Saskatoon hosts Canada’s Productivity Initiative session

Saskatoon hosted a forum on Wednesday to learn more about how Saskatchewan resources can play a role in Canada’s productivity. Hallee Mandryk reports.

Canada’s potential for economic productivity has been on the minds of many as U.S. president Donald Trump continues to threaten tariffs and the sovereignty of other nations.

But Canada’s Productivity Initiative has been seeking solutions since fall of 2024.

“Slow productivity growth has been something that we’ve been challenged with in Canada since 2015 or so. And so that’s led our economy to be a lot smaller than it otherwise would be,” said Trevor Tombe, a professor of economics at the University of Calgary, and director of fiscal and economic policy for the School of Public Policy.

The initiative is hosted by Calgary’s School of Public Policy alongside a number of partners. The information shared in a series of day-long conferences held across Canada throughout 2025-26 is intended to seek tangible solutions to aid Canada’s productivity.

While the term “productivity” can mean different things to different people, Tombe explains when used in economic terms, it’s about getting more outcome for less time put in.

“The biggest, most important source of long-term increases in our standard of living comes from our ability to make more goods and services for every hour that we work. And that’s really what productivity is economically ... historically, the only way in which worker wages and salaries can increase faster than inflation is with productivity growth. And this comes from technology, but it also comes from policy and ensuring that things are as efficient economically as they can be,” Tombe said.

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Saskatoon hosted the fifth of six sessions, which each highlight different topics related to Canada’s productivity. Those who gathered at the University of Saskatchewan on Wednesday learned about minerals, agriculture and energy.

“Here you have the mining story, you have coal, you have natural gas and oil and of course, canola and beef and pork and wheat, all of which are in great demand in the global market. So Saskatchewan is actually kind of an epicenter for a lot of the big trends in the global commodity markets here. So it’s a great place to come and do this event,” Robert Johnston, the director of energy and natural resources at the School of Public Policy in University of Calgary, said.

The session was especially timely, as just the day before, Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the World Economic Forum with a speech that spoke to a need for changes to foreign policy.

“Developments in the U.S., dramatic changes in trade policy, the largest tariff increase that they have ever seen in their entire history, combined with our economy being so tightly connected to theirs, represents a real risk for the country going forward. And so anything that can strengthen Canada’s economy will help ensure we can remain strong despite difficulties in our trading relationship with the United States,” Tombe said.

While current relations with Canada’s largest trading partner are causing some concern, those at the event shared a belief that Canada is still positioned well to seek long-term solutions.

“Any country, any business, you want to take care of your health and your nutrition, so to speak. When you’re healthy, if you wait till you’re sick or when you face a crisis, like we faced with the U.S., it’s too late. So I think the things you have to do now lay the groundwork for future crises, as well as getting us through this current crisis, which is to be as competitive as possible. Build resilience, build the infrastructure we need, build the workforce we need so that we can survive the highs and the lows in markets,” Johnston said.

The final session of Canada’s Productivity Initiative is set to take place in Toronto with a focus on innovation and technology.

“The big takeaway from events like this is that it’s not a one-time conversation. It’s that we need actionable, bold, concrete policy ideas that can be implemented this year, next years, and many years to come,” Tombe said.