January 2025

Last year, The Cities Act, The Municipalities Act and The Northern Municipalities Act, 2010, with their associated regulations, received amendments. Some of the legislative changes came into effect at the time of passing while others came into effect January 1, 2025, that include (but are not limited to):

• Consolidation of assessment appeals;
• Filing of notice of appeal;
• Agreements to adjust assessment; and
• Extension of time to complete board of revision activities.

To view a summary of these and other legislative changes coming into force, check out the following information bulletins available for download from saskatchewan.ca.

• Information Bulletin: Amendments to The Cities Act and Regulations (Bill 153)
• Information Bulletin: Amendments to The Municipalities Act and Regulations (Bill 153)
• Information Bulletin: Amendments to The Northern Municipalities Act, 2010 and Regulations (Bill 153)

It is important to ensure you have the most recent legislation. Download copies of the updated versions of the consolidated acts and regulations from the Publications Centre. The updated Acts will be available after January 1, 2025.

For additional questions, please contact a municipal advisor at 306-787-2680 or by email at advisoryservices@gov.sk.ca.

The deadline for submission of the online Declaration of Eligibility is January 31, 2025.

To avoid your municipality's Municipal Revenue Sharing (MRS) grant for 2025-26 from being withheld, ensure your municipality submits its online Declaration of Eligibility and that your municipality meets all eligibility requirements. Please refer to the Declaration of Eligibility Guide, Infographic or the Declaration of Eligibility Webinar for additional information on the declaration process and the eligibility requirements.

The unique link and password for the online MRS grant Declaration of Eligibility was emailed to each municipality on November 15, 2024. If you did not receive the email, please email grcompliance@gov.sk.ca requesting the email to be re-sent.

A completed declaration requires a resolution from council confirming the eligibility requirements the municipality meets. The ministry does not require a certified copy of the resolution unless the municipality was selected for audit. Administrators who have not yet submitted the online declaration, ensure the Declaration of Eligibility is on the January council meeting agenda for a resolution from council.

Government Relations would like to thank everyone who took the time to read issue papers and complete surveys during the public engagement phase for the municipal acts in November/December. Watch for a final report with survey results to be posted on saskatchewan.ca.

In December, municipal associations received a summary of what the ministry has heard so far regarding the survey issues and includes other potential amendments for consideration. Stakeholder feedback, as well as the survey responses, will be submitted to decision makers as they consider whether amendments will be introduced in fall 2025. If that proposal is approved, consultations will continue during spring as the ministry works to draft and refine the amendments.

Please continue to work with your associations on providing input, or email Regs@gov.sk.ca to make a direct submission. Thank you for your interest and participation in improving municipal legislation and governance in Saskatchewan.

The Ministry of Education, Early Years Branch, is inviting 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 learn more about how your municipality can support child care development, visit Municipal Involvement in Regulated Child Care.

The webinar will be delivered on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, beginning at 11 a.m. The content of the webinar was previously delivered live in July and August 2024. If you participated in the previous webinar and would like a content refresher, you are welcome to attend.

Please register online by visiting Municipal Involvement in Regulated Child Care prior to January 16, 2025. There is no cost to participate.

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

Under the federally delivered program, the Canada Public Transit Fund, two streams were launched in December 2024.

Active Transportation Fund

The Active Transportation Fund supports the development and enhancement of active transportation networks to provide Canadians with the opportunity to safely and affordably reach destinations by active modes of transportation. A minimum of 10 per cent of the Active Transportation Fund’s funding will be allocated to projects that benefit Indigenous populations and communities. This funding will be provided to capital projects that involve new construction or enhancement of existing infrastructure that encourage travel by active methods including sidewalks, multi-use paths and bike lanes.

Applications are currently being accepted through Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada’s Applicant Portal until February 26, 2025 (7 p.m. EST), while applications from eligible Indigenous applicants will continue to be accepted until April 9, 2025 (7 p.m. EST). Applicants are encouraged to review information provided on the Active Transportation Fund website, Applicant Guide and Step-by-Step Guide prior to creating an application. More information can also be found on the Active Transportation Online Hub.

For additional support in completing an application, please contact the Active Transportation Fund team at ATF-FTA@infc.gc.ca.

