News

As part of their efforts to remove and recycle all scrap tires in Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Scrap Tire Corporation (SSTC) has introduced the Return to Retailer (R2R) Program. R2R allows Saskatchewan residents to drop off a maximum of ten (10) rimless scrap tires at select tire retailers during business hours free of charge, even if the tires were not originally purchased at that…

Today, the government of Saskatchewan confirmed it will help Saskatchewan residents facing the threat of flooding through the 2013 Emergency Flood Damage Reduction Program. It will provide engineering and technical assistance to municipalities, while sharing the cost of flood prevention works - both permanent and temporary. Level of coverage varies depending on the work, from 50 to 100 per…

SUMA is partnered with Municipal World to offer a 12-month subscription at a discount of 42 per cent off the full price subscription fee. The price offered exclusively to SUMA is $31.99 plus GST for a 12-month subscription. To take advantage of this offer, please fill out this form and return to SUMA no later than April 30, 2013.

Urban governments in Saskatchewan are pleased with the provincial government’s continued support for our cities, towns and villages in their efforts to help our province grow. “Saskatchewan’s villages, towns and cities are experiencing unprecedented growth,” said Mayor Debra Button, SUMA President. “Urban governments across the province are on the frontline, providing the services and…

Thanks to an increase in revenue received through the provincial sales tax (PST), municipalities will see the highest revenue sharing totals yet in 2013-14. The government announced $170 million for Saskatchewan's urban governments, an increase of more than $18 million. Full details are available in the news release. SUMA provided this response to the announcement.

This Friday, the SUMA Board of Directors will meet for the first time since the new Board has been in place. The Board now includes: President: Mayor Debra Button Vice-President of Cities: Mayor Malcolm Eaton Vice-President of Towns: Mayor Rodger Hayward Vice-President of Villages, Resort Villages and Northern Municipalities: Mayor Barry Gunther Executive Member Saskatoon/Regina: Councillor…

Today, Premier Wall announced that the overal amount of education property tax levied in Saskatchewan will remain steady in 2013. This means that the education tax rates in next week's budget will be reduced "significantly" in light of the increased value of property across the province. Though the total tax amount will remain steady, taxes for some property owners will change, depending on…

According to the Conference Board of Canada, Saskatoon and Regina will be the fastest growing metropolitan growth, not just in Saskatchewan, but across the country. The best news: it's not just a "boom" The report says the leading city, Saskatoon, should expect Real GDP growth of 3.7 per cent as the construction and services sectors "thrive." Regina's GDP forecase comes in a close second at 3.5…

At the SUMA convention this year, delegates had the chance to provide feedback to Board members on the proposal to increase membership fees to create a dedicated pool of funding to advance SUMA’s advocacy work. Feedback from members was generally very supportive. However, several key messages were received by SUMA: SUMA needs to be extremely transparent with members about how this…

SUMAssure, Saskatchewan's first home-grown insurance reciprocal, provides benefits to subscribers on top of the low premiums. Risk management information is regularly provided to subscribers; the most recent bulletin was on the risk of roof collapse due to snow buildup. This bulletin is a sample of the risk management information provided to SUMAssure subscribers. For more information on…

The Ministry of Environment announced today that the Multi-Material Recycling Program (MMRP) regulations were approved last week. Urban governments have been waiting for this since 2005, when the MMRP was first advocated by SUMA. For the last eight years, SUMA worked with industry, the ministry and other stakeholders to develop the draft regulations. For more information, read the full media…

The latest research from the Canada West Foundation concludes that Canada’s governments should maintain a high level of investment in public infrastructure because it is a key driver of economic productivity. At the Intersection: The Case for Sustained and Strategic Public Infrastructure Investment, is based on more than 200 studies and shows a strong link between public infrastructure…

SUMA has platform documents available for all candidates currently running for positions on the SUMA Executive Committee. See the list of candidates and their platforms on the Executive Elections page. Elections for SUMA President, Vice-President of Towns, and Vice-President of Villages, Resort Villages and Northern Municipalities will take place at Convention 2013 in Saskatoon.

The Municipal Capacity Development Program (MCDP) has released a new issue of its newsletter, Inter-Connections. The January 2013 issue includes articles on transitioning inter-municipal success into regional planning, a recap of November's MCDP Inter-Municipal Conference, opportunities to get grants and funding, and more. You can read the newsletter on the MCDP website.

SUMA is pleased to see that the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Saskatchewan has proposed the creation of urban only ridings in the cities of Saskatoon and Regina. SUMA made a formal submission to the commission arguing for the urban only ridings based on a growing population and the unique issues that face Saskatchewan’s two largest cities. A portion of SUMA’s submission was…