Moose Jaw's Competitive Advantage
The Conference Board of Canada says that Saskatchewan has the lowest net business tax burden among the provinces. The report notes that Saskatchewan’s corporate income tax rates are not the lowest in the country, but if payroll taxes, social security contributions and property taxes are included, then Saskatchewan’s ranking improves. Also the government offers some subsidy programs for business that make the tax system competitive for business owners. Saskatchewan is also among the provinces with the lowest provincial personal tax burden ratios.
MOOSE JAW BEST PLACE TO DO BUSINESS In 2016, Canadian Business and profitguide.com jointly published Canada’s “Best Places to Do Business” ranking ninth from the top. Moose Jaw was also identified as one of the Top Ten Business Friendly Places.
Intensified cropping and livestock production in the area are attracting ag-processing related development. Seed processing plants have recently opened and are taking advantage of pulse crops grown in the area. Moose Jaw is a major agricultural equipment supplier and service centre supporting a strong and growing agricultural sector.
Moose Jaw ranks high by site selectors due to access to highways, rail, power, gas, water, communications, and a trained workforce. Moose Jaw is growth-focused with aggressive tax policies to attract investment capital. Moose Jaw serves as the western anchor to the Moose Jaw-Regina Economic Corridor, one of the largest economic regions in the province. The Corridor accounts for 20 per cent of Saskatchewan’s GDP and 24 per cent of its population.
The world wants more potash and the Moose Jaw area has large reserves of high quality potash. Potash projects need a proven deposit, political stability in the area and solid infrastructure. Saskatchewan is now the world’s most attractive jurisdiction in the world for mining.
AGRICULTURE The area showcases some of most productive lands on the planet, helping drive the local economy. Saskatchewan exported 84% of Canada’s lentil exports, and 75% of Canada’s pea exports among others.
NATO FLYING TRAINING (NFTC) 15 Wing Moose Jaw is home to the world-class NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC). CAE, a simulation-training-system company, provides flight simulation training and the Air Force trains high-quality pilots on behalf of the NATO Alliance representing dozens of countries from around the world. CAE is the prime contractor responsible for the NFTC program which involves base facilities, delivering ground-school classroom and simulator training, and support of live flying training.
TRUCKING DISTRIBUTION CENTRE Major all weather highways provide a fast and safe way of transporting freight with three-day trucking service to Montreal, Toronto, and the eastern seaboard, and two-day service to Vancouver and Chicago, with overnight service to Edmonton, Winnipeg, Calgary, and Minneapolis. Saskatchewan follows the central time zone year round.
CITY OWNED LAND FOR SALE
Moose Jaw Industrial Park The City of Moose Jaw is attracting the attention of global companies interested in building Ag and other types of processing and distribution facilities within its new industrial park located in the southeast quadrant of the city. The City is looking for buyers who want serviced industrial land with access to water, sewer, waste water treatment, power, gas, road and rail infrastructure. The City has over 700 acres for sale.
The new industrial park is situated next to a national railway and Trans-Canada Highways ideal for export of products east, west and south. The industrial park is located in the SE quadrant of the city, near the waste water treatment plant, lagoons, and effluent irrigation. This is the type of infrastructure is attractive to wet processing plants.
Grayson Business Park Grayson Business Park has the largest inventory of serviced commercially-zoned properties (C-3) for sale. The City of Moose Jaw has several of 0.5 to 1.6 acre parcels for sale, ranging in price from $120,000 to $273,000. These lots are build-ready with sewer, water, storm sewer, fire hydrants, natural gas, power, and curbs with heavy haul asphalt streets. As an incentive, the City provides the purchaser with an Environmental Phase 1 and Commercial 5-year Property Tax Phase In (excludes land). The detailed map identifies 24 acres of potential land development within Grayson park. Lots can be purchased individually or as larger parcels to suit a development.
RAIL TERMINAL OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE Moose Jaw is serviced by two national railways. Proximity to the United States makes the Moose Jaw vital to both the Canadian Pacific Rail (CPR) and Canadian National (CN): Moose Jaw is Saskatchewan headquarters for the CPR and its railway terminus of the Soo Line, a direct link to Minneapolis and Chicago. CPR has its largest main-line refueling facility in Moose Jaw and trains run 24/7, with between 30 and 38 trains through Moose Jaw each day.
