by SHCA SHCA

Chief Electoral Officer recommends preparations continue for Oct. 26 vote

The Chief Electoral Officer recommended late last week that preparations should continue to hold the 29th Provincial General Election this October. This recommendation is based on public health advice from the Chief Medical Health Officer as well as input from provincial electoral stakeholders.

“Earlier today, I sent a letter to Premier Scott Moe to inform him that, at present, from a public health and electoral operational perspective, there is no reason Saskatchewan should not continue to prepare for a general election on its legislatively scheduled date of Oct. 26, 2020,” said Dr. Michael Boda, Chief Electoral Officer of Saskatchewan, on Sept. 4.

“This conclusion was formed, in part, based on the advice and information provided by an electoral advisory group. It was also informed by input from the chief official agents of the province’s registered political parties, as well as from Elections Saskatchewan’s field leadership team throughout the province and our head office leadership team here in Regina.”

The electoral advisory group met four times over the past three months and consisted of:

  • Michael Boda, Saskatchewan’s Chief Electoral Officer;
  • Saqib Shahab, the Province’s Chief Medical Health Officer;
  • The Honourable Jeremy Harrison, Government House Leader; and
  • Cathy Sproule, Opposition House Leader

While not a decision-making body, the advisory group was an important mechanism that helped to inform the Chief Electoral Officer’s public recommendation on the viability of an October 26 election. Dr. Boda had committed to make this public recommendation in early May.

“I would like to thank all three external members of the group,” Dr. Boda said. “Their input and participation helped to shape my recommendation, ensuring that the coming general election can be conducted safely and with integrity.”

Elections Saskatchewan (ESK) is the province’s nonpartisan election management body and an independent office of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. ESK directs and supervises the administration of provincial electoral events, including the 2020 provincial election.

Information for voters, workers, media, candidates and parties is available at www.elections.sk.ca.

by SHCA SHCA

Brandt completes GeoShack/INTEQ acquisition

The Brandt Group of Companies is pleased to announce that, effective July 10, they have successfully acquired the assets of GeoShack Canada Company and the Canadian assets of INTEQ Distributors. This acquisition, which directly affects the Ontario and Quebec markets, makes Brandt the exclusive dealer for Topcon Positioning Systems and other complimentary tools and technology for the entire Canadian market.

The announcement follows Brandt’s recent acquisition of Sokkia Canada and is the latest in a series of acquisitions and dealer agreements by the Regina, Sask.-based company since their purchase of Ontario/Quebec/Newfoundland and Labrador John Deere Construction & Forestry dealer Nortrax in late 2019.

“We’ve worked hard to make this a great deal for our survey, engineering and construction customers in Ontario and Quebec,” said Brandt CEO, Shaun Semple. “Our national infrastructure will allow us to build on the strong foundation laid down by the GeoShack and INTEQ teams to deliver greater-than-ever access to equipment and support services.”

The GeoShack and INTEQ brands and operations will be transitioned into the company’s nationwide Brandt Positioning Technology division.

A recent agreement with Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc. has also assigned Brandt distribution rights for the Quebec market, making them the exclusive dealer for Topcon construction and geopositioning products for all of Canada. Brandt’s 56 locations from coast-to-coast-to-coast coupled with GeoShack’s strategic locations in Ontario will position Brandt, with the industry’s largest team of experts, to provide an unmatched degree of aftersales support.  

In combination with Brandt’s pre-existing Topcon footprint in Western and Atlantic Canada, these additions have given Brandt a comprehensive retail footprint to supply premium geopositioning equipment to the entire Canadian market. The agreement further establishes the firm’s position as one of the country’s premier privately held companies.

by SHCA SHCA

WorkSafe Saskatchewan forms partnership with leading Canadian psychological health expert

Mental health injuries are on the rise across our province and our country. To develop a long-term strategy, which will include resources to assist Saskatchewan employers deal with psychological health issues in the workplace, WorkSafe Saskatchewan has formed a partnership with Dr. Joti Samra, one of Canada’s foremost psychological health and wellness experts. WorkSafe is the workplace injury prevention partnership between the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) and the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety.

“We’re very excited to partner with Dr. Samra to develop a long-term psychological health and safety strategy for the province. Part of the initiative within the strategy will be to develop a resource centre available on WorkSafe’s website, which will include not only written resources, but also podcasts, videos, blogs and webinars,” said Kevin Mooney, the WCB’s vice-president of prevention and employer services. “The centre will provide Saskatchewan employers with the online tools they need to develop and sustain psychologically healthy and safe work environments for their employees.”

Samra will provide hands-on support by offering office hours for consultation. There will be peer learning groups and specific resources for high-risk industries experiencing a larger number of psychological claims. WorkSafe Saskatchewan is looking to build capacity to deliver value-added service on this topic to employers and workers in the province.

While mental health claims only account for a small percentage of the workplace claims submitted in Saskatchewan, those numbers are on the rise. The number of primary mental health claims accepted by the Saskatchewan WCB has increased by 213 per cent from 2015 to 2019. This represents 952 psychological injury claims. The number of accepted psychological injury claims has increased each year, from 98 in 2015 to 307 in 2019. More WCB statistics are attached.

