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WCB Shares 2022 Results in Annual General Meeting
At the end of May, the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) shared its 2022 results at its annual general meeting (AGM), held in Saskatoon. The WCB’s CEO, Phillip Germain, and members of the WCB’s executive team also provided attendees with an overview of the WCB’s financial, strategic and operating highlights, including 2022 workplace injuries and fatalities statistics.
The WCB has remained in a fully funded position at 114.8 per cent in 2022, an increase from 107.6 per cent in 2021. The improvement in the funded position is primarily related to the reduction in the benefits liability, based on changing claim cost experience compared to expectations, and changes in actuarial methods and assumptions. This position ensures that the organization has the capacity to cover the future costs of all claims in the system.
“Maintaining a strong funding position is vital to support injured workers in our province through benefits and programs to help restore their abilities,” said Germain. “A solid funding position also provides employers with the confidence that their needs will be met, as we strive toward enhancing our efficiencies and customer experience.”
In March 2023, WorkSafe Saskatchewan, the partnership between the WCB and the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, launched a new strategy that focuses on two key streams of work that will be undertaken to reduce injuries and fatalities – a regulatory and enforcement stream, and a prevention and learning stream. Building on the success of the initial strategy launched in 2019, the new strategy lays out a direction for working together with stakeholders to address high-risk industries and occupations that are resulting in workplace fatalities and injuries.
“Without question, we must continue to work together to make all workplaces in Saskatchewan safe,” said Germain. “Working with our stakeholders – including employers, unions, researchers and associations – the updated Fatalities and Serious Injuries Strategy will guide us in our efforts to bring injury rates down. We will continue to work with our partners to enhance our workers’ compensation system and to ensure that every Saskatchewan worker returns home safely at the end of each workday.”
For more information on these results, the WCB’s 2022 annual report is available online at wcbsask.com.
Highway Construction Season in Full Swing
When the daylight hours become longer and warmer weather rolls in, construction equipment rolls out onto Saskatchewan highways. The Government of Saskatchewan is reminding travellers to keep an eye out for highway construction zones across the province.
“The Ministry of Highways has crews working all over the province making improvements to our transportation network,” said Highways Minister Jeremy Cockrill. “Let’s keep them safe, so everyone gets home safe at night. We have lots of work going on and these slowdowns are only temporary.”
Some major construction projects will continue or be completed to improve safety and traffic flow, including:
- Continuing passing lanes and widening on Highway 5 from Saskatoon to Highway 2;
- Beginning construction of twinning projects near Rowatt and Corinne on Highways 6 and 39 between Regina and Weyburn; and
- Beginning upgrades on Highway 15 east of Kenaston between Highways 11 and 2
“Provincial road builders employ close to 30,000 workers, making our industry one of the largest employers in the province, and they are working to build Saskatchewan,” said Shantel Lipp, Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association president. “We want to remind drivers to be patient and drive with caution while our builders go to work on the roads this season. This will help ensure their safety as well as yours.”
“Our members are pleased to work with our partners at the Ministry of Highways to make strategic improvements to the transportation network,” said Bev MacLeod, executive director of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Saskatchewan. “These improvements will make the highway system better and safer for all the people of Saskatchewan.”
There are plans to improve another 1,000 km of highways, for a total of more than 4,600 km of highways improved over the last four years. Improvements this year include:
- 230 km of repaving;
- 300 km of medium treatments, like micro surfacing;
- 340 km of pavement sealing;
- 115 km of thin membrane surface (TMS) and rural highway upgrades; and
- 35 km of gravel rehabilitation.
Highways will also invest $62.8 million to repair or rebuild 14 bridges and replace more than 100 culverts across the province. Significant bridge projects include
replacing the Montreal River Bridge on Highway 2 near Weyakwin and
rehabilitating the Highway 6 bridge over Regina’s Ring Road for traffic heading north into the city.
The Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board

The Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) remained fully funded within the targeted range in 2022, which means it can cover the future costs of all claims in the system.
