Paul Martin believes we're on the cusp of seeing real economic growth in the Moose Jaw area.
The Golden West business commentator was recently in China, where he says changes in purchasing power among their residents will create a need for the Asian country to import goods.
"If China were to become as much of a consumer economy (as North America), they would need ten times as many factories to meet that demand," said Martin. "They're not going to do that. They're going to have to count on other countries to be suppliers as they go from an export-based economy to an import-based economy."
Martin suggests that means greater activity in the Moose Jaw-Regina industrial corridor, which contains the Global Transportation Hub west of the Queen City.
"I spent a day in Shanghai in their free trade zone, and it's about the same size as Regina and Saskatoon," Martin explained. "There's about 30,000 businesses in it, and it's an import/export emporium. There are tons of businesses importing and exporting and they have their eye on Saskatchewan because we have a foreign trade zone in the Global Transportation Hub. They see that as a direct opportunity." 
Martin says it's as simple as the old axiom regarding the three most important things in real estate: location, location, location.
"(The GTH) is a landing pad for all of North America," he continued. "You've got the Trans Canada highway, the CP main line, CN access, then you add to it the main electrical system that runs from Estevan through to Saskatoon, so big power generation. We have the big gas pipeline that is feeding Yara - the largest gas consumer in the province - so big infrastructure there. And then you've got water with Buffalo Pound.
"I think you're seeing the very formative stages, where Regina and Moose Jaw could become a central distribution hub in North America," he surmised, saying we have a "competitive advantage."
Sat, May 4, 8:30 AM
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