between financial institutions now too wary of one another to lend.

The World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report based its findings on opinions of executives, and handed banks a score between 1.0 (insolvent and possibly requiring a government bailout) and 7.0 (healthy, with sound balance sheets). Canadian banks received 6.8, just ahead of Sweden (6.7), Luxembourg (6.7), Australia (6.7) and Denmark (6.7). UK banks collectively scored 6.0, narrowly behind the United States, Germany and Botswana, all with 6.1. France, in 19th place, scored 6.5 for soundness, while Switzerland's banking system scored the same in 16th place, as did Singapore (13th). The Netherlands (6.7), Belgium (6.6), New Zealand (6.6), Malta (6.6) rounded out the WEF's banking top 10 with Ireland. At the bottom was Algeria in 134th place, with a score of 3.9.

The ranking index was released as central banks in Europe, the U.S., China, Canada, Sweden and Switzerland slashed interest rates in a bid to restore trust in the shaken banking system.

Saskatchewan To Escape Recession 13/Nov/2008

By Joanne Paulson-SP Business Editor -

North America's sweet spot is Saskatchewan, which is uniquely poised to escape recession and weather an economic downturn, says Scotiabank's chief economist.

Warren Jestin expects Saskatchewan's economy to grow by 1.5 percent in 2009 and better that to perhaps 2.5 percent in 2010. Those forecasts are down from earlier estimates, but the province's economic performance will be better than most "on a relative basis," Jestin said in an interview Tuesday during a visit to Saskatoon. "You've got a global environment that's very challenging. You have a very good chance that the U.S. economy will be showing a decline in economic activity next year," Jestin said. "If you come closer to home and to Canada, Ontario and perhaps Quebec will be showing a decline.” Western Canada continues to lead in perfomance but given the global realities we face, that economic growth will be a lot slower than it has been in the past." Saskatchewan even compares favourably to Alberta, where the Calgary and Edmonton housing markets have turned and the economy has slowed from very rapid to "quite modest" growth, said Jestin. "Saskatchewan really has gone through something pretty fundamental recently. The demographics have changed. The demographics used to be very negative on a long-term basis; now they've turned positive." In addition, potash has been an exception to the downward rule in commodities.

The province also has a diversified resource base including natural gas, agriculture and oil. "Oil, we think, is going to be weak as long as the emerging markets are downshifting. "But still, the balance here is better (than in most regions)." Jestin credits the Saskatchewan government for setting aside some of the funds that have poured in due to high commodity prices and for investing in infrastructure - something Alberta likely wishes it would have done in the very good times, he said. Skilled labour is an issue in both provinces, as it is globally. Because of that, governments should invest in infrastructure and education to both employ and train skilled people. "The commodities have come down but are still an important cushion. I think you will find in general, the money the government can utilize to cushion the economy - the tax cuts, the infrastructure spending - (and) the fact that the housing market hasn't gotten into the kind of correction you see in other hot markets - is positive as well."