“Under The Workers’ Compensation Act, 2013, the WCB is legislated to have sufficient funds in our injury fund to cover current and future claim costs for injured workers. The range protects against unexpected claim activity or fluctuating economic conditions,” said WCB chair Gord Dobrowolsky. “This includes providing benefits and assistance such as earnings loss, physical and vocational rehabilitation, prevention initiatives and other obligations under the Act.”
The WCB remains fully funded, which means it remained within the targeted funding percentage range of 105 per cent to 120 per cent in 2022. The funding policy is currently under review to align with new accounting standards that will be effective for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2023.
The WCB also reported that the 2023 employer premium rates increased to $1.28, a five-cent increase from the 2022 rate of $1.23.
Financial highlights of the WCB’s 2022 results included:
- Claim costs were $189.4 million in 2022, down from $336.2 million in 2021.
- The WCB’s injury fund was at $436.0 million as of year-end 2022, compared to $549.4 million in 2021.
- The WCB had premium revenues of $304.0 million in 2022 (up from $259.5 million in 2021) and an investment loss of $132.1 million in 2022 (compared to investment income of $254.1 million in 2021). Investment losses includes realized investment income of $98.0 million less $5.4 million for investment expenses, less a $230.1 million decrease in unrealized investment gains for the year.
- The WCB covered 400,392 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers in 2022, compared to 392,813 in 2021.
Last year, the WCB advanced the second year of the major corporate initiative, the Business Transformation Program, which is a $150-million, multi-year investment. Through this initiative, the WCB is engaging customers, partners and WCB staff in this multi-year journey to implement the changes that it believes are necessary to meet customers’ expectations now and into the future.
“Our program involves improving customers’ experience and outcomes, updating, replacing or introducing new technologies, and improving our processes and approach to service delivery,” said WCB CEO Phillip Germain. “The ongoing transformation of our organization enables us to further enhance our business functions and better respond to the needs of our customers, who are the workers and employers of Saskatchewan.”
To support the WCB’s vision to eliminate injuries and restore abilities, the organization promotes workplace safety and injury prevention for workers and employers across the province.
“While we’ve seen some improvements in our injury rates over the last decade, there is still more for all of us to do,” said Germain.
Injury data highlights in 2022 included:
- In 2022, 90 per cent of Saskatchewan workplaces reported zero injuries or fatalities for the third year in a row. Last year, 39 workplace fatalities were reported, up from 31 in 2021.
- The workplace total injury rate in 2022 decreased to 4.33 injuries per 100 workers, representing a five per cent decrease from the 2021 total injury rate of 4.56 per 100 workers.
- The 2022 Time Loss injury rate increased to 2.04 injuries per 100 workers, up 0.49 per cent from the 2021 rate of 2.03 injuries per 100 workers.
For a more detailed look at last year’s results, the WCB’s 2022 annual report is available at wcbsask.com/corporate-plans-and-annual-reports prior to its annual general meeting on May 30.
Another Busy Year for the Highway Hotline
It’s been another busy year for the Highway Hotline.
“The Highway Hotline is a lifeline to travelers in Saskatchewan,” Highways Minister Jeremy Cockrill said. “Drivers get the latest information that allows them to make decisions to protect themselves, their families and other travelers on the road.”
The Hotline received 10.6 million website visits over the past year. That’s well above the typical number of visitors, but fewer than last year’s record, which was influenced by an unusual number of winter storm events.
The interactive Highway Hotline map gives drivers timely information about road conditions. It advises when roads are closed and when travel is not recommended. Last November, a new Highway Hotline smartphone app was launched, which gives travellers information on handheld devices. Saskatchewan’s Highway Hotline app is available at the Apple Store and on Google Play. It’s been downloaded more than 100,000 times since its launch.
Highway Hotline staff work closely with equipment operators across the province to ensure drivers have up-to-date and accurate information. The Hotline received nearly 675,000 hits during April’s spring storm that resulted in numerous highway closures in the province’s south and southeast.
The Hotline is not only for winter road conditions. During construction season, the Hotline gives drivers advance warning about construction zones. This information will help travellers make decisions to avoid delays such as leaving early or using an alternate route.
