Question Period (3 November 2025)

From Hansard (3 November 2025)

To view this section on video, click here and start play at 2:33:05 PM.

Contract for Tire Recycling

Aleana Young: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. One year after this government led to the layoffs of 100 workers at Shercom Industries, the tires that that Saskatoon company once recycled are now piled up at a government facility so high that you can see them from space. Now, Mr. Speaker, whatever the Sask Party government was trying to do by giving this contract to an American company clearly failed.

Will the Environment minister immediately restore the province’s tire recycling contracts to Shercom, bring these jobs back to Saskatchewan, and clean up the massive tire pile north of Clavet?

Hon. Travis Keisig: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Tire Stewardship of Saskatchewan is an industry-led board. They are tasked with keeping tires out of the landfill. That is the original goal of the organization. And they are also tasked with the responsibility to ensure tires are recycled all across the province of Saskatchewan. These questions are best directed toward the Tire Stewardship of Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

 

Aleana Young: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It’s like I’ve heard these exact same talking points before. So, Mr. Speaker, as a reminder, TSS [Tire Stewardship of Saskatchewan] reports directly to the Environment ministry. The buck stops with that minister.

The terrible decision, Mr. Speaker, to push Shercom out of the tire recycling market was bad for jobs, bad for the environment, bad for our economy, bad for the future growth and prosperity of our communities. It seems like the only one who benefited was a company from Newport Beach, California.

Mr. Speaker, why is this tired and out-of-touch, 18-year-old Sask Party government sending good-paying Saskatchewan jobs to the USA [United States of America] at a time when Donald Trump is trying to crush our economy?

Hon. Travis Keisig: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Tire Stewardship of Saskatchewan is an independent, industry-based organization that manages tire recycling in the province of Saskatchewan. The government is not involved in program operations, including awarding contracts. We’ve expanded the board in June. They are in charge of seeing all tires recycled across the province of Saskatchewan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

Aleana Young: — Thank you. Mr. Speaker, Shercom Industries, again a Saskatchewan-based company, continues to produce value-added products for playground surfaces, hockey rink flooring, and more. But it’s at reduced capacity, Mr. Speaker, after being shut out of Saskatchewan’s tire recycling market, with imported crumb rubber from outside of this province. Meanwhile we have a tire mountain — again visible from space — north of Clavet. It makes no sense.

Mr. Speaker, a question directly to the minister: why won’t this government let Shercom recycle Saskatchewan tires?

Hon. Travis Keisig: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government of Saskatchewan does not award contracts. The Tire Stewardship of Saskatchewan awards contracts. It is up to them to decide who receives the contracts. They award the contracts. They are in charge of all the recycling of tires in the province of Saskatchewan. These questions are best directed toward them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---

Back to 2025/2026 Session