Released on September 26, 2024
Today, the Government of Saskatchewan released the Economic Analysis for the Westside Irrigation Rehabilitation Project (WIRP), the first part of the overall Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation Projects.
The analysis was done by KPMG LLP and shows an increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $5.9 billion while generating over 30,000 jobs (person years of employment) and 9,500 jobs during the construction phase. A conservative estimate of tax revenues to governments is projected to be upwards of $770 million with value added processing.
"Our government believes in supporting the economy by making sound investments to create a stronger Saskatchewan," Minster Responsible for the Water Security Agency David Marit said. "This is only the start of what could be done, we have a truly remarkable opportunity in front of us to create a better quality of life for all Saskatchewan people for generations to come."
The overall GDP impact will increase significantly when factoring in the potential value-added benefits over a 50-year period. As seen in other jurisdictions, there is a direct connection to expanding irrigated acres and value-added processing investments.
"The Government of Saskatchewan continues to discuss the project with the federal government," Marit said. "We are hopeful they will come as a funding partner as this project is a major economic benefit to the Canadian economy and our country's food security."
The work done by KPMG assessed the influence of increased crop production expenditures on GDP, employment, and taxes, using the 90,000-acre Westside Rehabilitation Irrigation Project.
As announced in the spring of 2024, the engineering and design of the WIRP is moving forward with the engineering firms of MPE and Stantec as the joint venture Prairie Engineering Partners.
The Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation Projects are made up of three distinct projects: the Westside Rehabilitation, Westside Expansion, and the Qu'Appelle South Water Conveyance Project.
The current focus is on the WIRP as it expands and modernizes infrastructure constructed nearly 40 years ago to irrigate up to 90,000 acres of land.
For project updates and to view the report, visit: https://diefenbakerirrigation.ca/.
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