Business Briefs: Premier among leaders to attend ‘state of the region’ address in Brooks
By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on December 8, 2023.
https://www.medicinehatnews.com@MedicineHatNews Political leaders in the Brooks area, including MLA and Premier Danielle Smith, will present on the “state of the region” in an economic development event in that city in early January. The event is sponsored by the “Brooks Newell Region” – the joint economic development office of the city and county located west of Cypress County. Newell Reeve Arno Doerkson and Brooks Mayor John Petrie will also discuss “their expectations and plans for the economy in 2024.” Registration is required for the breakfast event that begins at 8 a.m. at the Heritage Inn in Brooks on Jan. 4. Beet crop The sugar beet harvest contracted by the Roger’s Sugar plant in Taber will produce between 105,000 and 110,000 tonnes of sugar, the facility’s owner, Lantic, stated Nov. 30. That met expectations of harvest that concluded in early November without major disruption, according to financial results for the quarter. The slicing campaign is expected to conclude as usual in February, and some production has already been used to fill orders affected by a strike at the Lantic refinery in Vancouver. That facility represents about 17 per cent of the company’s processing capacity. Overall, Lantic’s consolidated earnings rose by 8 per cent to $111 million in the quarter compared to the same period in 2022. Big sale drives Sask. drilling auction Land sales for oil and gas exploration in Saskatchewan are up in 2023, according to the Ministry of Energy and Resources. The Dec. 7 offering of rights at auction raised $17.2 million in revenue, bringing the annual total to $65.4 million with one sale remaining in the fiscal year. A total of $46.1 million was collected from sales of drilling rights in 2022-23. The recent auction also saw a single 1,300-hectare block near Estevan go for a total of $10.1 million, with the high bonus and per hectare bid ($7,777) secured by third-party bidder Millenium Land Services. The Dec. 7 total in the Lloydminster area was $3.6 million for a total of 13 leases and three licences. Three leases and one licence in the Kindersley region went for a total of $2.4 million. 16-15
