The 1980’s brought in some of the worst economic times Saskatchewan had ever had. It was a time of many systemic changes, political uncertainties, and economic hardships, both at local and international levels. The collapse of the Soviet Union, political unrest in the middle-east, the crash of oil prices, and the devastation of agriculture brought on by drought and infestations. Despite these challenges, the Grant Devine government forged ahead with plans to diversify the Saskatchewan economy, resulting in Saskatchewanians receiving an enormous return on investment. This is the first paper in the Balancing Elephants series. The paper examines and reviews the returns on investment received by Saskatchewanians from decisions made by the Grant Devine government.