The Hotline has links to nearly 50 cameras all over the province. These images allow travellers to see weather conditions for themselves and make better decisions. Check the Hotline as part of your pre-travel routine before every trip at saskatchewan.ca/highwayhotline.
CAA 2023 Top 10 Worst Roads!
From April 4 to 25, 2023, Saskatchewan road users including pedestrians, motorists, cyclists, transit riders and motorcyclists, nominated and voted for their worst, unsafe roads. The common safety concerns for worst, unsafe roads are crumbling pavement, potholes, lack of maintenance or repair, congestion, not enough signage and poor infrastructure.
Here are the CAA 2023 Top 10 Worst Roads:
- Saskatchewan 44, Eston
Major problem: Potholes - Saskatchewan 30, Eston
Major problem: Potholes - Coteau Street West, Moose Jaw
Major problem: Potholes - Highway 13: Redvers
Major problem: Potholes - Saskatchewan 5, Buchanan
Major problem: Poor road maintenance (#5 in 2022 CAA Worst Roads campaign) - Butte Street, Pilot Butte
Major problem: Potholes - Saskatchewan 9, Whitewood
Major problem: Potholes - Saskatchewan 123, Petaigan/Ravendale/Pemmican Portage
Major problem: Potholes - Highway 9, Hudson Bay
Major problem: Potholes (#3 in 2022 and 2021 and #5 in 2018 CAA Worst Roads) - Old Highway 35, White Fox
Major problem: Potholes
A total of 292 roads were nominated and voted on during this year’s CAA Worst Roads campaign. These included roads and highways from across the province that have made CAA’s Worst Roads Top 10 list in previous years such as Saskatchewan 47 Springside (#2 in 2022 and #2 in 2018), 9th Avenue Southwest in Moose Jaw (#10 in 2022 and in 2018), as well as some new additions including Regina’s Connaught Street, Weyburn’s 1st Avenue Northeast, and Wanuskewin Road in Saskatoon. The collection of roads nominated and voted during this year’s campaign indicates that Saskatchewan road users are concerned about their safety while travelling on our roads and highways, with this year’s top 10 list indicating the roads that received the majority of the votes.
The CAA 2023 Worst Roads roving reporter stakeholder and road user interviews are on the CAA Saskatchewan YouTube channel and feature City of Saskatoon’s Todd Grabowski talking about improvements to Circle Drive, Mayor Clive Tolley from Moose Jaw, who provided insight on Moose Jaw’s 4th Avenue Viaduct, Ministry of Highways Assistant Deputy Minister Tom Lees, who addressed changes to Saskatchewan 155 La Loche, which was the #4 CAA Worst Road in 2022 and the #1 in the 2017 CAA Worst Roads, avid cyclist Sarah Bilawski, who shared her safety concerns, and City of Regina’s Kim Onrait on location in Regina’s Whitmore Park – home of two of the 2022 CAA Worst Roads, Grant Drive and Mayfair Crescent.
Weather conditions, age of the roads, heavy traffic and lack of maintenance can cause road deterioration. In cold climates like Saskatchewan, the freeze-thaw cycle plays a key role in creating potholes – a problem that occurs when temperatures regularly go above and below the freezing point. When rain or snow seeps through cracks and openings in the pavement, it freezes and expands, causing the pavement to heave upward. As temperatures rise, the ground underneath the pavement returns to its normal level, leaving a cavity or hole that breaks apart with continued road user traffic over the fractured pavement.
Saskatchewan is a landlocked province and has almost 250,000 km of roads, the highest length of road surface compared to any other province in Canada. These roads, often a lifeline for many residents, are used on a regular basis for business and leisure road travel and when these roads are allowed to deteriorate, road users pay the price.
CAA Saskatchewan is a dedicated safety advocate, and the CAA Worst Roads is an online engagement campaign aimed at drawing attention to our province’s worst, unsafe roads. This year’s top 10 list of worst roads will be distributed to government and business leaders in hopes of sparking conversation and action.
Working towards better roads and safety for all road users is a priority for CAA Saskatchewan.
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