Crown Corporations in Saskatchewan
by Boris W. Kishchuk
Published by Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing
Review by Keith Foster
$19.95 ISBN 978-1-894431-95-8

Few issues in Saskatchewan stir up as much controversy as Crown corporations. One need look no further than recent provincial elections. But Saskatoon author Boris Kishchuk deliberately steers clear of politics in his book, Crown Corporations of Saskatchewan. Instead, he focuses on their history and evolution.

Kischuck divides Crown corporations into three categories: for job and wealth creation; for investment and financial services; and to provide services to the people of the province.

Crown corporations have a long history in Saskatchewan. The Territorial government created the first Crown in 1901, selling hail insurance to farmers, before Saskatchewan even became a province.

Some Crowns may not exactly be household names – like Saskatchewan Government Airways, Saskatchewan First Call Corporation, and Saskatchewan Box Factory Ltd. – but they nevertheless played an important part in the province’s history.

Crown corporations sometimes invested in private enterprise, some with unusual names such as Hollywood at Home, Inc. and Clothing for Modern Times, Inc.

Kishckuk brings his personal knowledge to the subject. He served as chair of the Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel for five years. The book contains a bibliography, index, endnotes, and 20 tables of data. A bonus is that each chapter begins with a quote from Yogi Berra, a former player and manager of the New York Yankees. He was known for his unique quips such as “If you don’t know where you’re going, you will wind up someplace else.”

Kishckuk’s goal is clear. By concentrating on the history and evolution of Saskatchewan’s Crowns, while steering clear of the political ramifications, he hopes to provide a better understanding of them as they exist today.

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM