Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall has sent letters to many Alberta-based businesses, inviting them to take advantage of his province’s tax incentives.
The move is the latest volley in the battle between Wall and Premier Rachel Notley, who began trading barbs after both provinces’ budgets were released earlier this month.
Now, Wall contends that the corporate tax incentives in Saskatchewan are better than they are in Alberta, with him going so far as calling it ‘the Saskatchewan Advantage’.
Whitecap Resources is one of the companies that received a letter from Wall, offering to subsidize relocation costs, trim taxes and royalties and help find space in unused government buildings if the oil and gas firm moves to Saskatchewan.
Grant Fagerheim, CEO of Whitecap Resources, says he is taking Wall’s offer seriously but would only move if it benefited his company’s shareholders.
"It's a very pleasant offer from Premier Brad Wall but we have to look at that in much more detail. When we're working for shareholders, we have to consider all of our costs and everything that goes alongside that, (including) logistics," he said.
Whitecap produces about 50 percent of its oil and gas in Alberta, 40 percent in Saskatchewan and the remainder in B.C.
Premier Notley hasn’t commented on the letters yet, but Economic Development Minister Deron Bilous says Alberta is still the cheapest place for businesses to work.
(With files from the Canadian Press)