Rural Transit Solutions Fund

The Rural Transit Solutions Fund (RTSF) supports the development and expansion of locally driven transit solutions by helping residents of rural, remote, Indigenous and Northern communities conduct their day-to-day activities like access services, go to work, school, medical appointments, and visit loved ones. A minimum of 10 per cent of the RTSF’s funding will be allocated to projects that benefit Indigenous populations and communities. The RTSF supports a range of public transit models including fixed-routes, on-demand transit and micromobility services such as e-bikes. The RTSF helps cover the cost of capital assets, which includes purchasing vehicles and supporting infrastructure (e.g. bus stops and charging stations) for a transit system.

Applications for the Capital Projects stream will be accepted through the Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada’s Applicant Portal. Applications will be accepted from all applicants until March 4, 2025 (3 p.m. EST), while applications from Indigenous recipients will be accepted until April 8, 2025 (3 p.m. EST). Before applying, applicants are encouraged to review the information in the Capital Projects Stream Application Guide and follow the Capital Projects Stream Step-by-Step Guide. The RTSF webpage includes all program information.

For any inquiries you may have about the RTSF or the application process, please contact RTSF‑FSTCR@infc.gc.ca or call toll free at 1-833-699-2280.

All municipalities are now able to phase-in significant tax shifts due to revaluation. Amendments to The Municipalities Act (MA) and The Northern Municipalities Act, 2010 (NMA) that were passed in spring 2024 came into force January 1, 2025. Previously, only cities had the ability to use tax phase-in plans.

A property tax phase-in plan may set a limit on the property tax changes resulting from a revaluation for any or all the three property classes, so that a property owner receives a more gradual property tax change. A plan may set dollar amounts or percentages of tax increases or decreases for each year of the plan and the plan may differ among the three property classes. The only restriction is that a tax phase-in plan cannot extend beyond the four-year revaluation period.

To view the wording of the provisions, see sections 3-27 and 4-16 of Bill 153 in the Publications Centre. Recent examples of the use of tax phase-in can be found on the websites for the cities of Yorkton, Saskatoon and Regina.

Government Relations has published new educational material intended to assist municipalities in managing development within their jurisdiction using the tools provided under The Planning and Development Act, 2007.

• Processing a Discretionary Use Guide and Webinar – This guide and webinar are intended to assist municipalities in processing discretionary use applications and cover items a council may consider when reviewing an application.
• Planning Fees Webinar – An overview of what fees can be charged under the Act, identifying items to consider when calculating, establishing, and applying these fees.
• Non-Conforming Uses, Buildings, and Sites Guide – This guide explains the implications of legal, non-conforming status under the Act.
• Municipalities and the Subdivision Process Guide and Webinar – An overview of the subdivision process and items a council may want to consider when reviewing a subdivision application.
• Intermunicipal Development Agreements Guide and Sample – This guide is intended to assist municipalities with creating and implementing an intermunicipal development agreement under the Act.
• Zoning Tools: Holding Provision – Outlines when a holding provision may be used, how it may be removed and an applicant’s right to appeal a council’s refusal to remove a holding provision.

If you have any questions about the above resources or land use planning in general, please contact the Community Planning branch at 306-787-2725, 306-933-6937 or communityplanning@gov.sk.ca.

The Targeted Sector Support (TSS) Initiative is a cost-shared grant program that uses a portion of Municipal Revenue Sharing ($1.5 million per fiscal year) to support municipalities partnering on projects that are intended to support more efficient and effective municipal service delivery, and enhanced governance and administrative capacity. The four funding streams are capacity building, regional cooperation and municipal corporate transition, relationship building and dispute resolution.

Successful projects can receive up to 75 per cent on eligible project costs to the maximum amount of $100,000. Project applicants and their partners are responsible for the remaining 25 per cent of the eligible costs.

The initiative is managed by the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) on behalf of the TSS Steering Committee that consists of SUMA, the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, the Saskatchewan Association of Northern Communities (New North) and Government Relations.

The TSS intake is now open and closes Wednesday, April 30, 2025.

Interested municipalities can learn more and apply by visiting the Targeted Sector Support Initiative page.