News

SGI presented SUMA, SARM, The Saskatchewan Fire Chiefs Association and The Saskatchewan Volunteer Fire Fighters Association with the 2013 rates for Fire Suppression and Vehicle Extrication. Effective January 1, 2013 the hourly rate for a productive call is $839 and the hourly rate for a non-productive call is $503. The increase is based on the Saskatchewan Consumer Price Index of 1.6% for…

Through the Community Rink Affordability Grant, the Government of Saskatchewan paid out more than $1.6 million dollars to 387 communities for 554 facilities across Saskatchewan. The grant paid $2,500 per ice service to help fund operating costs and minor capital upgrades. See the full news release for more information, and a list of grant recipients.

A new study from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says the "underinvestment in infrasturucture is not a crisis but a chronic problem in Canada." The study calls for another $300 billion over the next 10 years - on top of current spending - to return infrastructure spending to historic levels. The centre says investment declined from the 1950s until stimulus programs were introduced in…

The SUMA (SUMA) and Communities of Tomorrow have signed a partnership agreement, paving the way for closer collaboration and co-operation between the two organizations. Communities of Tomorrow (CT) is a public-private organization created to facilitate the development of innovative infrastructure products and services and to work with the public and private sectors to further enhance…

The Great Canadian Infrastructure Challenge, put on by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), continues. In a recent blog post and new video FCM urges you to tell your MP how important infrastructure is in your community. As the federal government prepares Budget 2013, the more voices we can join together, the more effective the campaign can be.

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is hosting a Housing Outlook Conference for Saskatchewan on February 14, in Regina. You can check the brochure on their website for more information. This event always fills up quickly, so CMHC encourages you to register early. Special group pricing, and early bird pricing are both still available. Secure registration is available online.

The Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure is accepting application for the Community Airport Partnership (CAP) program to eligible airports in southern Saskatchewan. CAP was introduced in 2007 and will be in its seventh year of implementation. Eligible community airports can apply for an infrastructure grant. If recommended by a review panel of aviation experts, a project is cost-shared…

The deadline to submit your information for the second payment of the 2012 Municipal Recycling Bridge Funding Program is February 18, 2013. Participants must submit their Receipt Submission Form and tonnage receipts for the months of July 2012 to December 2012 in order to receive reimbursement. Please see the website for more information, and the Receipt Submission Form. Failure to submit…

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has created a Gas Tax Fund Calculator to show how federal funding has helped communities across Canada. The calculator is part of FCM's campaign for renewed federal funding for municipal infrastructure. FCM is asking for everyone's help leading up to the 2013 federal budget; we encourage you to try out the Gas Tax Fund Calculator, and share the…

Regina placed third and Saskatoon came in fifth in the country for economic activity. Yesterday, CIBC released an economic snapshot of 25 Canadian cities and their economic activity, looking at population, employment, unemployment rate, housing starts, and other factors to determine the ranking. Population growth, low unemployment rates and housing activity are spurring activity in both of…