Released on April 7, 1997
A sub-committee of the Northern Municipal Roundtable will meet laterthis month to complete implementation details for a three year, $8
million provincially-funded northern housing initiative to support
construction of privately owned homes as well as rental housing built
by private developers, non-profit and municipal groups. A federal-
provincial home repair program for northern commmunities has also been
extended for 1997-98.
Community infrastructure and municipal funding were also discussed at
the second Northern Municipal Roundtable held in Air Ronge on Friday.
The Roundtable process was initiated last year to bring provicial and
municipal leaders together to address northern issues.
Municipal Government Minister Carol Teichrob and Northern Affairs
Minister Keith Goulet met with mayors from across northern Saskatchewan
at the day-long meeting. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by
the Ministers and the three co-chairs of the 'New North' Saskatchewan
Association of Northern Communities to formally adopt the purpose and
protocols of the Roundtable meetings. The meetings will be held two or
three times each year, supported by working committees of provincial
and municipal representatives. Signing for the association were mayors
Ina Fietz Ray of Sandy Bay and Max Morin of Ile a la Crosse, together
with Councillor Joan MacDonald of Stony Rapids.
The provincial and municipal leaders agreed on a joint process for
allocating $4.5 million to northern communities in 1997-98 under the
Canada-Saskatchewan infrastructure works program. Water and sewer
installations, and subdivision development to accommodate new housing
were among northern priorities discussed for the program. The $4.5
million will be supplemented by $2 million for northern water and sewer
construction previously announced in the 1997-98 provincial budget.
Friday's meeting also established a joint committee to review future
operations of the Northern Revenue Sharing Trust Account (NRSTA) which
was the subject of a discussion paper outlined by the New North
association. The NRSTA provides operating and capital funding to
northern municipal governments.
The Roundtable meeting also heard presentations regarding commercial
fishing, trapping, a proposal to create a separate northern region for
provincial funding of culture and recreation, and a Northern Lights
School Division proposal for restructuring northern education.
"The Northern Municipal Roundtable represents a productive partnership
between northern municipalities and the provincial government,"
Teichrob said. "This on-going process allows us to work together in
improving the quality of life and the economy of northern
Saskatchewan."
"We are building on our first meeting held last year," Goulet said.
"The decisions made and committees established are examples of northern
Saskatchewan moving forward through co-operation between the two levels
of government."
-30-
For more information, contact:
Maureen Boyle Brian Cousins
Municipal Government Northern Affairs
Regina La Ronge
Phone: (306) 787-5959 Phone: (306) 425-7303
or (306) 425-4216