Heritage Resources Screening
Industry clients, including developers and their agents, must obtain heritage approval under The Heritage Property Act for development and infrastructure projects located on privately-owned and provincial Crown lands.
New project proposals from a wide range of industry sectors that involve ground-disturbing activities must be screened to determine if operations may potentially alter, damage or destroy heritage resources. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Utility infrastructure (e.g., electrical, gas, telecommunications, water)
- Oil and gas, including exploration, extraction, transmission and reclamation
- Forestry (e.g., operating plan, fire control activity)
- Transportation infrastructure (e.g., highway, grid road, rail line, bridge)
- Aggregate activities, including exploration, extraction and reclamation
- Subdivisions
- Mining, including exploration, extraction and reclamation
- Agricultural activities (e.g., irrigation, intensive livestock operation, processing plant), but does not include continuing cultivation
- Recreational facilities (e.g., campground, marina)
- Waste, sewage and water facilities (e.g., lagoon, reservoir, landfill, treatment facility)
- Management planning (e.g., official community plan, conservation plan, neighbourhood concept plan)
See a full list of sectors that should be screened.
Heritage Resources Screening (HRS) is Saskatchewan's online regulatory system for industry clients to screen and submit proposed development projects for heritage review and approval.
1. Alerts and Notifications
February 2026: HRS launched on February 4, 2026, for industry clients and heritage professionals. All development proposals to be screened or submitted for heritage regulatory approval must use this system as of this date.
2. Screening a Development Proposal
Project footprints must be screened by clients in HRS to determine if the project locations are heritage sensitive.
Screening utilizes a geographic information system (GIS)-based viewer that depicts heritage sensitive and non-heritage sensitive land. Proposed project locations are drawn or imported into the viewer and a screening report is generated.
If the locations are on land that is not heritage sensitive, the project will be given heritage approval.
If the locations are on heritage sensitive land, then the project must be submitted for heritage review.
Heritage approvals are development project specific. They are not transferrable to other projects or activities on the same lands. Approvals are also location specific – any changes to the project footprint will invalidate a heritage approval based on the original footprint and a new heritage approval will need to be obtained for the revised footprint.
Note: Development projects on First Nations land, federal parks or other federal land must seek heritage approval from the appropriate federal authority.
3. Development Submission for Heritage Review
A heritage review is a detailed assessment of the potential impact on heritage resources by the proposed development project.
The review is conducted by either Heritage Conservation Branch staff or by an archaeological consultant selected by the industry client.
If a heritage review is required, an online submission form must be completed directly on the Heritage Resources Screening system.
The information required includes:
- Project description
- Construction method
- Current land condition (e.g., degree of disturbance)
- Land location(s)
- Project components (e.g., right-of-way, temporary workspace, access roads, etc.)
- Project plans such as survey plans, or a detailed map/sketch
If it is determined that there is a low potential of impact on heritage resources, then heritage approval will be provided.
If it is determined that there is a moderate to high potential of impact on heritage resources by the proposed development, then a Heritage Resource Impact Assessment (HRIA) will be required.
4. Completing a Heritage Resource Impact Assessment Requirement
When a Heritage Resource Impact Assessment (HRIA) is required for a development project, the following steps are undertaken:
Clients
The client must contract an archaeological or palaeontological consultant to conduct the HRIA.
Note: A palaeontological consultant is only required if specified.
Archaeological or Palaeontological Consultants
Consultants must be qualified to hold a heritage impact assessment investigation permit issued by the Heritage Conservation Branch.
Fieldwork results for the HRIA, including Saskatchewan Archaeological Resource Records (SARRs), reports and supplementary data, must be submitted for approval into HRS.
Heritage Conservation Branch
The Heritage Conservation Branch will review the consultant's report, SARRs and recommendations. It will then notify the client of their review and issue one of the following responses:
- Heritage approval has been granted.
- Heritage approval has been granted with conditions.
- Further HRIA assessment is required.
- Additional heritage management or mitigation actions for archaeological or palaeontological sites recorded within the development footprint are required (including, but not limited to, avoidance of a site or sites, fencing off a site area, detailed site recording, test excavation and full-scale salvage excavation).
5. Accessing Heritage Resources Screening
HRS is accessed by:
- land developers;
- land agents acting on behalf of developers;
- municipal, provincial and federal governments/agencies; and
- heritage professionals.
To access HRS, you must have a Saskatchewan Account. Saskatchewan Account is free to use and allows individuals and organizations to securely access a variety of online Government of Saskatchewan services.
Individual Saskatchewan Accounts
Individuals without a Saskatchewan Account can quickly and easily create one by following the steps outlined in Create an Individual Account, which includes a video tutorial.
Organization Saskatchewan Accounts
Clients can create an organization account. Businesses requiring an Organization Saskatchewan Account, must have a director of the business registered with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) create the organization account. For details and step-by-step video tutorials on how to connect a business account and complete business verification, please visit the Create an Organization Account page.
Once you are registered for a Saskatchewan Account, you must link the Heritage Resources Screening service card to your account.
6. Sign In
Before you sign in to HRS, be sure to check the Alerts and Notifications section for system maintenance and availability information.
7. Further Information
Information and qualifications required to become a heritage professional, as well as guides and templates required to complete archaeological and palaeontological fieldwork and reports in Saskatchewan are available on the Resources for Heritage Professionals page.