Metric Design in Saskatoon is partnering with Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Digital Integration Centre of Excellence (DICE) for a homegrown AI project.

The partnership will see two programs created — a year-long digital twin project that will scan a room and create a digital twin of the space, and a three-year AI project that will simplify and shorten the process of grabbing materials a designer would use for the room.

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“We have a lot of specifications and selection processes that take a lot of time, and can create lots of errors,” said Tamara Bowman, Metric Design creative director. “This is actually going to .. help with the auto selection process.”

This means that a designer would use AI to help them simplify the selection process. Bowman said this would also save the consumer money.

“It will cost less if they (the consumer) are working with a designer,” said Bowman. “The average project and the time involved in the specification process is about 20 hours … we would be able to really simplify that time down to a fraction of what that might be.”

Bowman said most designers charge by the hour, and rates are around $100 to $200, so cutting that process down would see more money in the customer’s pocket.

DICE and Metric Design received multiple Applied Research and Development grants, from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Mitacs for the AI project, with $150,000 from NSERC and $75,000 from Mitacs per year for three years.

An extra $40,000 from NSERC and $15,000 from Mitacs will be used for the digital twin project.

Bowman says no human jobs would be lost as a result of the projects.

Students are also involved with the project and Cyril Coupal, research manager at DICE, explained what they would be doing.

“It’ll be everything from writing software scripts to running AI modelling,” said Coupal. “(Then) test the models to see how well they perform, go back, change the data, run the models again — (it’s) a very repetitive process and takes a lot of time.”

It will be three years before everything is up and running.

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The Saskatchewan Party‘s promise to reduce provincial income taxes to help with affordability issues by raising the personal income tax exemption by $500 for the spousal exemption, child exemption and seniors’ supplement is being met with mixed reviews.

The party said 54,000 people will no longer pay any provincial income tax when the new policy is fully implemented.

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The proposal has been met with positive reviews by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF), which said it would help make Saskatchewan more competitive with other jurisdictions.

“Saskatchewanians need tax relief and this income tax cut will make a real difference for family budgets,” CTF Prairie director Gage Haubrich said in a release.

He said tax cuts such as the one proposed by the incoming provincial government will be helpful in growing Saskatchewan’s economy while putting more money in people’s pockets.

But Erin Weir, a freelance economist who previously served as an NDP member of Parliament, said he does not think the proposed tax cut will have a major economic impact since it is not a full exemption and will not put $500 directly into people’s pockets.

“The tax credit is applied at the lowest provincial rate of 10.5 per cent, so $500 times 10.5 per cent is $52.50, which is certainly not a life-changing amount of money for most people in a year,” he said.

Weir said Saskatchewan is in a unique position compared to many other provinces when it comes to helping people with challenges around affordability because it can exert more control over the cost of utilities due to them being publicly owned, so some sort of policy to bring down those costs would be helpful for people.

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There are also other avenues that might be more effective than reducing taxes when it comes to putting money in people’s pockets, Weir said.

“If the goal is to provide money to people, that can be done through rebates or grants; it doesn’t necessarily have to be done through the tax system,” he said.

Simon Enoch, director of the Saskatchewan office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), said the proposed income tax cut is in line with how the Sask. Party has governed since coming to power.

“That’s been the Sask. Party’s antipoverty program since 2007: don’t tax people who don’t make much money,” he said.

Overall, Enoch said tax cuts have not historically provided as much economic stimulus as larger public spending initiatives.

He said provincial income taxes are a large part of the province’s revenues and the incoming government’s tax reduction pledge is expected to cost more than $300 million over four years.

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Enoch said he believes that cost has not been properly considered. He said with these tax reductions factored in, the incoming government is not expecting the budget to return to balance until 2027-28, which adds additional costs since the province will be operating in deficit for longer.

“These tax cuts are being financed by borrowing,” he said.

mhansen@postmedia.com

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The Saskatchewan Party is going back to the legislature with yet another majority. And while the Saskatchewan NDP fell short of returning to power for the first time since 2007, it is projected to make significant gains, with only mail-in ballots left to count.

The NDP is projected to have won 22 seats and is leading in four others still too close to call. This represents a substantial gain for leader Carla Beck's party, which won 13 seats in the 2020 election.

Those gains included several battlegrounds like Regina Northeast, Regina Pasqua, Saskatoon Stonebridge and Saskatoon Churchill-Wildwood, where electoral boundary redistribution since 2020 narrowed the Sask. Party's margins of victory.

Saskatchewan's rural-urban divide persisted at the ballot boxes, with the NDP projected to win 11 of Regina's 12 ridings and leading the other, and projected to win or leading in all but two seats in Saskatoon.

CBC spoke with some of the NDP candidates projected to become new MLAs. They said they're eager to get to work on health care and education in particular.

NDP candidate Joan Pratchler, a registered nurse and former teacher and principal, is the projected winner of Regina Rochdale. That seat formerly belonged to Sask. Party candidate and sitting cabinet minister Laura Ross.

