Attraction, creation, and retention of head offices in Saskatchewan have been an ongoing public and political conversation for decades. As the news of the potential uninvited takeover of Teck Resources Limited dominates my LinkedIn feed, it reminds me of Glencore Agriculture’s takeover of Viterra Canada back in 2012. The discussions around direct and spin-off impacts have not changed.
It would be interesting to know if the City of Regina and Saskatchewan Trade & Invest have any wisdom to share with their BC counterparts now that more than a decade has passed – better or worse.
According to Business Council of British Columbia Policy Perspective on Canada and BC losing Head Offices and staff (a.k.a. talent / workforce), SK has seen a negative 13 percentage change in the number of head offices since 2012 (page 4). The report focuses on B.C., but the content and the challenge for sub-national jurisdictions, as well as what can be done, are relevant here at home.
I urge anyone who is passionate about creating and keeping good-paying jobs, economic development, investment attraction, and the well-being of Saskatchewan’s communities to read BCBC’s report and follow this potential takeover story with interest. I know, I will be!
