By Mario deSantis, April 5, 1999

Finally Premier Romanow was able to put Saskatchewan on the map of the world and show his vision of "...shining light to the world..."(1) Premier Romanow did not maintain his promises of a compassionate, progressive and democratic government, but a new Source of Light came to his rescue and save another electoral win: the Canadian Light Source synchrotron(2). This new technological research facility will be running at full capacity in year 2008 and its cost has been set at $173.5 million. When completed in 2003, the synchrotron will be about the size of the Colosseum in Rome and will employ about 200 technicians and scientists starting in the year 2008(3). The bigness and the long term effects of this project were put in a proper dimensional perspective by Saskatoon's mayor Henry Dayday "...It's one of the greatest things that's hit the city... it can't be measured... but it has tremendous impact..."(4) Russ Huebner, an expert in the commercial applications of researches undertaken at synchrotrons, observed that it may take over a decade to attract private-sector clients, but he also stated that synchrotrons "...have long lifetimes once they are up and running, between 30 and 50 years..."(5) Our political and business leaders expect great economic growth from the construction of the synchrotron, at least until year 2003.

Our Premier Roy Romanow was excited about the synchrotron landing in Saskatoon and confident of winning the next election expressed his feelings in this poetic form "...It's a source of light, not only in the practical sense, but a visionary light in a philosophical sense..."(6) Under the vision of our Premier, the landscaping of Saskatchewan will change for ever: after seeing so many cement elevators rising up to the sky throughout the countryside our expectations are finally getting lower and spreading out with the new Colosseum in Saskatoon. There is no doubt, Premier Romanow's vision of becoming the shining light to the world has finally materialized.

The Saskatoon's synchrotron will be the biggest scientific project ever built in Canada, in fact, as already mentioned, it will be about the size of the Colosseum in Rome. The high cost of this project, along with the related unknown operational expenses, will undoubtedly divert the provincial resources needed to support our educational system. The landing of the synchrotron in Saskatoon comes at a time when our school boards have no money for providing our own students with textbooks(7), and when our universities are being underfunded(8). George Ivany, President of the University of Saskatchewan explains "...The Government has absolutely no understanding of the connection between a healthy university and these big successful economic projects..."(9) Further, commenting on the new opportunities opening up with the building of the synchrotron, Franco Berruti, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan, states "...We are extremely strapped for resources for setting out the critical core of our operation, forget about immediately jumping into new opportunities..."(10) One thought comes to my mind, is this synchrotron for the benefit of our children or for Premier Romanow?

Endnotes

1. NOTES FOR REMARKS by Premier Roy Romanow to the Annual Convention of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party, Saturday, Nov. 22, 1997 http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/saskndp/SPEECHES/convention_speech_97.html (as at April 2/99)

2. SYNCHROTRON GETS GREEN LIGHT: Field of beams, by Gerry Klein, The StarPhoenix, April 1, 1999, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

3. Lightsource accelerates city's economic prospects, by Joanne Paulson, The StarPhoenix, April 1, 1999, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

4. Lightsource accelerates city's economic prospects, by Joanne Paulson, The StarPhoenix, April 1, 1999, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

5. Business excited about project's possible economic spinoffs, by James Parker, The StarPhoenix, April 1, 1999, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

6. This time, Canada works the way it should, by Randy Burton, The StarPhoenix, April 1, 1999, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

7. My son Eric attends grade 12 at the local high school in Nipawin, Saskatchewan, and I came to know that many students don't have textbooks for different subjects including mathematics.

8. U of S feels budget squeeze, by Gerry Klein, The StarPhoenix, March 27, 1999, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

9. Some fear synchrotron project may drain university finances, by Kim McNairn, The StarPhoenix, April 1, 1999, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

10. Some fear synchrotron project may drain university finances, by Kim McNairn, The StarPhoenix, April 1, 1999, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.