SKILLED AND EDUCATED WORKFORCE Moose Jaw has a higher percentage of people (47.8%) who have post secondary certificates, diplomas or degrees compared to the province (46.5%). The city has more people with apprenticeship or trades certificates and college certificates than the province but a lower percentage (10.25%) with bachelor degrees and above bachelor degrees compared to the province (15.17%).
SASKATCHEWAN POLYTECHNIC Moose Jaw Campus is a technical and trade college training skilled workers for the local and provincial labour markets. Moose Jaw Palliser Campus graduates are highly trained in the areas of Engineering Technologies, Building Trades, and Business Administration. Other programs such as Food Services, Adult Basic Education and English as a Second Language are also offered.
MOOSE JAW/REGINA INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR Most industrial investment has taken place in the Corridor within the rural municipalities nearest the villages of Belle Plaine and Bethune. International heavy industrial giants have the capacity to locate anywhere in the world but are attracted to the Corridor by its many assets, including rail and highway infrastructure, major pipelines delivering natural gas and oil, wide open spaces distanced from urban population, a sustainable supply of water, and proximity to a large workforce. Plentiful reserves of high quality potash, low cost natural gas and grain crops (for ethanol production) are reasons these companies exist here.
POWER, NATURAL GAS AND INFINET SERVICES The Crown Investment Corporation (CIC) oversees key utilities, including Sask Power, Sask Tel, Sask Energy and Sask Water. Moose Jaw is Saskatchewan’s first city with a fiber optics with all homes hooked up to infiNet network and business-grade infiNet services – Static IP and Business Connect – to business customers in Moose Jaw’s downtown core offering speeds up to 260 Mbps.
INVESTMENT TAX INCENTIVES Saskatchewan offers a variety of advantages to manufacturers, including Corporate Income Tax rate as low as 10 per cent (depending on the type of operation), no Corporate Capital Tax, a 6 per cent refundable tax credit for investment in manufacturing and processing equipment and facilities, and the ability to use 100 per cent of eligible Research and Development expenses against net income for the purpose of calculating federal tax credits.
- City Commercial and Industrial Tax Phase-In The City of Moose Jaw provides a five year property tax phase-in to new builds or expansions. The exemption is applied to the increased assessed value resulting from construction, as follows: 100% Year 1; 80 % Year 2; 60% Year 3; 40% Year 2; and 20% Year 5.
- City Job Creation Incentive Eligible sectors can receive a five year property tax phase-in (sliding scale based on the number of jobs created). For example, a company creating
more than 60 new jobs in manufacturing or processing, transportation/warehousing distribution or communications
and research sectors can receive a five-year 100% property tax exemption(excluding land). - Other property tax incentives are available for: City Heritage, Re-Use of an Existing Building; Living over Shops; Replacement Housing/Vacant Lot In-fill Incentive; and Grayson Business Park (Environmental Phase I).
JOB GRANTS PROGRAM (CSJG) This program provides financial assistance to Saskatchewan employers to help workers get the training needed for available jobs. Through this program, employers and government partner to fund training that will provide individuals with the skills needed by employers in today’s workplace. The Canada Job Grant will allocate up to $15,000 for training per prospective employee (up to $5,000 by the employer with half allowed in the form of in-kind wages and up to $10,000 by government) to a maximum of $250,000 yearly. This is an Employer-Driven Program which means the employer must: Decide what training is required; Select the candidates; Choose a third party trainer and contract directly for training (minimum of 25 hours); Have a job available for the trainee at the end of the training; and Contribute minimum one-third of eligible training costs; includes tuition, student fees, textbooks, software, examinations. Note: Small employers with less than 50 employees may apply trainee wages towards a portion of their in-kind contribution.
© city of moose Jaw Saskatchewan. All Rights reserved. Site by AdSpark Communications
Any email address or contact form contained within this site shall not be used to send unsolicited email.