On Monday, Pratchler said her professional background helped her on the campaign trail. She said many people whose doors she knocked on said they hadn't seen their former representative for a long time.

"One of the most trusted professions is nursing and the next one is principal," Pratchler said, adding that Rochdale is filled with educators who were not impressed with the Sask. Party's handling of teachers' and students' needs.

Pratchler said people in her constituency believe she can make a difference in the legislature because she has front-line experience.

"From bedside to board table, from classroom to boardroom, I understand what the issues are and now I can stand up for them. And that's what you need in a spicy grandma there," Pratchler said, laughing.

WATCH | 'Spicy grandma' Joan Pratchler, projected Sask. NDP MLA-elect, talks about Opposition's plans:

13 days ago

Duration 0:59

The Sask. NDP's Joan Pratchler, the self-proclaimed 'spicy grandma' projected to unseat former Sask. Party minister Laura Ross in the Regina Rochdale constituency, talks about what her party plans to do in Opposition and what she has heard from people in her riding.

'You have to listen'

Keith Jorgenson is the projected winner of the Churchill-Wildwood constituency in Saskatoon, unseating long-time Sask. Party incumbent Lisa Lambert. He has worked as an educator and administrator, helping children with complex needs.

Jorgenson said people are excited to see growth of the NDP in Saskatchewan. He called that growth "tremendous."

"There's a desire on my part and [on the] part of a lot of other people who have run for the NDP to try and make their province and their community a better place to live," said Jorgenson.

"This is an opportunity to better our community, get us out of last place in health care and education, and address some of the other problems the province faces."

First time candidate Sally Housser, a political commentator and public affairs professional, is projected to beat out incumbent Gene Makowsky for the Regina University constituency. She said beating the former minister of social services shows that no political party owns the vote of the people of Saskatchewan.

"You have to connect, you have to serve, you have to listen. And I think ultimately that that's what people felt wasn't happening with the Sask. Party," Housser said.

The NDP is projected to get its largest share of the popular vote since 2003. Housser said this sends a message to the Sask. Party.

"When you have a massive shift in the popular vote as they've seen, it's time to do some more listening. I imagine that they were probably thinking about that perhaps a little too late over the course of the campaign," said Housser.

"But when you represent Saskatchewan, you have to represent all of Saskatchewan."

Housser said the NDP focused on this messaging throughout the campaign.

Moe says he hears non-Sask. Party voters

In her end-of-night speech, Beck had a message for new NDP MLAs.

"Never forget how incredibly special it is for your neighbours to select you to be their representative," she said.

"We know that Saskatchewan is looking to us to deliver that better change."

Matt Love, incumbent and projected winner for the Saskatoon Eastview constituency, said there is a lot of positive energy among the NDP and supporters as they watch their representation in the legislature nearly double.

"It's gonna be a very different place when 61 of us get back to work, where there's gonna be a lot more balance," Love said.

In his victory speech, newly elected Premier Scott Moe acknowledged that the Sask. Party lost many voters this election.

"I thank those that supported or voted for another party this election for the message that was delivered tonight. I have heard that message, and our team has heard that message. And we must do better, and we most certainly will."

RCI

Reduced Sask. Party poised to lose 5 cabinet ministers as NDP dominates Regina, Saskatoon

The Saskatchewan Party won its fifth consecutive majority government Monday, CBC has projected, but the legislature will look significantly different this time around.

The Sask. NDP saw a surge in support and is projected to win or leading in 26 ridings, nearly doubling the size of the Opposition in the legislature and taking home several key urban battleground ridings.

That leaves Premier-elect Scott Moe to form government with a reduced Sask. Party of 35 candidates either projected to win or leading, and missing several former ministers when he appoints his next cabinet.

With seven seats still too close to call and mail-in ballots not scheduled to be counted until Wednesday (new window), here are three things to know about how Saskatchewan voted:

NDP dominates Regina, Saskatoon as rural-urban divide looks wider than ever

Sasktchewan's rural-urban divide persisted at the ballot boxes, with the NDP projected to win 11 of Regina's 12 ridings and leading the other, and projected to win or leading in all but two seats in Saskatoon.

Those gains included several battlegrounds like Regina Northeast, Regina Pasqua, Saskatoon Stonebridge and Saskatoon Churchill-Wildwood, where electoral boundary redistribution since the 2020 narrowed the Sask Party's margins of victory.

The Sask. Party held on to most of its rural strongholds and appears to have defended several ridings in smaller cities like Prince Albert and Moose Jaw, where the NDP had hoped to make gains. However, the Prince Albert Northcote seat remains too close to call, with the Sask Party leading the NDP by 125 votes as of Monday night.

The rural-urban divide wasn't completely black and white. The NDP is also projected to pick up the primarily-Indigenous Athabasca riding that covers the northwest corner of the province, a long-time stronghold for the NDP won by the Sask. Party in a 2022 byelection. It also held onto its Cumberland seat in the province's northeast corner.