“I’m very pleased to work with the Saskatchewan WCB on this important initiative,” said Samra. “The benefits to employers who invest in sustainable psychological health and safety management systems are considerable, including increased employee productivity and engagement, reduced absenteeism and fewer (and shorter in duration) disability claims.”

Samra (bio attached) is a national expert on issues relating to psychological health, wellness and resilience. Her research has contributed significantly to the evolution and development of a national standard for psychological health and safety in the workplace. She is also the CEO and founder of MyWorkplaceHealth, a full-suite national workplace consulting firm.

The resource centre will offer tools and resources for Saskatchewan employers wanting to launch psychological health and safety systems in their workplaces, or enhance their existing efforts. The centre will also provide answers to some commonly asked questions and direct users to specific WCB resources for more assistance. It will be available this fall on the WorkSafe website.

by SHCA SHCA

Saskatchewan job numbers continue to improve

When the COVID pandemic hit, Saskatchewan’s economy was the least affected among the provinces. Our relatively small population is more focused on business-to-business activity than many of the more densely populated areas such as Toronto, where business-to-consumer is more heavily favoured.

Because of that differentiation, we saw fewer job losses on a percentage basis as the largest hit was taken by the service industry – businesses such as hotels and restaurants. We have plenty of those but, on a percentage basis, we have more industrial or export-oriented activity such as resource production and agriculture.

Those unique characteristics are clearly evident in the July job numbers. The monthly update came out Friday showing we brought back 13,000 jobs, giving us the second lowest unemployment rate in the country behind Manitoba at 8.8 per cent. Most provinces are still in double digits.

We also had the highest employment rate. The opposite of the unemployment rate, this tracks the percentage of people who want to work who have a job.

Source

by SHCA SHCA

Province announces agricultural water management demonstrations

Farmers and ranchers in Saskatchewan are working together to find new and effective ways to manage water on their land that will strengthen their operations and protect communities, infrastructure and the environment.

Today, Minister Responsible for Water Security Agency Greg Ottenbreit announced Water Security Agency (WSA) is investing $1 million to partner with 10 stakeholder organizations on 11 agricultural water management demonstration projects. This will allow the agricultural and environmental communities to test innovative solutions and inform best practices to help farmers and ranchers manage water on their land and mitigate water quality and quantity impacts downstream.

Each organization brings a different perspective on water management and will help contribute agronomic, environmental, infrastructure and economic expertise.

“Agricultural water management is extremely important to our economy and the environment, but every region of our province is different,” Ottenbreit said. “We need to listen and learn from, and work with farmers and ranchers on the landscape. These projects will allow stakeholders, WSA and local leaders to better understand how we can solve complex water management issues.”

“Water management is important to all of rural Saskatchewan as our economy and viability of rural communities depend on it,” Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities president Ray Orb said. “We are pleased to see this investment as Water Security Agency works with local leaders on options and examples of how projects can be supported by all stakeholders.”

The participating organizations receiving funding include:

  • Saskatchewan Conservation and Development Association;
  • Glacier FarmMedia Discovery Farm (Langham);
  • Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds;
  • Saskatchewan Irrigation Projects Association;
  • Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation;
  • Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association;
  • Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association;
  • Saskatchewan Research Council;
  • Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute; and
  • Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association.

“We have been working to advance agricultural water management projects for a number of years and it is great to see the government will be working with local leaders to find solutions to many of our members issues,” Saskatchewan Conservation and Development Association chair Miles Wendell said. “A lot of these projects take time and are very complex, so it’s good to see Water Security Agency taking this approach to demonstrate what works and what might need a different approach.”

“The majority of our members are from rural Saskatchewan and water management is important to wildlife across the province,” Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation executive director Darryl Crabbe said. “We are excited to partner with the Water Security Agency and other stakeholders to find solutions that work for wildlife and Saskatchewan farmers and ranchers.”

Some of the demonstration projects will test how farmers and ranchers can irrigate with water drained from agricultural fields. Other projects will strategically retain wetlands to reduce the downstream impacts of flooding on infrastructure, water quality and habitat. Others will look at applying fertilizer in different ways in order to minimize nutrient runoff.

The Glacier FarmMedia Discovery Farm (Langham), northwest of Saskatoon, will host one of the projects. It will be the site of a multi-year study that will involve design, regulatory approval, and construction of a drainage system on approximately 40 acres of land. After construction, a field study will evaluate several management practices meant to reduce nutrient runoff.

“The goal is to design a drainage plan that meets regulatory requirements and optimizes land productivity while preserving the environment,” Applied Research Lead at Discovery Farm Blake Weiseth said. “This demonstration will help producers reclaim marginally productive low-lying areas while incorporating key nutrient management features associated with wetlands.”

An extension event will be planned during construction for interested farmers and ranchers to observe the process. Glacier FarmMedia Discovery Farm is an innovative agricultural event and demonstration site, home to Ag in Motion and Field of Excellence, located on 640 acres at Langham, Sask.

