Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities
Registration:
4
of
8
(2022-11-14
to
2023-07-31)
Grant, Contribution or Other Financial Benefit
- Rural Healthcare & Recruitment - funding for increase recruitment and retention of healthcare workers in remote rural areas of Saskatchewan
Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution
- Railway tax exemptions – CP Rail’s request for tax exemption will affect provincial budget and revenue sharing
- Saskatchewan Act – Section 24 of the Saskatchewan Act regarding the tax exemption to the Canadian Pacific Railway Company
Policies or Program
- Bill C-234 is calling for changes to the "Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act"
- Broadband – continue the investments in rural broadband and meet the CRTC’s targets of download speeds of 50 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of at least 10 Mbps
- Budget asks – SARM seeks to find ways to expand the rural workforce, explore ideas that foster innovation, be a catalyst for economic investments, and provide rural municipalities with the much-needed tools to ensure that Saskatchewan can continue to support Canada’s economic growth and development
- Carbon pricing – Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment is working on finalizing a provincial offset program & SARM has been working with the province to create an Offset program and make it meaningful for agricultural producers and one that is equivalent to a federal program
- Control of Richardson Ground Squirrels with regard to research and control methods, including the use of Strychnine
- Drought Impact - Business risk management tools will have to be maintained and possibly enhanced if drought conditions continue next year
- Fertilizer reduction – focus on an absolute emissions reduction, rather than an intensity-based target, is misplaced and will likely cause severe economic harm & more emissions can be reduced through increased uptake of the 4R Nutrient Stewardship program while improving the competitiveness and profit of farmers
- Food Security – Provide farm operations with the eligibility to apply for the 1A grant funding; incentivize employment and employee retention programs in rural areas of the country to aid in stabilizing labour supply; provide employment training opportunities to be held well in advance of busy times in the Ag industry; and ask that the federal government evaluate its process and the requirements for newcomers to get proper permits to enter the Canadian workforce. Focus on efficiency and reduce barriers so employers can access readily available employees
- Natural Disasters (BC Flooding) – amplifying issues surrounding Canada’s supply chain network and the need for a wider lens when monitoring these situations as they relate to all areas of each Province
- Port of Vancouver grain loading issues, Railway/supply chain concerns especially around being able to move the crop from 2022 harvest to ports
- RCMP costs - Unionization-related costs coupled with rising policing costs overall could result in significant financial burdens for municipalities
- Rural Broadband – The Rural Broadband Action Committee is moving forward with bringing entities together that will help bring affordable, reliable broadband connectivity to rural Saskatchewan
- rural crime in regard to the potential need for provincial police force
Regulation
- Emissions regulations – industries are heavily dependent on fossil fuels to produce energy, food, fertilizer, products and commodities needed around the world. Efforts to reduce greenhouse gases should not disadvantage one region of Canada more than another