We have changed the landscape in this province, NDP leader Carla Beck said in her concession speech on Monday night.

Donna Harpauer, a former Sask. Party cabinet minister who did not run for re-election, said the results showed the divide is fairly wide yet again, as it has been in the past.

It's going to be on the new government to kind of bridge that gap again and bring the urban and rural back together, she told CBC News.

Ultimately in this province of Saskatchewan we're very centre, and in order to keep both urban and rural supporting you and supporting the initiatives that you put forward, you've got to always keep to the centre and the new government needs to be mindful of that.

3 cabinet ministers projected to lose seats, 2 trailing

The NDP's gains in cities were projected to unseat three former cabinet ministers, with two others trailing as the night ended.

Former justice minister Bronwyn Eyre (Saskatoon Stonebridge), former social services minister Gene Makowsky (Regina University) and former minister of parks, culture and sport Laura Ross (Regina Rochdale) were all projected to lose their seats to their NDP opponents.

Former environment minister Christine Tell (Regina Wascana Plains) and former corrections, policing and public safety minister Paul Merriman (Saskatoon Silverspring) both trailed NDP candidates, but a winner has not yet been projected in those ridings.

The losses mean a hit to ministerial and legislative experience in Moe's next cabinet, as well as the likely loss of three of his four female cabinet ministers.

Moe, for his part, said in his victory speech that he would listen to the message voters sent to his government.

We knew when we started this campaign, that it was going to be a challenging campaign. Recent history has not been kind to incumbent majority governing parties in this nation or around the world, he said. But we also believed that we had a message and we had a record that we could be proud of.

Smaller parties ebb, but vote-splitting still in play

None of the province's smaller parties — the Saskatchewan United Party (SUP), Buffalo Party, Progressive Conservatives, Saskatchewan Progress Party or Greens — were projected to win or even nab a second-place finish in any riding, but the SUP still appears to have played a small role.

Moe's concerns about vote-splitting by the Sask. United may come true and cost Tell her Regina Wascana Plains seat. The NDP is currently projected to win with 47.1 per cent of the vote, while the Sask Party's Tell has 43.2 per cent and the Sask. United has 4.5 per cent.

However, Sask. United's overall vote share is very small compared to the Sask Party's 53 per cent and the NDP's 39.4 per cent popular support. The SUP nabbed four per cent of the popular vote, while the remaining parties grabbed a combined 3.7 per cent.

(new window) · CBC News

A humble city in Saskatchewan appears to be consuming more methamphetamine than anywhere else in Canada, based on recent Statistics Canada data.

Between March 2022 and May 2023, the City of Prince Albert had more traces of meth per capita in its wastewater than any other city — by a wide margin — according to the interactive Statistics Canada dataset released last month.

Researchers found between 925 and 2,406 milligrams of meth per thousand people per day in Prince Albert’s sewage. The next highest levels were found in Saskatoon, ranging from 586 to 1,147 milligrams of meth per one thousand people per day, with those tests running from August 2022 to November 2023.

The project, called “Levels of Drugs in the Wastewater of Canadian Cities,” tested the effluent in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Edmonton, and Metro Vancouver for traces of 10 different drugs between 2022 and 2023.

The federal agency says the wastewater samples were collected from water flowing into wastewater treatment plants for seven consecutive days during the second week of every month. Health Canada then analyzed the samples at a Toronto-based laboratory.

The amount of meth found in Prince Albert’s sewers was approximately triple the national average, with cities like Halifax, Montreal, and Toronto reporting the lowest levels, followed by Vancouver then Edmonton. According to Statistics Canada, the City of Prince Albert paused its wastewater collection after May 2023.

“Drug use in Canada has become a significant public health concern, with opioid use, addiction, and resulting deaths standing out as particularly pressing issues,” Statistics Canada said in a news release.

“In the context of the ongoing opioid crisis in many parts of Canada, wastewater data can provide information to contribute to a better understanding of current drug use and emerging trends.”

The agency also tested for traces of fentanyl — a major factor in the overdose crisis felt across the country.

Levels of norfentanyl — a metabolite of the powerful opioid fentanyl — were found to be highest in Metro Vancouver. According to Statistics Canada, norfentanyl levels in Vancouver’s sewers were four to five times higher compared to all participating cities throughout 2022 and 2023.

Toronto and Edmonton had the next highest levels over that period, while Halifax, Montreal, and Saskatoon reported very low levels of norfentanyl in 2023.

“For Saskatoon, this represents a notable decrease compared with 2022, when levels were more like those seen in Edmonton and Toronto.”

Statistics Canada cautions some differences in the drug loads measured between cities can be influenced by factors like the size and configuration of the sewer system, biological conditions in the sewers, leaks, or chemicals introduced from commercial and industrial activities.

“As such, these results should be interpreted with caution.”