2024 June

The Ministry of Government Relations, in consultation with the municipal associations (Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association, Urban Municipal Administrators Association of Saskatchewan and Rural Municipal Administrators’ Association), developed the following resources geared toward citizens who are thinking about running for municipal council:

• Guide – Consider Running for Municipal Council – A citizen’s guide for candidacy in municipal elections.
• Consider Running for Council Video Series – Four pre-recorded videos that break down the guide content into shorter video clips by topic.
  1. Democratic Governance, Purpose of a Municipality and the Role of Council
  2. Learn more about your Municipality, Considerations before Running for Council, Time Commitment and Responsibilities
  3. Key Standards and Values and Responsible Conduct of Council Members
  4. How to Run for Council, Campaigning and Key Documents after Being Elected
• Poster – A poster that contains a QR code that the public can use to go to saskatchewan.ca where the new resources are located.

Municipalities are encouraged to communicate the availability of these resources to the public, such as:

• Displaying the poster in the municipal office and/or public spaces frequented by your citizens;
• Print some copies of the poster and/or guide to have available in the office;
• Include the poster on the municipality’s website; and
• Include in upcoming mailouts of the municipality.

The Ministry of Highways asks rural municipal administrators to inform residents that hay along provincial highway ditches is being provided to producers for salvage at no cost. Key dates are shown below:

• Until July 8: Hay Salvage
  Now until July 8, a landowner or lessee nearest to a highway ditch has the first option to cut or bale hay unless the mowing contractor has begun salvage. Participants must:
  • Cut hay at a uniform height in ditches;
  • Place bales at least eight metres away from the highway shoulder; and
  • Remove bales by August 8.
  The ministry may also remove and dispose of hay bales in locations deemed unsafe for motorists. Participants can contact their local Ministry of Highways Office to provide contact information and where they are salvaging hay to avoid potential disputes.

• Until July 15: Early Ditch Mowing (weather dependent)
  The Ministry of Highways is working on its annual early mowing program until July 15. Contractors mow a four-metre shoulder cut adjacent to the road along Highways 1, 7, 11, 16 and 39, as well as portions of Highways 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10. Some highway intersections, interchanges, railway crossings and tourism facilities may receive a full ditch cut to ensure good sightlines.

• July 9 to August 8: Hay Salvage
  Anyone can cut and bale hay without permission from the adjacent landowner or lessee, as long as no salvage operations have already begun. Bales must be removed by August 8.

• July 15 to October 15: Regular Ditch Mowing (weather dependent)
  Contractors begin mowing the width of ditches along all four-lane highways. Heavily travelled two-lane highways will receive a 12-metre cut. Secondary highways will receive an eight-metre cut. All other highways get a four-metre cut adjacent to the highway shoulder as required to ensure visibility and weed control.

• August 8: Bale Removal
  Participants must remove bales by this date, otherwise they may be subject to removal and disposal by the Ministry of Highways. As well, bales must be removed immediately following haying operations after August 8. Ministry staff may either make a courtesy call to participants or place orange flags in bales that have exceeded the specified removal period. Flags are marked with a removal date that allows participants one week to remove bales, if public safety is not at risk.

Participants not adhering to the requirements may become ineligible to hay on the highway right-of-way.

For more information, visit the Ministry of Highways' Ditch Mowing and Hay Salvage page.

The Ministry of Education, Early Years Branch, invites you to participate in a live one-hour webinar on Municipal Involvement in Regulated Child Care.

The webinar is intended for municipalities to learn about regulated child care in Saskatchewan and gain an understanding of the role municipalities can play.

To accommodate schedules and support your participation, the live webinar will be delivered twice:

• Thursday, July 18 at 1:30 p.m.
• Thursday, August 15 at 9 a.m.

Please register online by visiting Municipal Involvement in Regulated Child Care prior to July 15. There is no cost to participate.

Participation capacity will be limited to 25 participants per session. A meeting link will be sent upon registration.

To learn more about how your municipality can support child care development, visit Start a Regulated Child Care Centre.

Your 2023 financial statements are due to the Ministry of Government Relations by July 1, 2024 (September 1, 2024, if a city).

If your municipality anticipates it will need more time to submit its 2023 financial statement, your council may pass an extension of time bylaw for financial statements.

That bylaw:

• Must be passed within 30 days after the time fixed according to provincially legislated deadline has expired – no later than July 31, 2024 (October 1, 2024, if a city).
• It may extend the time specified by provincial legislation by no more than 90 days – no later than September 29, 2024 (November 30, 2024, if a city).

A certified copy of the bylaw, the reason for submitting a late financial statement, and the expected date the financial statement will be submitted to the ministry, should be emailed to financialstatements@gov.sk.ca. That email address can also be used to ask for more information.

The submission of financial statements to the ministry is required by provincial legislation and used as a qualifying factor for funding, including the Municipal Revenue Sharing and the Canada Community-Building Fund programs.

Illegal dumping is more than just an eyesore – it’s a serious threat to our environment, wildlife and communities.

To help raise public awareness, the Ministry of Environment launched an educational campaign to reduce the number of illegal dump sites in the province, focusing on northern areas that experience a disproportionate amount of illegal dumping.

This summer, encourage your community residents to:

• Dispose responsibly
  Use designated waste disposal sites and recycling facilities. See the province's list of waste recycling programs for the products your community will most likely start collecting. For additional recycling options, visit the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council's website.
• Don't burn waste
  Burning plastic releases chemicals into the air we all breathe, causing long-term health problems.
• Spread the word
  Educate others about the impact of illegal dumping on our environment. Display the illegal dumping prevention poster from saskatchewan.ca in high-traffic spots in your community.

We are all stewards of the land and have a responsibility to protect it.

Visit saskatchewan.ca/illegal-dumping for more information.

Is there an abandoned impacted site (such as a former gas station or laundromat) in your community? Apply to the Impacted Sites Fund for funding towards assessment and clean up!

The Impacted Sites Fund is designed to address contaminated areas that have been left abandoned and pose a risk to the environment. The fund is available to municipalities to assess and remediate impacted sites acquired through tax arrears.

With this funding, you can contribute to a cleaner environment, enhance public safety and create economic and social development opportunities in your community. Read about the Town of Shaunavon – the first successful applicant for funding. In the summer of 2023, the town received an additional $35,174 to fully characterize the impacts at the site.

For More Information and to Apply

Visit the Ministry of Environment’s Impacted Sites Fund page for additional details and guidance documents about the fund and application process. You can submit your application using the ministry’s online portal.