REGINA – This year’s Saskatchewan budget is sinking deeper into the red, mainly due to the cost of fighting the summer’s wildfires.
Finance Minister Jim Reiter, in a mid-term update on the budget, says the projected year-end deficit is expected to be $427 million.
It’s a major swing from when the budget was introduced in the spring.
At that time, Premier Scott Moe’s government was projecting a $12-million surplus, but in August the bottom line was revised to a $349-million deficit before sinking further in the latest update.
Along with forest fire costs, the province is spending more on health care.
Total exports have also fallen by $1.4 billion because of lower oil and gas prices.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2025.