Document Information

Date: 1977-08-18
By: Allan Blakeney (Saskatchewan)
Citation: 18th Annual Premiers Conference, News Release, Doc 850-8/021 (St. Andrews: 18-19 August 1977).
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DOCUMENT: 850-8/021

NEWS RELEASE

Government of Saskatchewan

Immediate Release

Thursday, Aug. 18, 1977

Premier Allan Blakeney has called for a concerted Federal-Provincial effort to combat the serious and growing Canadian crisis of unemployment.

The Premier said that high unemployment in Canada underlines a faltering Canadian economy. The Saskatchewan Premier said: “All the signs indicate that Canada’s unemployment rate is going to go even higher in the immediate months. The government of Saskatchewan will be taking rigorous measures on its own account. But the problem is nation-wide and Canadians need government leadership in meeting this challenge.”

The Premier urged the federal government to launch new programs to stimulate new energy projects such as heavy oil plants at Lloydminster, the rehabilitation and upgrading of the railroadbed in Western Canada; major public construction projects and to promote housing.

“These are the kinds of programs which should be developed in a co-operative way by Federal-Provincial governments to provide immediate jobs. Without these kinds of programs, a million Canadians will be looking for work. This will create untold personal hardship,” said the Premier.

The Premier concluded that while national unity is important, unemployment is one of the greatest dangers to national unity and Canada’s elected leaders must come to grips with the serious economic problems of Canada.