The effects of inflation are being seen across the country, whether at the grocery store, the pump or the construction industry.

According to Statistics Canada, building construction costs rose by 22 per cent year over year in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Rising inflation coupled with high gas prices have construction industry leaders voicing their concerns.

With the summer construction season right around the corner, the Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association is calling for government relief, saying contracts signed in the fall don’t represent the reality of today.

“There’s an extra cost now, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars that would not have been budgeted during the contract’s inception. We haven’t seen price increases like this in the last 20 years and we don’t forecast any improvement until the fall,” said SHCA president, Shantel Lipp.

During question period Wednesday, NDP critic Trent Wotherspoon pushed the highways minister to provide some form of respite to the industry with the busy season on the horizon.

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