2025 December

Municipalities are required to annually submit an online Declaration of Eligibility (declaration) to confirm their compliance with eligibility requirements to receive their Municipal Revenue Sharing (MRS) grant. The unique link and password for the online declaration of eligibility for the 2026-27 MRS grant was emailed to each municipality on November 14, 2025. If you did not receive the email, please check your spam or junk folder. If the email is not in your spam or junk folder, contact grcompliance@gov.sk.ca and ask for the email to be resent.

To receive your MRS grant for 2026-27, make sure your municipality submits its declaration with a resolution from council and that your municipality meets all eligibility requirements.

The required council resolution confirming the responses in the declaration should be included on the November, December or January council meeting agenda. A sample resolution can be found in the Declaration of Eligibility Guide.

The eligibility requirements are the following legislated responsibilities:

• Submission of the annual Audited Financial Statement;
• Submission of the Public Reporting on Municipal Waterworks, if applicable;
• Be in good standing with Education Property Tax;
• Council Procedure Bylaw has been adopted by council;
• Employee Code of Conduct has been adopted by council; and
• Public Disclosure Statements have been filed and annually updated by council members.

Please see this snapshot view of the declaration process and the eligibility requirements.

The declaration must be submitted by January 31, 2026. Please make sure it is submitted by the deadline, even if your municipality does not meet all eligibility requirements.

Saskatchewan adopts the National Building Code of Canada (NBC) as the minimum standard for the construction, renovation and repair of safe, healthy, habitable buildings. The NBC sets clear rules for how homes, schools, offices and other buildings should be designed and constructed so they don’t collapse, catch fire easily or create health problems. It also makes sure buildings are accessible to people with disabilities. By adopting the NBC, Saskatchewan sets one standard for citizens, industry and municipalities.

The framework for applying the NBC in Saskatchewan is founded on five principles from The Construction Codes Act.

• The building owner is responsible for compliance.
• Municipalities are responsible for administration and enforcement.
• The provincial government is responsible for the legislative, regulatory and policy framework.
• Building officials work for the municipality.
• Architects, engineers, designers, contractors and tradespersons work for the owner.

For more information on the application of the NBC in Saskatchewan, please visit www.saskatchewan.ca/btstandards.

As Canada marks 10 years since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released its Final Report and 94 Calls to Action, the Government of Saskatchewan is sharing a cross-government publication, “Dayagen Togada Mani: 10 Years of Action Supporting Truth and Reconciliation in Saskatchewan.” The document highlights the work of ministries, Crown corporations and agencies responding to the Calls to Action and advancing reconciliation in partnership with First Nations and Métis communities.

Dayagen Togada Mani provides an overview of provincial progress on the Calls to Action. It brings together examples of work from across government including initiatives in education, health, justice, economic development, cultural recognition and community partnerships.

In presenting this 10-year review of highlighted actions, the Government of Saskatchewan reaffirms its commitment to reconciliation as a shared and ongoing responsibility in collaboration with First Nations and Métis people and all Saskatchewan residents. Dayagen Togada Mani is intended to inform, support and encourage continued action on the path of truth and reconciliation. The document was posted on December 15, 2025, and can be found on saskatchewan.ca.

As the new year approaches, administrators and staff are preparing year-end reports and initiating new year activities for their municipality.

For a list of key monthly tasks, legislative responsibilities and deadlines, please refer to:

• The Administrators’ Legislative and Operational Calendar
• The Northern Municipal Administrators’ Legislative and Operational Calendar

The Ministry of Highways announced winter weight season began Monday, December 8 in the northern region, which helps keep Saskatchewan's export-based economy moving.

Winter weights allow trucks to carry heavier loads on secondary highways, which maximizes the amount of goods that can be moved when starting their journeys in land-locked Saskatchewan to destinations worldwide.

The ministry will continue monitoring conditions to determine when winter weights can start in the rest of Saskatchewan.

Winter weights mean the roadbed under the pavement is frozen enough to support heavier truck traffic without damaging the highway. The economy benefits because more cargo can be shipped on each truck, which is more efficient.

Commercial truckers and shippers are encouraged to check the status of winter weights on their routes regularly by reading the latest road restriction orders and related information at: saskatchewan.ca/truckingweights.

Technical and regulatory information is also available through the Ministry of Highways' Trucking Inquiry Line at 1-866-933-5290 or outside of Saskatchewan at 306-933-5290.

Rural municipalities can opt into the province's winter weights program. Those that do not opt in are responsible for their own roads and set their own weight limits.

The Government of Saskatchewan introduced road maintenance agreements (RMAs) to allow municipalities to cover any incremental cost above regular road maintenance costs due to increased pressures of heavy or bulk hauls. Regional rates are based on data from Ministry of Highways' Area Transportation Planning Committees (APTC). These rates are reviewed every two years and updated based on municipal transportation services expenditures in each APTC region as well as truck traffic, road damage and payload data from the Ministry of Highways.

In accordance with Section 12.1 of The Municipalities Regulations, the Ministry of Government Relations has updated the regional RMA rates. Please see the following table for the updated rates for 2026 and 2027.

Note: Rates are per tonne per kilometre.

Access the 2026-2027 Road Maintenance Agreement Regional Rates Map and more information on RMAs, including a template agreement.

If you have questions, please call 306-787-2653 or email property.tax@gov.sk.ca.

Municipalities can pass a bylaw to charge gravel crushers and extractors a gravel extraction licence fee. Formulas found in Section 8.1 of The Municipalities Regulations set out the maximum fee a municipality may establish. The formula is used to update the maximum fee every two years.

Effective January 1, 2026, the maximum gravel extraction rates for 2026 and 2027 are:

• $0.205 per cubic metre
• $0.156 per cubic yard
• $0.110 per tonne
• $0.102 per ton

The increase in the maximum fee is based on the annual percentage changes of the Saskatchewan “all-items” consumer price index (CPI) for 2026 and 2027. The increase in 2026 and 2027 maximum rates represents a CPI inflation rate of four per cent in 2023 and 1.4 per cent in 2024.

The rates are also available on the Roads and Streets Construction and Maintenance page.

Questions or comments can be directed to a municipal advisor by calling 306-787-2680.