Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) and SaskTel are exploring the possibility of combining their respective head offices in Regina. In a news release issued Monday morning, the two Crown corporations announced the collaboration to “address the aging head office buildings of both organizations.” The proposal would see the two Crowns operate out of SaskTel’s head office at 2121 Saskatchewan Drive. Both buildings are approaching the 50-year mark as the Crowns consider their long-term facility needs. A shared facility emerged as the leading option, as it would utilize an existing crown property and maintain a “strong employment presence” in downtown Regina, according to the announcement. SGI President and CEO Kent Campbell said both organizations will engage with experts, complete assessments and identify costs. “This will help both of our organizations confirm whether collaboration continues to represent the strongest long-term option,” Campbell said. SaskTel President and CEO Charlene Gavel noted the similar challenges both Crown corporations face. “Our focus over the coming months will be on validating this opportunity and ensuring any recommendation we bring forward is supported by thorough analysis and due diligence,” Gavel wrote. Crown Investments Corporation Minister Jeremy Harrison told reporters Monday, that SaskTel’s head offices have ample room for the extra personnel. “It’s a very large building. It’s 411,000 square feet, I think,” Harrison noted. “There used to be a lot of operators and things that you would need to actually make the telephone system work, so the building was built for a different scale of footprint for SaskTel at that point. There is space in the building that would accommodate head office workers from SGI.” SGI’s head office, located at 2260 11th Avenue in the CM Fines Building, officially opened its doors on June 14, 1979. According to the Crown, the tower’s distinct gold highlights comes from gold dust on its windows, which was done to conserve energy. SaskTel’s head office was constructed in 1981. Layoffs, privatization among NDP worries During question period, Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck demanded the government guarantee no downsizing or layoffs would occur as a result of the move. In response, Harrison highlighted the various issues with SGI headquarters, including decades-long problems with the building’s curtain wall design and a flood causing “significant” damage earlier this year. He ended by characterizing the move as proactive planning for the future. “The SGI building … has challenges and we are looking to make sure that our Crowns are healthy, strong going forward, that our workforce is downtown at work, and we’re looking at this option as being the best one to move forward with,” he said. NDP MLA Aleana Young told reporters her party is already hearing worries from residents. “Concerns about job losses, for which we heard no guarantee in the house,” she said. “Concerns about selloffs and privatization, again, which we heard no guarantees of in the house.” Young also said there is much concern around the potential effects on Regina’s downtown core – if the move leads to any job losses. “For businesses in Regina, especially in the downtown, this is going to be a gut punch,” she said. “Employees at SaskTel and SGI are worried about what this means for their jobs, what this means for their futures, and what this means for the customers of Saskatchewan who rely on our Crowns.” According to the latest publicly available annual reports, SGI and SaskTel employ 2,500 and 3,242 workers, respectively.
