SABEX Remarks

Greetings Minister Morgan and dignitaries. To Jason and your great team at the Chamber, congratulations on organizing this event so we can gather in person. It is so great to begin to be back together in person.

A special welcome to all of the nominees for the SABEX awards tonight and your supporters. This night is about you.

As we gather here on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Metis, I am heartened to see that there are steps tonight that take us beyond the land recognition.

I have learned about the new award being introduced tonight.

Mistahi Mamîcîhîtowin – Great pride in you.

The Chamber of Commerce has taken this step of having a pipe ceremony and being gifted this name.

This is the work that goes beyond a land acknowledgement – relationship building, learning, exploring ways to foster new relationships, celebrating success.

Thank you to the Chamber for taking these steps and showing this important leadership.

Well my friends, we live in interesting times.

The Chamber was founded in 1903. 118 years of bringing business and community together.

Through previous pandemics, world wars, depressions, recessions, droughts. Massive city transformations.

Our city has been through a lot to get here.

Winter in 1906/07 was a rough year for our city. CN bought the CP rail line between Regina and Prince Albert but didn’t have enough rail cars to service it. Getting supplies into the city became difficult.

There were heavy snows, cold weather, and supplies for fuel, and food became short.

At one point there were plans made to cut all of the trees along the riverbank to provide badly needed fuel to heat houses.

Then on top of this, fires took out the offices of the local newspaper, and JF Cairns warehouse burned down.

The community rallied on all of these fronts and worked together, according to John Archer who wrote Historic Saskatoon (1882 – 1947).

“The willingness to aid friend or rival, plus a loyalty to local business firms and the drive to better the city in every way, crystallized into what has been called the “Saskatoon Spirit.” City of Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark

We will get through today’s challenging times.

We have all of the building blocks as a community to support tremendous growth and opportunity into the future.

These SABEX awards are coming as a booster to remind us of the talent and resilience that lies in our city. And special mention to the Raj Manek Foundation being installed in the Hall of Fame as a recognition of your extraordinary work for the past 25 years fostering mentorship and entrepreneurship in our city.

To all of the businesses and organizations who have been nominated and who will be recognized, congratulations.

Whether for entrepreneurship, or being a new business, supporting Saskatooning, or demonstrating COVID grit. The lineup is stellar.

Thanks to Jason, the Board and the Chamber team for all of your work bringing us together and the TCU staff for your hard work to make this happen and keep us all safe in the process.

Have an awesome night.