Left to right are: Eric Schmalz, Sask. Minister of Employment and Immigration, Buckley Belanger, Canada Secretary of State (Rural Development) and MLA Alana Ross, who holds several unrelated portfolios, announcing $15.6 million in provincial tariff relief. (Image Credit: Susan McNeil/paNOW)

By Susan McNeil

Tariff relief

Feds, province announce $15.6 million in Saskatchewan tariff relief  

Mar 27, 2026 | 5:00 PM

An extra boost of $15.6 million has been announced for a joint provincial and federal tariff relief response in Saskatchewan.  

The money will be added to existing employment programs, said Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State (Rural Development), along with Eric Schmalz, Saskatchewan Minister of Immigration and Career Training.   

“This $15 million that we’re announcing is in addition to that to try and address the tariff areas or the sectors of the economy that have been impacted by tariffs, because we want to help those folks that are losing their jobs because of tariffs,” said Belanger.  

He said it is up to the province on how the money is rolled out but the money is divided into three categories, industries and workers affected by steel tariffs, those affected by lumber tariffs and a third category of ‘other’ for any remaining affected industries. Those vary by province.  

Saskatchewan is going to target the extra money for businesses that have been affected, said Schmalz.  

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“They will apply stating that we’ve got our workers, obviously they’ve got issues with employment sustainability because of a shrinking demand for their product and that’s when we would step in with these dollars to help offset to the employers, ensuring they’re able to be retrained or put into different skill sets,” said Schmalz.  

The announcement was made at Prince Albert’s University of Saskatchewan campus.

While some communities in Saskatchewan are feeling some pressure, the province has been fairly insulated from the issues facing other provinces.  

“While Saskatchewan has avoided severe impacts, we recognize the pressures facing employers and the risks facing workers in tariff-affected sectors,” said Schmalz.

He pointed to the growing mining industry in the north as an example that has created jobs, particularly in a group that often has disproportionately high unemployment – aboriginal youth.

“A lot of it is in northern Saskatchewan. Obviously, we’ve got a booming resource sector in this province. Two uranium mines have federal approval and provincial approval, one has provincial approval right now and is waiting on federal approval,” he said. 

Part of the approval process requires the mine operator to hire at least 50 per cent northern employees.

“The resources are being developed and extracted in the backyard of these of the people of northern Saskatchewan and we want to make sure that they’re benefiting from it as well, both socially and economically.” 

Belanger said that one of the ways to succeed is for both levels of government to work together.  

“Even in a diversified economy like Saskatchewan’s, when one sector gets hit, we know it ripples out. That’s why the governments together are working and not passing the buck but stepping up together and that is what today is all about,” he said.  

Schmalz pointed out that the province has a manufacturing sector that has been feeling the pinch of US tariffs but some pressure was alleviated by recent removal of canola tariffs in China.  

The $15.6 million is called the  Canada–Saskatchewan Workforce Tariff Response and will help workers and employers in steel, softwood lumber, and other directly and indirectly tariff-affected sectors. It is anticipated this new funding will support up to 1,800 workers in Saskatchewan build new skills and seize emerging opportunities. 

Help for workers will be done through the provincial SaskJobs offices.  

At the national level, the agreement prepares workers to seize emerging opportunities, such as those that will be generated through national initiatives, including the Major Projects Office, Build Canada Homes, and the Defense Industrial Strategy. 

As of February 2026, Saskatchewan’s unemployment rate stands at 5.6 per cent, the lowest among provinces and significantly lower than the national average. 

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

On BlueSky: @susanmcneil.bsky.social