NDP questions Sask. Party’s role in tire contract given to American company [Video]

The provincial NDP is raising questions about the Sask. Party’s involvement with a U.S. rubber recycling company gaining a contract held by a Saskatchewan business.

Shercom Industries, a Saskatchewan business that used to handle tire recycling in the province, shut down part of its operations in May 2023 after losing a significant share of the province’s tire recycling contract to American-based Crumb Rubber Manufacturers (CRM) Tire Processing. This led to dozens of layoffs.

After negotiations fell through with the Tire Stewardship of Saskatchewan (TSS), the provincial regulator that manages tire recycling, Shercom lost its exclusive contract in November 2023, and the company shut down its processing facility.

On Tuesday, the provincial NDP released documents showing that former Sask. Party Finance Minster Kevin Doherty was hired as a lobbyist by CRM, which was awarded the contract previously held by Shercom months later.

“Handing this contract to an American company when a Saskatchewan company was already doing the work, well Mr. Speaker, it raises a lot of eyebrows,” …