A booming residential sector drives construction growth in Saskatchewan to 2035, as major non-residential project activity fluctuates

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Postmedia has not reviewed the content. by GlobeNewswire A booming residential sector drives construction growth in Saskatchewan to 2035, as major non-residential project activity fluctuatesAuthor of the article: You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.OTTAWA, Ontario, July 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountConstruction activity in Saskatchewan is expected to rise through to 2035, with strong growth in the residential sector propelling demand.BuildForce Canada today released its Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward highlight reports for the residential and non-residential construction sectors in Saskatchewan, covering the forecast period from 2026 to 2035. Funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program, the outlook calls for relatively muted growth in the construction of non-residential buildings, with fluctuations tied to the timing of major projects, and strong increases in activity relating to both new-housing construction and residential renovations.Non-residential construction investment is expected to remain relatively stable across the forecast period. In the near term, elevated levels of investment in engineering construction are sustained by ongoing work on resource and utilities projects, including the BHP Jansen Potash mine, the Foran-McIlvenna Bay mine, and the Aspen Power Station, along with the anticipated start of the Denison Mines Wheeler River uranium project. The start of work on the second phase of the Jansen Potash mine supports elevated levels of activity through to 2031.Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againInvestment in ICI buildings construction, meanwhile, is expected to contract modestly over the forecast period. In the short term, activity is supported by a large volume of healthcare and education projects, including the Prince Albert Victoria Hospital development and the Saskatchewan Polytechnic Saskatoon campus renewal, along with industrial projects such as the Red Leaf Pulp facility. As these projects move through peak construction phases or conclude, activity is supported by industrial construction related to resource development.By 2035, non-residential construction employment is expected to ebb and flow in line with project timing, and remain almost unchanged from the highs recorded in 2025.“Activity levels in Saskatchewan’s non-residential construction sector are being shaped by the timing of several major resource and infrastructure projects,” says Irwin Bess, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “If a number of proposed projects currently under consideration, including the Bell Canada AI Data Centre, the K+S Potash Canada expansion, and several small modular reactors, reach final investment decisions, non-residential labour demand could rise significantly over the long term.”Residential construction investment, meanwhile, is expected to trend strongly upward across the forecast period, driven by growth in new-home construction activity and supported by rising renovation demand. Anticipated interest rate stability and strong real income gains are expected to elevate starts for single-detached units to the end of the decade, with levels nearly doubling over this period between 2025 and 2035. Demand for multi-unit construction is expected to stabilize after near-term declines, supported in part by policy measures aimed at encouraging rental housing construction.This advertisement has not loaded yet.This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Investment in residential renovations is also expected to increase steadily over the forecast period, supported by stable borrowing costs, economic growth, and government initiatives aimed at expanding affordable housing.By 2035, residential construction employment is expected to rise by 23% compared to 2025 levels.With growth forecast for both the residential and non-residential sectors across the forecast period, Saskatchewan’s construction labour force may need to add as many as 4,100 new workers to keep pace with demand growth. That figure can be added to the 9,400 workers who are expected to exit the industry due to retirement by 2035, giving a total hiring requirement of 13,500 workers. The projected recruitment of 9,900 first-time new entrants from the local population may lead to a shortfall of as many as 3,600 construction workers in the province.(Note that discrete analyses of the residential and non-residential labour force trends are available in their respective reports.)“Saskatchewan is among the few provinces in the country that is projected to see overall construction growth to 2035 driven by the residential sector,” says Warren Douglas, Executive Director of the Construction Labour Relations Association of Saskatchewan Inc. “With the potential for several major non-residential projects to also come onstream in the next 10 years, our industry must remain diligent in attracting, training, and retaining a strong and diverse pool of talented workers.”Keeping pace with demand will require a combination of strategies, including maintaining local recruitment and training efforts, particularly among groups traditionally under-represented in the construction labour force, the hiring of workers from other industries with the required skill sets, and the recruitment of immigrants to Canada with skilled trades training or construction experience.New apprenticeship registrations in Saskatchewan’s largest construction trades program reached their highest levels in 10 years in 2013, with that elevated level sustained in 2024. Growth was greatest in the construction electrician and plumber programs. Completions, however, declined in 2024 and remain well below pre-pandemic levels.“Increased apprenticeship registration levels are certainly an encouraging sign,” says Jeff Sweet, Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Building Trades. “And while we expect to see completion rates rise as these new registrants finish their training, there is always more our industry can do to bring in new talent and to incentivize program completions.”In 2025, there were approximately 5,600 women employed in Saskatchewan’s construction industry. Of them, 43% worked on site, directly on construction projects. As a share of the 39,500 tradespeople employed in Saskatchewan’s construction industry, however, women made up 6%.The Indigenous population is the fastest growing population in Canada and therefore presents recruitment opportunities. In 2025, Indigenous Peoples represented 11.5% of Saskatchewan’s total labour force and 13.1% of its construction labour force. Both figures have increased since 2016, and are significantly higher than the national share. As the Indigenous population continues to grow, the sector must continue its recruitment efforts and invest in initiatives that foster long-term retention.The construction industry is also committed to the recruitment of newcomers to Canada. Based on historical settlement patterns and adjusted federal immigration targets, the province is expected to welcome more than 143,600 new immigrants between 2026 and 2035, making these individuals, if successfully recruited, a key and growing part of the industry’s future labour force.Increasing the participation rate of women, Indigenous Peoples, and new Canadians could help Saskatchewan’s construction industry address its future labour force needs.BuildForce Canada is a national industry-led organization that represents all sectors of Canada’s construction industry. Its mandate is to support the labour market development needs of the construction and maintenance industry. As part of these activities, BuildForce works with key industry stakeholders, including contractors, proponents of construction, labour providers, governments, and training providers, to identify both demand and supply trends that will impact labour force capacity in the sector, and supports the career searches of job seekers wanting to work in the industry. BuildForce also leads programs and initiatives that support workforce upskilling, workforce productivity improvements, improvements to training modalities, human resource tools to support the adoption of industry best practices, as well as other value-added initiatives focused on supporting the industry’s labour force development needs. Visit www.buildforce.ca.For further information, contact James Raiswell, Director of Communications, BuildForce Canada, at raiswell@buildforce.ca or 343-998-1674.This report was produced with the support and input of a variety of provincial construction and maintenance industry stakeholders. For local industry reaction to this latest BuildForce Canada report, please contact:Warren Douglas Executive Director Construction Labour Relations Association of Saskatchewan Inc. 306-352-7909Paul de Jong President Progressive Contractors Association of Canada 403-620-3781Dennis Perrin Prairies Director CLAC 587-785-1836Jeff Sweet Executive DirectorSaskatchewan Building Trades306-527-3030Notice for the Postmedia NetworkThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.