For more information on the Agricultural Water Management Strategy visit www.wsask.ca.

by SHCA SHCA

Upgrades to 445 km of rural highways underway

Work is underway to upgrade 445 km of Thin Membrane Surface (TMS) and rural highways in Saskatchewan.

“This investment will go a long way toward our government’s goal of improving 1,000 km of highways this year, and 10,000 km in 10 years as laid out by our growth plan,” Highways and Infrastructure Minister Greg Ottenbreit said. “Strong investments like this will assure our transportation infrastructure can support our industry and exporters for generations to come.”

Construction is underway to upgrade 100 km of TMS and rural highways with innovative surface treatments on low volume highways, including:

  • Highway 219 south of Highway 15;
  • Highway 255 south of Tobin Lake; and
  • Highway 355 west of Spruce Home.

Crushing is also underway for future upgrades on Highway 4 from the U.S. border to Grasslands National Park and Highway 36, north of Coronach to the U.S. border.  In addition, work has begun on design and crushing for an additional 325 km of TMS through stimulus funding.

The ministry is also formulating partnerships with RMs to improve infrastructure such as the RM of Frenchman Butte, where work is underway on a $5.2 million improvement project. The subgrade and surfacing of the access, from the junction of Highway 3, is scheduled to be completed this fall.

The Government of Saskatchewan operates and maintains approximately 26,000 km of provincial highway, of which 4,650 km are TMS roads. TMS highways were created in the 1950s to provide residents with a dust-free, mud-free driving surface. The light traffic on this system at that time made these relatively inexpensive roads very functional with regular annual maintenance.

A weekly highway construction update is also published here to provide the travelling public with the latest details on projects underway to help plan safe and efficient travel. You can also report a highway work zone signing problem by calling 306-244-5535.

The Government of Saskatchewan has invested more than $9.8 billion in highways infrastructure since 2008, improving more than 15,800 km of Saskatchewan highways. Another $300 million in highways stimulus funds will be invested over the next two years to stimulate Saskatchewan’s economic recovery.

Shantel Lipp - SHCA President
by SHCA SHCA

Saskatchewan, our home

Yes, we specialize in road building. It’s an area that has been a primary focus of our association for decades. But road building is just one aspect of what we do to help make Saskatchewan a great place to call home.

Farming and agriculture have long been the identity of this province and farmers and ranchers here are working to find efficiencies to better manage water on their land that will strengthen their operations and protect communities, infrastructure and the environment.

Our members will play a role in developing this unique infrastructure. 

The Water Security Agency is investing $1 million on 11 agricultural water management demonstration projects. The Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association is one of 10 stakeholder organizations partnering with the Water Security Agency on this initiative that will allow the agricultural and environmental communities to find best practices to help farmers and ranchers manage water on their land.

We will be front and centre on the construction of a large drainage system on a farm northwest of Saskatoon.

This is just one of many infrastructure projects our members will be a part of where water is concerned. Last month, the provincial government unveiled its plan to embark on a $4-billion irrigation infrastructure project at Lake Diefenbaker.

It’ll be the government’s biggest ever infrastructure project to date and SHCA will be major players over the next 10 years of construction in three main phases.

The government said it will create more than 2,500 construction jobs per year over the next 10 years, which is welcomed news to our industry.

Looking bigger picture, this massive project is expected to be extremely beneficial to Saskatchewan’s agriculture community. Three key irrigation canal systems will be enhanced, which will create hundreds of thousands of acres of irrigable land across the province. 

Our contribution to this project is just one example of how our industry plays an integral role in the growth and economic prosperity in Saskatchewan.

by SHCA SHCA

244 more MEEP projects approved

Earlier this summer, Government Relations Minister Lori Carr announced that another 244 projects, representing more than $88.9 million of provincial funding through the Municipal Economic Enhancement Program (MEEP) 2020 has now been approved.  This brings the current number of approved projects to 741 and an investment to date of $127 million.

“MEEP is a key component of our government’s economic ‘booster shot,’ in light of these recent unparalleled times due to the pandemic,” Carr said. “These provincial dollars will kick start ‘shovel-ready’ local projects and initiatives to support job creation and help keep Saskatchewan strong.”

Some of the recently approved projects include:

  • City of Regina, $30.9 million for: Roof replacement, residential road renewal, energy monitoring and optimization infrastructure, outdoor rink, Wascana pool, municipal justice building, new sidewalks, sidewalk conversion to multi-use pathway and pavement markings
  • City of Saskatoon, $35.5 million for: City-wide paved roadways preservation, downtown festival site, roadside safety improvements, neighbourhood traffic safety upgrades and city-wide sidewalk rehabilitation
  • City of Swift Current, $2.3 million for: Fairview arena floor and header replacement and Friesen Street storm line rehabilitation
  • City of Yorkton, $2.3 million for: Roadway rehabilitation, water main replacement program, and Broadway St. East revitalization

Announced in May, the $150 million MEEP is a key component of the Government of Saskatchewan’s $7.5 billion, two-year capital plan to build a strong province and stimulate its economic recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

MEEP 2020 funding must be used by municipalities by March 31, 2022.

Learn more about MEEP 2020.